The President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief - December 2008 Newsletter

Inside this Edition: President Bush Announces Treatment Goal Met, Receives International Medal of PEACE [more] Premier Global Companies, U.S. Government Launch Unprecedented Partnership for an HIV-Free Generation [more] U.S. Donates Building in Malawi [more] Ethiopia Celebrates Life through World AIDS Day Posters [more] American Embassy Commemorates World AIDS Day on its Turf [more] World AIDS Day 2008: Celebrate Life! [more] President Bush Announces Treatment Goal Met, Receives International Medal of PEACE On World AIDS Day, December 1, 2008, President George W. Bush and First Lady Laura Bush joined Pastor Rick Warren and his wife, Kay, for the Saddleback Civil Forum on Global Health. Held in Washington D.C.'s Newseum, the event highlighted the successes of the U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). A new approach to international aid, PEPFAR has formed partnerships with host nations and local leaders around the globe to defeat the HIV/AIDS epidemic. To date, PEPFAR has spent more than $18.8 billion internationally to combat HIV/AIDS and was recently reauthorized up to $48 billion for an additional five years to fight HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. At the Forum, the President announced that PEPFAR had reached its goal of supporting treatment for two million people worldwide. "I insisted upon measurable goals because I felt that lives needed to be saved. And if you don't have measurable goals, lives might not be saved. …When we got started there were 50,000 people getting antiretrovirals in all sub-Sahara Africa. And we set a goal of 2 million by five years to get antiretrovirals. … today we're able to announce that we're over 2 million in less than five years," said President Bush. President Bush also announced that with the support of the American people through PEPFAR, 10 million people - the program's care goal - have received care, including four million orphans and vulnerable children. At the event, the President was honored with the International Medal of PEACE for his unprecedented work in the fight against HIV/AIDS and other diseases. "No U.S. President or political leader has done more for global health than this Administration, which has raised the bar on America's role and responsibility for providing critical humanitarian assistance around the world," said Pastor Rick Warren. "Over the past eight years, the President and Mrs. Bush have traveled the globe as they and their staffs have worked tirelessly to bring awareness and solutions to pandemics such as HIV/AIDS, and we are privileged to honor their efforts on World AIDS Day." The International Medal of PEACE is given on behalf of the Global PEACE Coalition for outstanding contributions toward alleviating pandemic diseases, extreme poverty, illiteracy, self-centered leadership and spiritual emptiness. "As my wife Kay and I have been implementing the PEACE Plan in 68 developing countries, we have seen firsthand many of the hundreds of thousands of lives that have been saved through PEPFAR and the President's Malaria Initiative," Warren said. "I hope that this Forum will show the American people that our global health programs represent more than compassionate humanitarian efforts, but are also a strong, prudent pillar of American foreign policy." Along with Pastor Warren's praise, a number of other global leaders lauded PEPFAR and President Bush's efforts in the fight against HIV/AIDS, including President- elect Barack Obama, Former President Bill Clinton, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, Former United Kingdom Prime Minister Tony Blair, Bill and Melinda Gates, Bono, Michel Kazatchkine of the Global Fund, and Rwandan President Paul Kagame. Considered by President Bush to be one of his most important initiatives, he hopes PEPFAR will reflect his leadership as President. "I would hope that when it's all said and done, people say this is a guy who showed up to solve problems." Premier Global Companies, U.S. Government Launch Unprecedented Partnership for an HIV-Free Generation On December 5 in Nairobi, Kenya, the U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), industry leaders from the private sector, and well-established non-governmental organizations joined together to launch the Partnership for an HIV-Free Generation. HIV-Free Generation combines current evidence-based HIV prevention approaches with the private sector's 21st century capabilities to promote and maintain healthy behaviors among 10-24 year old youth. Through pioneering approaches to promote healthy living, positive behavior change, gender equality, and links with economic skills and opportunities, HIV-Free Generation will equip young people to take control of their lives and their futures. At the launch event, which took place at the AmericaShare/Micato Safaris youth center in Mukurukwa Njenga, one of Nairobi's informal residential settlements, U.S. Ambassador to Kenya Michael E. Ranneberger reflected on the challenges faced in preventing the spread of HIV. He added: "We must now mobilize every tool at our disposal to finally achieve prevention programs that touch young people at every point on the road to adulthood and reach them with messages and support that transmit skills and hope for an HIV-free future. The Partnership for an HIV-Free Generation brings us new partners - and through them, dynamic and innovative tools that have never before been applied to this important work." The Honorable Ali Mohamed, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of State for Special Programmes with the Government of Kenya, thanked PEPFAR for its ongoing support, and noted, "We once again have much to be proud of in our response to HIV, but also much ground left to cover." He welcomed the Partnership for an HIV-Free Generation, adding, "We are confident that its contribution - really our collective contribution - to empowering young people, to engaging new partners, to integrating innovative tools and ideas, and to delivering results will be critical in Kenya's continued quest to turn the tide of AIDS." In addition to event host AmericaShare/Micato Safaris, PEPFAR engaged the following private sector and non-governmental organizations: Accenture Development Partners, The Africa Media Broadcast Partnerships Against HIV/AIDS/ Global Media AIDS Initiative, APCO Worldwide, The Coca-Cola Africa Foundation, The Draper Richards Foundation, Girl Scouts of the USA, Grassroot Soccer, The Global Business Coalition, Hasbro, Intel, Junior Achievement, Microsoft, Mitchell Silberberg & Knupp LLP, The MTV Staying Alive Foundation, Nike Foundation, Rotarians for Fighting AIDS, TechnoServe, and Warner Bros. Advanced Media Services