PEPFAR announces latest results in U.S. government’s contribution to the HIV/AIDS response

Each year on World AIDS Day, The U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) announces its latest results.  Since 2013, PEPFAR support in key program areas has expanded, including an increase in the number of people receiving live-saving antiretroviral treatment, pregnant woman receiving testing and counseling, and voluntary medical male circumcisions performed for HIV risk reduction.

• As of September 30, 2014, PEPFAR is supporting life-saving antiretroviral treatment for 7.7 million men, women, and children (of which, 4.5 million are receiving direct support and an additional 3.2 million are benefiting from essential technical support to partner countries).  This is a four and a half-fold increase since the start of the Obama Administration.

PEPFAR is now differentiating the type of support provided to beneficiaries,  recognizing  the greater share of investment made by financial collaboration  countries to reach these  results.  We congratulate countries, including  Botswana, Namibia, and the Republic of South Africa, for their expanded  leadership in this regard.

The majority of people that PEPFAR directly supports with antiretroviral  treatment are in low-income countries.

• In Fiscal Year (FY) 2014, PEPFAR supported HIV testing and counseling for more than 14.2 million pregnant women.

For 749,313 of the women who tested positive for HIV, PEPFAR provided  antiretroviral medications to prevent mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT)  of the virus. Due to PEPFAR support, 95 percent of these babies were  born HIV-free(including 240,000 that would otherwise have been infected).

Over the past two years, over 1.5 million HIV-positive pregnant women  received prevention and treatment services to prevent mother-to-child  transmission and improve maternal health.

• As of September 30, 2014, PEPFAR has supported more than 6.5 million voluntary medical male circumcision (VMMC) procedures in Eastern and Southern Africa.
• In FY 2014, PEPFAR provided care and support for more than 5 million orphans and vulnerable children.
• In FY 2014, PEPFAR supported HIV testing and counseling for more than 56.7 million people, providing a critical entry point to prevention, treatment and care.
• As of September 30, 2014, PEPFAR is supporting training (including pre-service training) for more than 140,000 new health care workers in PEPFAR-supported countries to deliver HIV and other health services.

Source: U.S. Department of State