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Senate votes to extend PEPFAR
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The US Senate unanimously passed legislation to extend the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, known as PEPFAR, for 5 more years.
The legislation extends authorization for Congress to fund PEPFAR, but also calls for expanded reporting on prevention, care and treatment, and for efforts to target coinfection with HIV and tuberculosis. The bipartisan bill was introduced in September by Sens. Robert Menendez, D-N.J., and Bob Corker, R-Tenn. It is expected to be passed by the House of Representatives.
“This assurance of continued United States leadership in the Global AIDS response is an important step forward in a challenging era,” Kenneth Mayer, MD, co-chair of the Infectious Diseases Society of America Center for Global Health Policy, said in a press release.
More than 250 IDSA members, clinicians and researchers signed a letter in October to urge senators to support the bill.
Joel Gallant
“This reinforcement of a strong sustained response to HIV worldwide is critical, and should inspire and invigorate action on the domestic epidemic as well,” Joel Gallant, MD, chair of the HIV Medicine Association, said in the press release.