Leading the Way

Save the Children President and CEO Charles MacCormack

Great goals are not accomplished without great leadership, and it is more than fitting that this year's World AIDS Day theme is leadership.  Glance back just 10 years ago and you can see the progress that has been made by leaders in all levels of society to prevent new infections, increase access to treatment, and to do more to help children living in AIDS-affected communities.

At the highest levels, governments - even those with limited resources - have stepped up their efforts by putting HIV/AIDS at the forefront of their policy agendas.  Countries like Ethiopia, Mozambique and Uganda have developed national strategies to increase resources and services to orphans and vulnerable children, and have established grassroots networks to boost community action.  Western nations have stepped up by committing to substantial increases in aid for HIV/AIDS programs.  The U.S. commitment to these goals - known as the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) - is $15 billion over five years to prevention, treatment and care and support programs. Hundreds of thousands of children are already benefiting from this resource through Save the Children's programs in Ethiopia, Haiti, Mozambique, Uganda and Vietnam.

But governments alone cannot take credit for the gains made in fighting the global epidemic.  Much of the acclaim belongs to champions at the local level.  Save the Children has been privileged to team up with these individuals to help us carry out our work for children in communities around the globe.  They include monks in Cambodia who are joining with communities to identify and meet the needs of vulnerable children, "Iddir" leaders in Ethiopia who have expanded their day-to-day activities of helping bereaved families to include caring for orphans and other children affected by AIDS, and male teens in Vietnam who are educating their peers on prevention of HIV/AIDS and healthy behaviors.

While advances in addressing the AIDS crisis over the past decade give the global community much to be proud of, the work is far from done.  More than 15 million children have lost one or both parents to AIDS, and that number is expected to reach 25 million by 2010.  It will take the continued leadership of many – from rich and poor governments, from global and national non-governmental organizations, from community groups and individuals – to keep moving the needle towards progress.

More resources are needed to reach the growing numbers of children living in communities hit hard by AIDS.  Congress will renew debate about PEPFAR early next year, when the five-year timeframe for the legislation expires.  This legislation could dramatically alter the future for millions of children.  To this end, Save the Children urges Congress and the Administration to reauthorize PEPFAR and to allocate 10 percent of this funding to programs for orphans and vulnerable children, to continue to support and scale up prevention efforts, and to promote a broad-based response to the epidemic.  

Americans can help too, by championing this cause in their own communities.  They can contact their elected officials to let them know they support a vote in favor of reauthorization of PEPFAR.  They can also join with Save the Children and the ONE Campaign (www.one.org) a national effort of more than 2 million Americans to fight extreme poverty and global AIDS.  Together, we can provide hope to millions of children and be a part of their journey for a better life.