Statement by National Security Advisor Susan E. Rice on New PEPFAR Targets

We are at a pivotal moment in the global fight against HIV/AIDS. Globally, both new HIV infections and AIDS related deaths are down by more than 40 percent since their peak. This Administration has invested nearly $50 billion through the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) to achieve an AIDS-free generation, building on the initiative and $15 billion provided by President Bush. Working with partner countries around the globe, we are now supporting life-saving antiretroviral treatment for 7.7 million men, women, and children worldwide; enabled more than one million babies to be born HIV-free; and tested and counseled more than 14 million pregnant women last year alone.

Today, we are setting a bold, new course by announcing ambitious PEPFAR prevention and treatment targets for 2016 and 2017.

The United States is committing resources to ensure PEPFAR will by the end of 2017 support 12.9 million people on life-saving anti-retroviral treatment, provide 13 million male circumcisions for HIV prevention, and reduce HIV incidence by 40 percent among adolescent girls and young women within the highest burdened areas of 10 sub-Saharan African countries.

No greater action is needed right now than empowering adolescent girls and young women to defeat HIV/AIDS. Every year, 380,000 adolescent girls and young women are infected with HIV—7,300 every week, over 1,000 every day. This must change.

Today, we are announcing that PEPFAR is now investing nearly half a billion dollars to support an AIDS-free future for adolescent girls and young women.

Over the last 15 years, we have seen remarkable results as we have worked together toward achieving the Millennium Development Goals. PEPFAR’s new targets and investments come at a critical time as we transition from the Millennium Development Goals to meet the challenge before us in the new Sustainable Development Goals: to end the AIDS epidemic by 2030.

We believe if we all – governments, the private sector, civil society, including faith-based organizations – bring our collective will and energy together we can achieve an AIDS-free generation and bring this epidemic to a halt.