The AIDS epidemic has killed more than 40 million people since the first recorded cases in 1981, tripling child mortality and carving decades off life expectancy in the hardest-hit areas of Africa, where the cost of treatment put it out of reach. Horrified, then-President George W. Bush and the U.S. Congress two decades ago created what is described as the largest commitment by any nation to combat a single disease.

The program, known as the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, or PEPFAR, partners with nonprofit groups to provide HIV/AIDS medication to millions around the world. It strengthens local and national health care systems, cares for children orphaned by AIDS and provides job training for people at risk.

Now, a few Republican lawmakers are endangering the stability of the program, which officials say has saved 25 million lives in 55 countries from Ukraine to Brazil to Indonesia. That includes the lives of 5.5 million infants born HIV-free.

  • @dill
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    429 months ago

    Be mad about military spending not humanitarian.

    • @avonarret1@programming.dev
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      fedilink
      179 months ago

      It’s funny to me that it’s socialist oriented spending, which in relation is a drop in a bucket, is so controversial but everything else is okay. It is not even funny how huge the disparity is. But yeah, it is such a no-go to do good things… man, the gymnastics involved to reach that level of thinking are so stupid, it should be comical