For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
May 30, 2007

Fact Sheet: President Bush Announces Five-Year, $30 Billion HIV/AIDS Plan
Continues American Commitment To Leading The Fight Against AIDS

White House News   En Español

      President Bush Announces Five-Year, $30 Billion HIV/AIDS Plan
      In Focus: HIV/AIDS

Today, President George W. Bush Announced His Desire To Double America’s Commitment to Fight Global HIV/AIDS. He Will Work With Congress To Reauthorize The United States Leadership Against HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, And Malaria Act Of 2003, Which Established The President’s Emergency Plan For AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). The President also announced his intention to double the initial $15 billion commitment, already the largest international health initiative dedicated to a specific disease. Assuming Congress meets the President’s request for Fiscal Year 2008, and with the new $30 billion proposal, the American people have committed $48.3 billion across 10 years to fight HIV/AIDS.

• The President also announced that through March 31, 2007 – after 3 years of PEPFAR implementation – the American people have supported treatment for 1.1 million people in the 15 focus countries*, including more than 1 million in Africa. President Bush thanked Congress for its strong bipartisan support for PEPFAR and called for passage of reauthorizing legislation consistent with the program’s successful principles.

• PEPFAR’s success is rooted in support for country-owned strategies and programs with commitment of resources and dedication to results, achieved through the power of partnerships with governments, non-governmental, faith- and community-based organizations and the private sector. With full implementation of a new “Partnership Compact” model, the next phase of the American people’s commitment to those suffering from HIV/AIDS will continue to expand life-saving treatment, comprehensive prevention programs and care for those in need, including orphans and vulnerable children, to support:
• Treatment for 2.5 million people
• Prevention of more than 12 million new infections
• Care for more than 12 million people, including 5 million orphans and vulnerable children.

The New Plan Emphasizes Continuation And Expansion

Continuation – HIV/AIDS treatment, prevention and care are life-long needs, and the American people will continue to support those served during PEPFAR’s first 5 years.

Expansion –PEPFAR will further expand efforts to strengthen health systems, and to leverage programs that address malaria, tuberculosis, child and maternal health, clean water, food and nutrition, education and other needs. The Plan will emphasize transitioning from an emergency to a sustainable response for treatment, prevention and care.

• 1. Power of Partnerships – The US will pursue “Partnership Compacts” by which U.S. resources and other commitments will increase in partnership with countries dedicated to fighting their HIV epidemics through:

• Increasing their own resources, according to economic ability, for HIV/AIDS and health systems so that the combined resources can achieve the reauthorization’s goals.

• Implementing policies and practices to optimize effectiveness of resources in key areas, e.g. health workforce expansion, gender equality, protection of the rights of orphans, effective HIV counseling and testing, and others to be identified as Partnership Compacts are developed.

• The new Partnership Compacts are crucial to meeting the ambitious targets set by the President today. Absent their full implementation, two million new infections could go unprevented; and another million people would not receive care, including 400,000 orphans and vulnerable children.

• 2. Multilateral Partners – The U.S. is the largest contributor to the Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. The U.S. will look to maintain leadership in multilateral efforts, including the Global Fund. As required of all PEPFAR partners, it is important that the Fund establishes strong accountability and transparency structures and maintains PEPFAR's founding principles.

President Bush Reiterated His Call For Developed And Developing Countries – In Particular Middle-Income Countries Where Projections Suggest Many New Infections Will Occur -- To Increase Their Contributions To Fighting AIDS. HIV/AIDS is a global crisis that requires a global response. The U.S. currently provides as many resources for global HIV/AIDS as all other developed country governments combined for global HIV/AIDS. But only together can we turn the tide against the global epidemic.

Background On Today’s Presidential Action

President Bush announced PEPFAR in his 2003 State of the Union Address and signed the initial 5-year, $15 billion authorizing legislation that was approved with strong bipartisan support. Authorization for PEPFAR expires at the end of Fiscal Year 2008. Reauthorization is needed this year to secure America’s preeminent leadership role, to assure the world and our partners of our commitment so rapid scale-up continues, and to provide time to implement novel aspects of the new Plan.

Building on PEPFAR’s Success

• Resources - With enactment of the President’s Fiscal Year 2008 request, the American people will commit $18.3 billion to PEPFAR - exceeding the original 5 year, $15 billion commitment.

• Results – PEPFAR is on track to meet its ambitious 5 year goals to support treatment for 2 million people, prevention of 7 million new infections and care for 10 million people, including orphans and vulnerable children (2-7-10 goals).
• The President’s new proposal with Partnership Compacts: maintains 2 million people on lifesaving treatment, and supports treatment for an additional 500,000; averts 5 million additional HIV infections beyond the 7 million averted in the initial phase; and maintains care for ten million people, including 4 million orphans and vulnerable children, while supporting care for an additional 2.3 million people, including over 1 million orphans and vulnerable children.

*Current focus countries: Botswana, Cote d’Ivoire, Ethiopia, Guyana, Haiti, Kenya, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Vietnam and Zambia.

*Mrs. Bush will travel to Senegal, Mozambique, Zambia and Mali on June 25-29, 2007. Mozambique and Zambia are PEPFAR focus countries, and Mrs. Bush’s visit underscores the U.S. commitment to Africa and will highlight the advances being made in HIV/AIDS prevention, care, and treatment.

# # #