Although significant progress has been made in the fight against AIDS, there is still much to be done to achieve an AIDS-free generation. That is why, in advance of World AIDS Day, Congress demonstrated its continued support for the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) by passing the PEPFAR Extension Act (H.R. 6651). This bipartisan bill, which is now heading to the president’s desk, ensures that PEPFAR resources will continue to help partner countries expand access to treatment, prevent new infections and achieve epidemic control.

Chairman Ed Royce visits a children’s HIV/AIDS care and treatment clinic in Botswana, May 2018.

Chairman Ed Royce recently recalled that – during his tenure as chairman of the Africa Subcommittee – he visited countries across Africa affected by an overwhelming HIV/AIDS epidemic threatening to eliminate a generation of young people, destroy economies and destabilize nations. To help stop the disease’s spread, Congress first authorized PEPFAR with overwhelming bipartisan support in 2003. It remains the largest commitment by any nation to combat a single disease internationally – and stands as the most successful U.S. assistance program since the Marshall Plan.

Since PEPFAR’s beginning, over 85.5 million people have received voluntary testing and counseling services, over 2 million babies born to HIV-positive mothers have been born HIV-free, and 6.4 million orphans and vulnerable children have received care and support.

Medical supplies outside a clinic in Mozambique, May 2018.