To Achieve a World Free from AIDS, Let’s Spend it to End it

Earlier this month, I joined Sir Elton John in a USA Today opinion piece calling for a renewed commitment to ending one of the world’s deadliest and most persistent diseases: HIV/AIDS.

For those of us who witnessed the darkest years of the AIDS epidemic, the progress achieved over the last four decades has been nothing short of extraordinary. What was once a near-certain death sentence has become a preventable and treatable condition for millions of people. Yet despite remarkable scientific advances, HIV/AIDS continues to claim hundreds of thousands of lives each year.

Our central message was straightforward: we now possess the tools, technology, and resources needed to dramatically accelerate progress toward ending AIDS, but only if we have the courage and urgency to act.

One of the most promising breakthroughs is the development of long-acting HIV prevention medications that can provide protection for months at a time. Combined with advances in diagnostics, treatment, telehealth, artificial intelligence, and innovative delivery systems, these tools have the potential to reach people in ways that were unimaginable just a decade ago.

We also highlighted the remarkable success of the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), the bipartisan initiative launched in 2003 that has saved more than 26 million lives. In 2002, I worked across the aisle with then-Senator John Kerry to draft the legislation that went on to become the foundation of President George W. Bush’s landmark plan to address AIDS globally. That same year, Sir Elton John testified before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee (of which I was a member) on the need for America to do more to address the global pandemic. “When our lives are done, won’t we want it to be said that we saw millions of people suffering with disease, millions more at risk, millions more abandoned, a whole continent in danger of dying, and we refused to let it happen,” he told the Committee.

A year later, PEPFAR became law. It stands as one of the greatest humanitarian achievements in American history and demonstrates what is possible when the United States leads with purpose and partnership.

But progress is not inevitable. Funds already appropriated by Congress must be put to work. Countries need support as they assume greater ownership of their HIV programs, community health workers must be empowered to reach vulnerable populations, and proven partnerships with faith-based and local organizations should be strengthened.

The theme of our article was “spend it to end it.” The resources exist. The science exists. The implementation strategies exist. What is needed now is the resolve to move quickly and strategically.

History has given us a rare opportunity. We can either finish the job and move toward a world free from AIDS, or risk losing hard-won gains and allowing the epidemic to resurge. I believe America should choose leadership, innovation, and action. The world is watching.

Read the full USA Today piece with Sir Elton John here.