ONE Urges House to Deliver On PEPFAR

Washington, D.C. – This week, the House of Representatives has the opportunity to push forward legislation that builds on America’s efforts to save millions of people from the world’s deadliest, yet entirely preventable and treatable, diseases. Today, the ONE Campaign encourages the House to move swiftly on legislation which extends and expands the President’s Emergency Plan For AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). During the last five years, PEPFAR has provided HIV/AIDS treatment for 1.4 million for HIV/AIDS and drastically reduced the effects of malaria and tuberculosis.

“ONE urges the House to take swift and effective action to pass this bill.  The House should approve this legislation so that we can build on PEPFAR’s proven success to reach millions more with desperately needed prevention care and treatment,” ONE President and CEO David Lane said. “The effects of PEPFAR are felt far beyond just the individuals treated for HIV/AIDS and other diseases like malaria and tuberculosis. PEPFAR rejuvenates entire communities and strengthens America’s reputation abroad. But this is not just smart policy, it’s also the right thing to do.”

“This legislation is a lifeline to millions of people who are suffering from entirely preventable diseases. PEPFAR delivers health and hope; it delivers compassion and caring,” Lane said.  “Whether through intervention and treatment of HIV/AIDS, malaria, or tuberculosis, this legislation has the potential to save millions of lives and transform our world for the better.  Thanks to the leadership of the House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Howard Berman (D-CA) and Ranking Member Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), the House now has the opportunity to take action.”

The bill that the House is considering, titled the Tom Lantos and Henry J. Hyde United States Global Leadership Against HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria Reauthorization Act of 2008, would allow the U.S. to provide lifesaving treatment through bilateral channels for at least three million AIDS patients; prevent 12 million new infections; provide care five million AIDS orphans; and train and support 140,000 new health professionals.  The bill also provides funding for a comprehensive effort to fight tuberculosis and to strengthen the prevention and treatment of malaria in some of the world’s hardest hit countries. The U.S. will work towards all of these targets both through successful bilateral programs as well as through a scaled up partnership with the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.

The ONE Campaign is a broad-based advocacy organization uniting millions of people to press government leaders to fight the emergency of extreme poverty and preventable global disease. For more information, visitwww.ONE.org.

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