On May 27, PEPFAR marked its 10-year anniversary. The following summaries of opinion pieces and blog posts address the milestone.

• Eric Goosby, Anthony Fauci, Huffington Post “The Big Push”: Saying that when PEPFAR was created in 2003, “the world was witnessing first-hand the destruction of an entire generation of individuals,” U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator Ambassador Goosby, who also serves as head of the U.S. Department of State Office of Global Health Diplomacy, and Fauci, head of the NIH’s National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, write, “[T]he situation has changed dramatically.” They outline successes in the fight against HIV/AIDS, including better access to care and treatment, a reduction in mortality rates, and “the development and implementation of a combination prevention program,” which they say is a “key driver of this progress.” They continue, “While PEPFAR is certainly the largest and most successful foreign health assistance program in history, it is clear that the United States cannot be alone in this endeavor,” and they highlight the efforts of other multilateral programs, the private sector, civil society and countries. “PEPFAR represents the very best of America — the extraordinary generosity and compassion of the American people. Through PEPFAR, we are helping to deliver a better future to millions around the globe,” they conclude (5/27).
• Erin Hohlfelder, ONE blog: Hohlfelder, ONE’s policy director for global health, outlines “10 things you should know about this incredible program,” PEPFAR. She includes the program’s “proud bipartisan legacy”; “incredible results”; emphasis on partnerships; and ability to evolve with science progress. She notes the program “still has some improvements to make” and it “requires more funding.” Hohlfelder concludes, “PEPFAR has demonstrated some of the best of what America can offer to the rest of the world and what leadership from recipient countries can achieve for their own citizens” (5/24).
• Janine Kossen, RH Reality Check: Recent scientific advances, “coupled with the U.S. government’s Blueprint for Achieving an AIDS-Free Generation and the recently released Institute of Medicine evaluation of PEPFAR, offer real promise for the way forward,” Kossen, director of public policy at Advocates for Youth, writes. However, “[s]everal years of level and/or decreased funding threaten the successes PEPFAR has achieved to date,” she states. “While politicians wrangle over funding and policy decisions in Washington, HIV continues to take its toll on families, communities, and nations, particularly among young people,” she writes, highlighting how PEPFAR might address HIV/AIDS among youth (5/24).
• Charles Lyons, Martha Sichone-Cameron, The Hill’s “Congress Blog”: PEPFAR “has transformed the way the world thinks about the HIV/AIDS — bringing together new ideas and new optimism that the global health community didn’t even consider a possibility 10 years ago,” Lyons, president and CEO of the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation (EGPAF), and Sichone-Cameron, an ambassador for the foundation and a mother living with HIV, write. They discuss Sichone-Cameron’s experiences caring for relatives living with HIV and accessing treatment through PEPFAR-supported EGPAF programs. “If the past 10 years have taught us one thing, it is that no one group can fight this disease alone,” they write, adding, “Together we have made great strides and we must continue to do so with more innovation, effective and sustained foreign assistance funding and successful partnerships.” Lyons and Sichone-Cameron conclude, “As we look towards the future, it is clear that PEPFAR and its partners will be crucial to ensuring that we see an AIDS-free generation in our lifetimes” (5/24).