20 Million Lives Saved
When the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) was launched in 2003, an HIV diagnosis was a death sentence in much of the world; entire families and communities were falling ill. Over the past 19 years, death and despair have been overwhelmingly replaced with vibrant lives and hope.
With the American people’s generosity, the United States has saved 21 million lives and prevented millions of HIV infections through PEPFAR. Working together with our partners in more than 50 countries, we have accelerated progress toward controlling the HIV/AIDS pandemic – community by community.
A Legacy of Strong Bipartisan Support
PEPFAR has maintained strong bipartisan support across U.S. presidencies and U.S. congresses. In December 2018, the PEPFAR Extension Act of 2018 was signed into law to extend provisions of the United States Leadership Against HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria Act of 2003 for an additional five years through 2023. PEPFAR’s lifesaving work is enabled through the U.S. government’s unwavering commitment to the program and the American people’s compassion and generosity, as PEPFAR ensures every U.S. taxpayer dollar is optimally focused for impact.
Results and Impact
Over the past 18 years, PEPFAR has had remarkable lifesaving results [616 KB]. As of September 30, 2021, PEPFAR supported life-saving antiretroviral treatment (ART) for nearly 19 million people, helping secure the health and welfare of families PEPFAR has enabled 2.8 million babies to be born HIV-free to mothers living with HIV. The program has provided critical care and support for 7.1 million orphans, vulnerable children, and their caregivers so they can survive and thrive.
PEPFAR has helped prevent HIV infection in men and boys, including by supporting 27.7 million voluntary medical male circumcisions in eastern and southern Africa. Through the PEPFAR-led DREAMS (Determined, Resilient, Empowered, AIDS-free, Mentored, and Safe) public-private partnership, new HIV diagnoses among adolescent girls and young women declined by 25 percent or more in nearly all of the regions implementing DREAMS across 10 high-burden African countries.
PEPFAR’s investments also strengthen the systems that drive effective, efficient, and sustainable health care. PEPFAR has helped train 300,000 health care workers to deliver and improve HIV care and other health services, creating a lasting health system for partner countries to confront other current and future health challenges. Link to PEPFAR’s data dashboard: Panorama Spotlight
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