The Bush Institute Global Health Newsletter

Hello,

 

The decision by Congress to remove PEPFAR’s fiscal year 2025 funding from the recissions package last month signals support for a program that saves millions of lives worldwide. The rescissions package ultimately preserved the president’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief from federal budget cuts that were passed by both chambers and signed by the President. Thanks to lasting bipartisan support, PEPFAR can continue its legacy of lifesaving work as we pursue our goal of ending HIV/AIDS as a public health threat by 2030.

However, debates concerning the future of global health funding continue. Last month, the House Appropriations Committee held a markup of the fiscal year 2026 National Security, Department of State, and Related Programs bill. Under the proposal, the PEPFAR budget and U.S. contribution to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria in FY2026 would amount to approximately $6.2 billion – a minimal decline from $6.5 billion in the current fiscal year. The bill would also require Secretary Marco Rubio to submit a strategy on a gradual and responsible transition of PEPFAR programming to country ownership.

The mission to defeat the global threat of HIV/AIDS should be rooted in saving human lives and advancing U.S. national interests. We should remain committed to ensuring that nations hardest hit by the global AIDS crisis receive the support they need to keep people safe and healthy, while preventing adversaries like Russia and China from advancing inferior programs.

 

Sincerely,

Hannah Johnson
Senior Program Manager of Global Policy
George W. Bush Institute

Figure of the Week

 

1.4 million

That was the number of children living with HIV in 2024 according to the latest data from UNAIDS on the HIV/AIDS pandemic. Advancements in treatment for pregnant and breastfeeding women have protected children from developing HIV. As a result, the number of new HIV infections among children from 2010 to 2024 declined by 62%.

Although progress in reducing new HIV infections is greatest among children, advancement has stalled in recent years. Among children up to 14 years old, the 95-95-95 targets in 2024 were lower than the global average. Only 63% of children knew their status (compared to 87% of all people living with HIV), 87% were on treatment (compared to 89%), and 86% had undetectable levels of HIV in their blood (compared to 94%).

To end HIV/AIDS as a public health threat by 2030, PEPFAR and its partners must not take their eye off the ball. They must work alongside influential civil society partners to ensure that pregnant and breastfeeding women as well as young children maintain strict treatment regimens.

Ally Updates

 

Southern Methodist University is collecting interviews for an oral history project documenting the history of PEPFAR. The project involves interviews with U.S.-based policymakers and advocates instrumental in PEPFAR's creation. Future phases will consist of interviews with PEPFAR partners and beneficiaries in South Africa and will eventually expand into greater Africa and Southeast Asia.

SMU's Brian Franklin recently interviewed Franklin Graham, evangelist, missionary, and president of Samaritan's Purse, for the project. Rev. Graham shared his history of faith-based initiatives to support HIV/AIDS relief: "[My goal] was to try to draw awareness to the evangelical world or to the Christian world of the importance of helping people that were infected with HIV, to try to help them."

Bush Institute Insights

 

On July 18, I provided an update on Congress’s decision to protect PEPFAR from the recent rescissions package. Congressional approval to maintain PEPFAR funding demonstrates the United States’ ongoing commitment to saving millions of lives from HIV/AIDS. This action highlights the bipartisan support PEPFAR has consistently received, which is a crucial signal to our allies. Moving forward, PEPFAR must focus not only on making vital investments in HIV/AIDS but also on building self-sustainable networks so that countries can sustain the progress achieved over the past 22 years. By strengthening data-driven programs, partnering with civil society, and leveraging innovative public-private collaborations, PEPFAR has the tools needed for continued success.