HealthDay News: U.S. Efforts to Help Fight Global HIV Are Paying Off
“A U.S. government program to prevent, treat, and care for people with HIV/AIDS in poor countries has been highly effective and should continue, experts say. Since 2003, the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) has provided drug therapy to more than 13 million men, women and children, as well as voluntary circumcisions to more than 15.2 million men to reduce HIV risk. … PEPFAR also helps prepare health systems in poor nations to respond to disease outbreaks, U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases experts write in the Jan. 24 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine. They say continued support for the program from the U.S. Department of State is needed to ensure a worldwide response to HIV, and to serve as an example for addressing other infectious diseases…” (Preidt, 1/24).