American Medical News examines the future of PEPFAR, as outlined in a five-year strategy released Dec. 1. “The plan’s five-year strategy report calls for strengthening other countries’ abilities to lead [a] response to the AIDS epidemic and other health issues, and expanding prevention, care and treatment,” the news service writes. “It also seeks to integrate and coordinate HIV/AIDS programs with broader global health and development programs to maximize the impact on health systems, and invest in innovation and operations research to improve patient care and provide the best outcomes.”

“The global AIDS emergency is not over. Countries still struggle with vast unmet needs. There are an estimated 33.4 million people [worldwide] living with HIV and an estimated 2.7 million who have come in with new infections each year, with about 2 million deaths,” Ambassador Eric Goosby, U.S. global AIDS coordinator, said during a town hall at the Kaiser Family Foundation on Dec. 4. He continued, “If we are to sustain the gains we’ve made against this epidemic, PEPFAR must work in closer collaboration with country governments to support them in taking the lead in planning a response to their epidemics and orchestrating outside resources.”

The article highlights additional targets outlined in the five-year strategy and provides some background on the history and achievements of PEPFAR since it was authorized by Congress and President George W. Bush in 2003 (Henry, 12/23).