What is an AIDS-Free Generation?
An AIDS-free generation
entails that first, no one will be born with the virus; second, that as
people get older, they will be at a far lower risk of becoming infected
than they are today;
and third, that if they do acquire HIV, they will get treatment that
keeps them healthy and prevents them from transmitting the virus to
others.
Progress Being Made:
Since Secretary Clinton
declared that we can create an AIDS-Free Generation on November 8, 2011,
the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) and other
agencies across the government
have heeded the call and have been working to put us on the path to an
AIDS-Free Generation by focusing on “combination prevention” – condoms,
counseling and testing, and special emphasis on three core
interventions: treatment as prevention, voluntary medical
male circumcision, and stopping the transmission of HIV from mothers to
children. Since November 8, PEPFAR has made considerable progress on
implementing the three core interventions by:
·
Funding nearly 600,000 more people since December,
meaning that PEPFAR is reaching nearly 4.5 million people now – on track
to meet the President’s goal of treating 6 million people by the end of
2013;
·
Supporting more than 400,000 male circumcision procedures since December; and
·
Reaching more than 370,000 women globally, putting
PEPFAR on track to meet its target of reaching an additional 1.5 million
women by the end of 2013.
Barriers to Overcome:
Secretary Clinton also
stated that creating an AIDS-Free Generation requires addressing the
critical needs of people living with HIV, including women, orphans and
vulnerable children, and
key populations at high-risk of contracting HIV.
Call to Action:
The Secretary
called upon Ambassador Goosby to take the lead on developing a blueprint
by World AIDS Day 2012 that outlines the goals and objectives for the
next phase of our effort to achieve an AIDS-Free
Generation. She also emphasized that other countries needed to step up
to the plate and do their part, in particular by supporting the Global
Fund to Fight AIDS, TB, and Malaria.
In addition to for calling for a blueprint for an AIDS-Free Generation, Secretary Clinton announced:
·
An additional $80
million to support innovative approaches that ensure HIV-positive
pregnant women get the treatment they need to protect themselves, their
babies, and their partners;
·
An additional $40
million to support South Africa’s plans to provide voluntary medical
male circumcisions for almost half a million boys and men in the coming
year;
·
$15 million for
implementation research to identify the specific interventions that are
most effective for reaching key populations;
·
$20 million to launch a challenge fund that will support country-led plans to expand services for their key populations; and
·
$2 million
investment in the Robert Carr Civil Society Networks Fund to bolster the
efforts of civil society groups in addressing key populations.
To learn more about the U.S. commitment to the global HIV/AIDS response, visit
www.pepfar.gov.