Inc. HIV-Free Generation will initially target Nairobi, Kenya as its pilot location to develop and test best practices, with an overall goal of reducing new infections among youth aged 10-24 and then rapidly taking lessons learned and applying them in other countries hard hit by the epidemic. For more information on the Partnership for an HIV-Free Generation, please visit www.hivfreegeneration.org or www.pepfar.gov/ppp/hivfree. U.S. Donates Building in Malawi On World AIDS Day, U.S. Ambassador to Malawi Peter Bodde and Malawi Minister of Health Khumbo Kachali laid the initial foundation bricks for a new office complex that will house the HIV/AIDS department of the Ministry of Health. The complex is a result of the recognition by the United States Government and the Ministry of Health that the Health Ministry's current building lacked sufficient space to work efficiently. The new building will be constructed with supported from the American people through the U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). Located in Lilogwe, the 960 square meter complex should be ready for occupation mid-year 2009. Its highlights include 20 offices for staff, six rooms for support personnel and storage space, a 10-seat conference room, a 50-seat conference room, a library and media room. At this World AIDS Day event, Ambassador Bodde promised the citizens of Malawi that the U.S. will remain committed to Malawi's fight against the HIV/AIDS epidemic despite the current financial commitment. "This is just a building, but to solve the problem we need to reaffirm our commitment to each other," he said. Minister of Health Khumbo Kachali was grateful to the American Government for the building and thanked the United States for its partnership in the fight against HIV/AIDS. Kachali reminded Malawians that World AIDS Day was an opportunity for individuals and communities to reflect upon the devastating impact the pandemic has had on their country and asked those present at the event to reflect on the achievements and challenges of Malawi's national HIV/AIDS response. Currently, almost one million people in Malawi live with HIV/AIDS. Ethiopia Celebrates Life through World AIDS Day Posters "The world has come out the darkness caused by HIV/AIDS and is looking ahead for a bright future," said 12-year-old Elias Alemayehu. Elias, the winner of a youth poster competition, expressed this view of the world at the World AIDS Day poster competition held on December 1, 2008 at the residence of U.S. Ambassador to Ethiopia Donald Yamamoto. Forty-five top student artists, ages 10-14, from nine private and public schools, joined Elias to share their visions of life through art at the poster competition. The contest, organized around the theme "Celebrate Life," provided an opportunity for the young participants to share their perceptions about HIV/AIDS. Three years ago, treatment was provided to less than 6,000 people living with HIV in Ethiopia, but today with support from the U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), more than 110,000 patients benefit from free antiretroviral treatment services. Local Ethiopian and American artists selected the winners of the poster competition - a difficult task, since all the posters were artistic and meaningful. Speaking at the World AIDS Day poster competition, U.S. Ambassador Donald Yamamoto encouraged the students to be responsible citizens and work hard towards an HIV-free future. Following the contest, the Ambassador gave the students a tour of his residence, which houses both American and Ethiopian artwork. The top three winning posters will be sent to Washington to be displayed in an exhibition with works of other winners from different PEPFAR partner countries. American Embassy Commemorates World AIDS Day on its Turf Almost 300 members of the U.S. Mission in Maputo, Mozambique commemorated World AIDS Day on December 1, 2008 at a ceremony on the Mission lawn with Mozambican leaders, and local and international partners of the U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). The event, opened by Charge d' Affaires Todd Chapman, highlighted the 130,000 healthy HIV-positive Mozambicans who are alive as a result of antiretroviral drugs supported by PEPFAR, and underscored the importance of HIV/AIDS awareness in the fight against the HIV/AIDS epidemic. At the ceremony, the Mission renewed its focus on risky behaviors associated with HIV/AIDS - through songs, theatre, and informational presentations. Mozambican musician Stewart Sukuma and Central Line, a band fronted by a member of the U.S. Mission, Joana Coana, sang songs about creating hope and ending the spread of HIV/AIDS. Attendees visited booths and venues to learn about children's rights; the risks associated with intergenerational sex and multiple concurrent partnerships; women's rights in the context of Mozambican culture; male circumcision; and the best use of local resources for better nutrition. Event participants also received t-shirts and customized U.S./Mozambican AIDS awareness pins. They had the option of attending a counseling and testing site constructed on the mission lawn, which remained on the lawn for the remainder of the week. Small handicrafts markets were on site as well to generate monetary support for local HIV/AIDS organizations. Though Mozambique has a ways to go to defeat the HIV/AIDS pandemic, the Mission is confident that the messages passed on at this event will benefit the country and its fight against HIV/AIDS. World AIDS Day 2008 - Celebrate Life! Top Row: (Left) On World AIDS Day, U.S. Ambassador to South Africa Eric M. Bost discussed PEPFAR programs on South Africa's e.tv Morning Sunrise show, reaching an audience of nearly 12 million nationwide. Following the Sunrise program, the Ambassador gave live interviews on the same subject to eNews and e.tv's satellite 24-hour news channel. (Center) President George W. Bush and Mrs. Laura Bush addressed reporters on World AIDS Day from the North Lawn of the White House, where President Bush reaffirmed the commitment to fight HIV/AIDS at home and abroad. A large red ribbon is displayed from the North Portico of the White House in observance of World AIDS Day. White House photo by Joyce N. Boghosian (Right) Zambians and members of the U.S. Mission participated in a candlelight service organized by ZINGO, an inter-faith religious organization, at the Cathedral of the Child Jesus Church. Various districts across Zambia also held candlelight services. Bottom Row: (Left) In Angola, a drama troupe associated with the American Corner presented a skit about how AIDS affects families during an evening bonfire rally on World AIDS Day. (Right) U.S. Ambassador to Ethiopia Donald Yamamoto shows World AIDS Poster Contest participants artwork in his house in Ethiopia.