Anglican Archbishop, Thabo Makgoba, says if the United States does not re-authorise its President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), its image as a compassionate and caring nation will be under threat.
Makgoba was speaking at the UNAIDS side event at United Nations in New York where he represented the interfaith group under the World Council of Churches.
He says the US, which has already spent a 100-billion dollars on this global HIV/AIDS response, is currently facing a vote to discontinue the programme.
Makgoba says PEPFAR, which was introduced under the George W Bush Administration, improved the image of the United States in the eyes of Africa.
“But now, your image as a compassionate and caring nation threatens to be undermined in the next coming months. PEPFAR is the most precious initiative ever delivered in the history of HIV and AIDS. Thanks to the bipartisan support in Congress, PEPFAR has saved millions of lives in Africa. And no American programme in my mind has saved more lives of mothers and babies than PEPFAR. So, I pray that members of Congress will re-authorise PEPFAR for the next five years. If you do not, your image as a caring and compassionate nation will be replaced by one as purely a military power; moreover, a military power interested in Africa as a battleground in your fight against international terrorism.”
Meanwhile, Leading AIDS scientists last month joined the clarion call urging members of the US Congress to support the continuation PEPFAR.
Professor Salim Abdool Karim, Centre for the AIDS Programme of Research SA Director, elaborates in the video below:
Celebrating 20 years of PEPFAR
“This programme needs to be funded, and for the sceptics, all I ask is to look at the results.”
These were the words of former US President, George W. Bush, speaking at an event in Washington to mark the 20th anniversary of PEPFAR earlier this year, in February.
More details of the event in the report below:
