PEPFAR

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 18 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 Is PEPFAR’s Strategy?

The PEPFAR Strategy for Accelerating HIV/AIDS Epidemic Control (2017-2020) provides a road map for accelerated implementation at scale in 13 high-burden countries with the greatest potential to achieve HIV/AIDS epidemic control by 2020. The Strategy also reaffirms PEPFAR’s continued support for more than 50 countries worldwide and our commitment to ensure all populations, including key populations and other vulnerable groups, can access HIV services.

It has three goals. First, to maintain life-saving treatment for individuals currently supported, while making essential services such as testing linked to treatment more accessible. Second, to provide even more services for orphans and vulnerable children—those who are immediately and permanently affected when a parent or caretaker is lost to this disease. Finally, to accelerate progress toward controlling the pandemic in 13 countries that represent the most vulnerable communities to HIV/AIDS and have the potential to achieve control by 2020.

What Has Been PEPFAR’s Impact?

Over the past 17 years, PEPFAR has had remarkable lifesaving results. As of September 30, 2019, PEPFAR has saved over 18 million lives through accountable, transparent, and cost-effective investments. The program has supported antiretroviral treatment for nearly 15.7 million people, including nearly 700,000 children (ages 0-14 years). In 2019, PEPFAR supported HIV testing services for 79.6 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 by 25 percent or more in nearly all of the intervention regions implementing DREAMS across 10 high-burden African countries.

Progress Among Babies, Mothers, and Orphans

With PEPFAR support, more than 2.6 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 6.3 million orphans, vulnerable children, and their caregivers.

Progress Among Men and Boys

PEPFAR has supported 22.8 million with voluntary medical male circumcisions, a one-time, low-cost intervention shown in randomized controlled trials to reduce men’s risk of HIV by approximately 60 percent, with the prevention effect maintained for life.

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.