Subject:
Global Health Newsletter for March 19, 2024
From Name:
Igor Khrestin, George W. Bush Institute
From Email:
Ikhrestin@bushcenter.org
Reply Email:
hjohnson@bushcenter.org
Date and Time:
21/02/2024 12:00 am
The Bush Institute Global Health Newsletter
Hello,

The President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) is a historic success that has saved over 25 million lives and prevented 5.5 million babies from acquiring HIV.

The program has been reauthorized by overwhelming bipartisan majorities in the House and Senate and supported by presidents of both parties, delivering consistent impact, despite flat funding since 2009.

Four courageous women living with HIV in Kenya – Jacqline, Victoria, Caroline, and Linet – showcase the hope that PEPFAR has brought to countries across the globe by confronting this disease and saving lives.

Through PEPFAR support all four women have received access to lifesaving antiretroviral treatment (ART) and cervical cancer screening and treatment services. "I'm happy because I'm a living testimony," Jacqline said after 17 years of living with HIV.

After being diagnosed with HIV in 2009, Victoria lost 70 pounds and felt like her family was watching her die. PEPFAR’s support and lifesaving medication has allowed her to return to a healthy weight and live a “long, and healthy, beautiful, wonderful” life.

Caroline was diagnosed with HIV in 2013. Access to ART has allowed her to have two babies who are HIV-free. Now, she supports other HIV-positive women by providing them with support.

When Linet tested positive for HIV, she was devastated. However, access to medication because of PEPFAR allowed her to regain control over her health.

These four women demonstrate the transformational impact of access to HIV treatment and support. It's important to make sure the program can continue, with much-needed Congressional support and oversight, to serve these four women and the millions of others who depend on it.

Kind regards,

Igor Khrestin
The Bradford M. Freeman Managing Director of Global Policy
George W. Bush Institute

Women in Kenya living with HIV, including Jacqline (top right), Victoria (bottom left), and Caroline (bottom middle-right), showcase how the PEPFAR program brings hope to countries across the globe.

 
Bush Institute insights:

PEPFAR’s impact spreads far beyond global health. The program has served as a democratic beacon of hope. "PEPFAR is built on democratic values – transparency, accountability, and data-driven decision-making – and is much more than a global health program. It emphasizes sustainable, strategic investments that support country ownership and data-driven results. These values have allowed the United States to maintain its status as a preferred partner on the continent," wrote Hannah Johnson, Program Manager of Global Policy at the Bush Institute.

 
Standout statements:
 

Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice spoke to MSNBC this fall to underscore the importance of PEPFAR, calling its reauthorization a "moral obligation":

"I'm grateful to the American people, who have supported this program for 20 years…the United States of America is at its best when it leads from power, which we have plenty of, but also principle and compassion…this [PEPFAR] program has to be preserved."

 
Ally updates:
 

The World Health Organization (WHO) highlighted the efforts of Go Further, a partnership among the Bush Institute, PEPFAR, and UNAIDS, along with Roche and Merck, working to eliminate cervical cancer, at the Global Cervical Cancer Elimination Forum. Several organizations, countries, and institutions are working to close the care gap in sub-Saharan Africa for young women and girls who face a "double burden of epidemics" from both HPV and HIV. The WHO stated that this year, they'll work with Go Further and others to "enhance comprehensive access to cervical cancer screening and treatment services for girls and women."

 
Figure of the week:
 
90%

More than 90% of the 349,000 cervical cancer deaths in 2022 took place in low- and middle-income countries, according to the WHO. Government officials – including those from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, and Nigeria – committed to addressing these devastating numbers at the Global Cervical Cancer Elimination Forum last week. This joint effort aims to increase access to HPV vaccines and relies on funding from the World Bank, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and UNICEF, among others.

 
In the news:
 
Igor Khrestin
THE BRADFORD M. FREEMAN MANAGING DIRECTOR OF GLOBAL POLICY

GEORGE W. BUSH PRESIDENTIAL CENTER
T: (214) 200-4315
E: IKhrestin@bushcenter.org

www.bushcenter.org

 

About the George W. Bush Institute

The George W. Bush Institute is a solution-oriented nonpartisan policy organization focused on ensuring opportunity for all, strengthening democracy, and advancing free societies. Housed within the George W. Bush Presidential Center, the Bush Institute is rooted in compassionate conservative values and committed to creating positive, meaningful, and lasting change at home and abroad. We utilize our unique platform and convening power to advance solutions to national and global issues of the day. Learn more at www.bushcenter.org

 

George W. Bush Presidential Center
2943 SMU Boulevard
Dallas, Texas 75205

Privacy policy

Email preferences