You might not know it, but if you’re an American, you’re an AIDS activist. Twenty years ago, President George W. Bush and a bipartisan group of lawmakers created the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, or PEPFAR, to help fight the scourge of HIV/AIDS in Africa. PEPFAR has since helped save 29 million lives.
Alaska’s contribution to PEPFAR has helped save 35,369 lives since 2003, has helped ensure 4,716 babies were born HIV-free and currently provides antiretroviral treatment to 26,517 people. As President Joe Biden noted in his State of the Union address, PEPFAR has been a huge success — an incredible legacy we can all be proud of and a shining example of the power of bipartisan leadership.
Yet far too many people still die of this preventable, treatable disease. Congress can keep the momentum going by reauthorizing PEPFAR in 2023 so it can continue its lifesaving work. I encourage Sen. Dan Sullivan, Sen. Lisa Murkowski and Rep. Mary Peltola to support this critically important program. Everyone around the world deserves a life of dignity and opportunity. Congress can move us closer to that reality — and a day where everywhere is safe from HIV/AIDS — by reauthorizing one of the most effective disease-fighting tools in our arsenal.
— Sue Stone
Anchorage
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