Fight HIV and COVID

COVID-19 could set back the bipartisan fight against AIDS by more than a decade – unless we act. Congress must support the Global Fund and PEPFAR now to fight HIV and COVID.

Tell your Senators and Member of Congress: Congress must provide funding for the Global Fund and PEPFAR in the COVID-19 Supplemental Appropriation or risk losing over a decade of progress against HIV/AIDS.

UNAIDS estimates a six-month disruption of antiretroviral therapy could lead to more than 500,000 extra deaths from AIDS-related illnesses, setting back progress by more than a decade. A Global Fund survey found that 80% of HIV programs reported service delivery disruptions. If the U.S. doesn’t act now to protect the global HIV/AIDS response, years of hard won gains could be lost.

COVID-19 is accelerating in Africa.

“While South Africa is experiencing a very, very severe event, I think it is really a marker of what the continent could face, if urgent action is not taken to provide further support,” said Dr. Mike Ryan, director of WHO’s Health Emergencies Program.

Africa CDC Director John Nkengasong warned that without proper investments in other longstanding disease threats, COVID-19 could knock them off track. “As a continent, we are dealing with two pandemics. HIV is still a pandemic. HIV kills 500,000 Africans a year. With TB and malaria it kills 1.2M Africans a year. If we don’t advocate for those programs we have another looming catastrophe.”

The Global Fund and PEPFAR need Congressional funding to tackle COVID-19 and protect hard-won gains in the bipartisan fight against HIV/AIDS.