July 31, 2008

President Signs Reauthorized PEPFAR, Prioritizing Women and Children Living With HIV/AIDS

Washington, D.C. – President Bush yesterday signed into law the “Tom Lantos and Henry J. Hyde United States Global Leadership Against HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria Reauthorization Act of 2008” (S. 2731/H.R. 5501).  This law reauthorizes the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) for $48 million for another five years, while dedicating more resources to women and children living with HIV and opening the door for funded countries to provide comprehensive sexuality education.

"AIDS Alliance for Children, Youth and Families is hopeful that with passage of PEPFAR, more children living with HIV will be recruited into care and given the support needed to stay in services," noted Licy Do Canto, AIDS Alliance's Chief Executive Officer.  "And pregnant women will have better access to the highly effective tools we use here in the U.S. to prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV," continued Do Canto.

The new law incorporates important provisions of the Global Pediatric HIV/AIDS Prevention and Treatment Act, a bill endorsed by AIDS Alliance and introduced by Senators Chris Dodd (D-CT) and Gordon Smith (R-OR) earlier this year.  Of particular note, the legislation will expand programming to prevent mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) of HIV, and expands care and treatment for children living with HIV by targeting treatment funds proportionally to their prevalence in each country funded.

"We appreciate the bipartisan enthusiasm generated by this legislation and look forward to continuing work with lawmakers to strengthen the HIV prevention, care and treatment needs of women, children, youth and families living in the U.S. as well," continued Do Canto.

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AIDS Alliance for Children, Youth & Families is a national training, education, and advocacy organization. Our provider members include over 650 community-based organizations that serve over 53,000 women, children, youth and families affected by HIV/AIDS. Many of our programs are funded under Part D (Title IV) of the Ryan White CARE Act, a program that reaches the vast majority of pregnant women and newborns affected by HIV/AIDS in the United States. Part D (Title IV) provides comprehensive, family-centered care to women, children, youth and male caregivers affected by HIV/AIDS through 91 grants in 35 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands. For more information, contact Diana Bruce, director of policy and government affairs, 202-785-3564, x 25.