What is PEPFAR?
The U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) is the largest commitment by any nation to address a single disease in history, enabled by strong bipartisan support across nine U.S. congresses and three presidential administrations, and through the American people’s generosity. PEPFAR shows the power of what is possible through compassionate, cost-effective, accountable, and transparent American foreign assistance.
Since PEPFAR’s inception in 2003, the U.S. government has invested over $85 billion in the global HIV/AIDS response, saving over 20 million lives, preventing millions of HIV infections, and achieving HIV/AIDS epidemic control in more than 50 countries around the world.
The program leverages the power of partnerships across multiple sectors, reaches the populations that are most affected by the HIV/AIDS epidemic with innovative solutions that meet their needs, ensures that every dollar is optimally focused for impact through data-driven policies, and supports partner countries to do the same.
PEPFAR is led and managed by the U.S. Department of State's Office of the U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator and Health Diplomacy and implemented by seven U.S. government departments and agencies, leveraging the power of a whole-of-government approach to controlling the HIV/AIDS epidemic.
What Are PEPFAR’s Priorities?
- Progress: When PEPFAR was launched in 2003, an HIV diagnosis was a death sentence in much of the world; entire families and communities were falling ill. In the intervening years, death and despair have been overwhelmingly replaced with vibrant lives and hope. With the American people’s generosity, the United States has saved 20 million lives and prevented millions of HIV infections through PEPFAR. Working together with our partners in more than 50 countries, PEPFAR has accelerated progress toward controlling the HIV/AIDS pandemic – community by community.
- Policies: PEPFAR ensures every dollar is optimally focused for impact through data-driven policies, and supports partner countries to do the same.
- Populations: PEPFAR reaches the populations that are most affected by the HIV/AIDS epidemic with innovative solutions that meet their needs.
- Partnerships: PEPFAR leverages the power of partnerships across multiple sectors to increase our impact and advance sustainability.
What Has Been PEPFAR’s Impact?
Over the past 18 years, PEPFAR has had remarkable lifesaving results. As of September 30, 2020, PEPFAR has saved over 20 million lives through accountable, transparent, and cost-effective investments. The program has supported antiretroviral treatment for nearly 18.2 million people and provided critical care and support for more than 6.7 million orphans, vulnerable children, and their caregivers. In Fiscal Year 2020, PEPFAR supported HIV testing services for nearly 50 million people.
Progress Among Adolescent Girls and Young Women
Through the PEPFAR-led DREAMS (Determined, Resilient, Empowered, AIDS-free, Mentored, and Safe) public-private partnership, adolescent girls and young women are empowered and equipped to stay HIV-free throughout their adolescence. DREAMS has reduced HIV diagnoses among adolescent girls and young women in all of the intervention regions implementing DREAMS across 10 high-burden African countries. Of these areas, 96% have had a decline of >25%; nearly two-thirds (62%) have shown a decline of >40%.
Progress Among Babies, Mothers, and Orphans
As of September 30, 2020, with PEPFAR’s support, more than 2.8 million babies have been born HIV-free to pregnant women living with HIV and their mothers have been kept healthy and alive to protect and nurture them. The program has provided critical care and support for 6.7 million orphans, vulnerable children, and their caregivers to mitigate the physical, emotional, and economic impact of HIV/AIDS.
Progress Among Men and Boys
As of September 30, 2020, PEPFAR has supported 25.3 million with voluntary medical male circumcisions in east and Southern Africa to help protect men and boys from HIV infection.
Latest Program Results
PEPFAR regularly reports on results achieved by its programs.
- Read about the latest global results from PEPFAR-supported activities
- For more detailed information, visit the PEPFAR Data Dashboards.