U.S. Supports Antiretroviral Treatment for 1.73 Million Worldwide Through the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief

June 27, 2008
No. 21/08

The U.S. Government announced on Thursday, June 16, 2008 that, through the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), it is supporting life-saving antiretroviral treatment for approximately 1.73 million men, women and children worldwide, including nearly 1.68 million people in sub-Saharan Africa. This represents a dramatic increase from the roughly 50,000 people on treatment in all of sub-Saharan Africa in 2003, when President George W. Bush first announced PEPFAR. This accomplishment, along with the similarly successful prevention and care programs supported through PEPFAR, is a testament to the commitment of the people of the countries in which the U.S. Government is privileged to serve.

Together, PEPFAR and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria are supporting antiretroviral treatment for approximately 2.4 million of the 3 million people on treatment in low- and middle-income countries. These results also reflect the strong country-level partnership between PEPFAR and the Global Fund in support of host nations. The U.S. Government, as a founding member of the Global Fund and its largest contributor, continues to play a leadership role in ensuring the success of this essential international effort. Since 2001, the American people have invested more than $2.5 billion in the Global Fund, providing approximately 30 percent of its total resources.

“Only a few years ago, many doubted whether prevention, treatment and care could ever successfully be provided in resource-limited settings, where HIV was a death sentence,” said Ambassador Mark Dybul, PEPFAR Coordinator. “Today, while much remains to be done, the skeptics have been proven wrong. Millions of people are on life-saving anti-retroviral treatment in developing countries, and many millions more have benefited from prevention and care programs.”

As of March 31, 2008, PEPFAR reported that the number of individuals receiving Antiretroviral Treatment in Ethiopia reached close to 100,000 showing a more than ten fold increase from less than about 10,000 when free treatment was started in2005.

The number of patients who have ever started ART since Anti Retroviral Treatment was launched in 2003 is 136,168. That is, a little over 35,000 patients who had been started on ART are no longer receiving their treatment. But, this is not just “because of logistical problems” or “due to religious beliefs”. Although it is difficult to determine the exact out come of all these patients, at least as high as half of these patients have died due to HIV related illnesses and complications. Some targeted assessments done by PEPFAR implementing partners have clearly confirmed this fact. It is well known that patient death after starting ART is very high in sub Saharan Africa. This is partly explained by the fact that patients come for care and treatment services at a very late stage of their illness.

PEPFAR Ethiopia is currently collaborating with the government of Ethiopia to provide an effective response to HIV/AIDS.  The U.S. and Ethiopian governments recognize that success is firmly rooted in partnership between the American people and the people of Ethiopia. Over a period of five years, PEPFAR Ethiopia received approximately US $ 850 million from the United States government.

PEPFAR is the largest global health initiative directed at a single disease with a funding level of 18.8 billion USD across five years. PEPFAR is on target to achieve its ambitious goals of supporting treatment for two million people, prevention of seven million new infections, and care for 10 million people infected and affected by HIV/AIDS, including orphans and vulnerable children at the end of the five year period (September 30, 2009).