Agency Urges Expanded Services for Babies and Children

Pedro and Samuel of Mozambique will benefit from the U.S. global AIDS bill.

WESTPORT, Conn. (Dec. 1, 2008) — On World AIDS Day, the global humanitarian organization Save the Children is calling on the new Congress and administration to maintain the United States' commitment to fighting global AIDS and ensuring that more babies and children affected by HIV and AIDS benefit from expanded AIDS programs.

Congress passed landmark legislation – known as the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief or PEPFAR – this past July that would triple U.S. international assistance for AIDS programs over five years.  While the legislation authorizes levels of funding, Congress must still appropriate the investments each year. 

"The reauthorization of PEPFAR was a remarkable first step.  It signals a renewed U.S. commitment to ending this scourge and builds on the great work already achieved since PEPFAR was introduced five years ago," said Tonya Nyagiro, associate vice president of Save the Children's global HIV/AIDS programs. "Now, we need the new Congress and administration to follow through on this commitment next year by funding the legislation, giving hope to millions more children and families affected by the AIDS crisis."    

Since the inception of PEPFAR in 2003, experts estimate that nearly 200,000 new infant infections were averted by reaching nearly 13 million expectant and new mothers with information on how to prevent transmission of the HIV virus from mother to baby during pregnancy, delivery and breastfeeding.  The new AIDS bill provides for an expansion of prevention services with a focus on prevention of mother-to-child transmission.

In addition, nearly 3 million orphans and vulnerable children, including hundreds of thousands of children in Save the Children's programs in Ethiopia, Haiti, Mozambique, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda and Vietnam have been reached by care and support services through PEPFAR-funded programs.  While these results are impressive, only a small percentage of some 15 million children orphaned or affected by AIDS globally are being helped through these services.  However, the new bill has set a target of reaching more than 6 million orphans and vulnerable children with social support services by 2014. 

"While we recognize the tough economic climate facing our country, we believe Americans support U.S. investments in AIDS programs that work," said Nyagiro. "Today, more children in communities hard hit by the AIDS crisis are going to school, are staying healthy and getting the emotional support they need to cope with the grief of losing one or both parents to the disease."

"We look forward to working with President-elect Obama and the new Congress to ensure PEPFAR is provided the promised funding, and that the resources are applied effectively at the national and community level," added Nyagiro.

Save the Children has HIV/AIDS programs focusing on youth prevention and care,  support for orphans and children, and prevention of HIV infection in newborns in Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Haiti, Malawi, Mozambique, Myanmar, Nepal, the Republic of Georgia, Uganda and Vietnam. 

Save the Children (www.savethechildren.org) is the leading independent organization that creates lasting change for children in need in the United States and around the world. Save the Children USA is a member of the International Save the Children Alliance, a global network of 27 independent Save the Children organizations working to ensure the well-being and protection of children in more than 100 countries. 

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