WASHINGTON – There’s a fight on Capitol Hill to preserve funding for one of the most effective public health programs in history. Since 2003, the U.S.-led AIDS relief initiative known as PEPFAR has saved more than 26 million lives. Sen. Susan Collins spoke with CBN News about efforts to keep the program alive.
Faith-based nonprofit Living Hope has been on a mission to save lives on the African continent for 25 years. “Last year, we had the great privilege of serving over 121,000 unique individuals—bringing hope, breaking despair, and focusing on the poor in Africa,” said the group’s executive director, Victor Thomas.
As they celebrate that milestone, Thomas credits much of the organization’s success to PEPFAR.
“It helped us on both the prevention side of things as well as treatment. We were able to do incredible work among youth and teens in prevention, as well as treatment and testing in clinics,” he said.
Since receiving the first round of funding in 2004, Thomas says the program has been highly successful from the start.
“From year one in our health care facility, we saw 95% of people who were dying from the disease become—within a year or two with ARVs (antiretrovirals) and PEPFAR’s partnership—95% of people who were thriving and living healthy lives,” he said.
Thomas says the fight continues in underserved areas along the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. He notes HIV/AIDS cases there are increasing, especially among teenagers.
Republican Senator Susan Collins is fighting to keep PEPFAR aid flowing to Living Hope and other foreign agencies. Last year, she opposed cuts totaling $400 million.
“The funding for PEPFAR is slightly lower than last year, but much higher than what the president’s budget proposed,” she said.
Collins chairs the Senate Appropriations Committee, which is currently considering a spending bill that would invest in lifesaving global health programs, including PEPFAR and maternal and child health agencies.
“There are some exciting developments. For example, there is a vaccine being developed that would replace the need for daily medication, and that could help make it more practical for a country in Africa, for example, that lacks resources to take over the program,” Collins said.
As vaccine breakthroughs continue, so does the plan for the U.S. to gradually reduce and eventually phase out direct funding to many countries.
There is supposed to be a significant reduction by 2028—but is there enough time? “We’re not there yet. So I think this has to be on a case-by-case basis, dependent on the resources, the infrastructure, and new methods of treatment,” Collins said.
The “America First Global Health Strategy,” released in September, aims to transition these countries to total self-reliance by 2030. Collins says that while it’s an aspirational goal, it will take outreach, education, and U.S. health care providers working on the ground alongside local staff.
“To me, this is carrying out what Jesus would want done. It is taking care of the least of us,” Collins said.
The Maine senator also shared with us that the church and evangelical movement nationwide has been “absolutely critical to their success in turning back PEPFAR cuts.” The current spending package being debated also has bipartisan support to maintain significant global health assistance and increase funding for medical research.
