, Columnist
America’s Greatest Public Policy Success Is Now in Jeopardy
PEPFAR, an AIDS relief program that has saved 25 million lives in Africa over the last two decades, is caught up in partisan politics.
Two of PEPFAR’s more famous supporters.
Photographer: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images North AmericaThis article is for subscribers only.
One of the most successful government programs in human history is in danger of being weakened or even eliminated. And yet few Americans have even heard of PEPFAR, much less its extraordinary accomplishments.
PEPFAR is the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, started by George W. Bush in 2003. Overseen by the State Department, the program provides treatment for HIV-AIDS and derivative maladies (such as tuberculosis) through training, medical infrastructure, support for orphans and vulnerable children, and, most important, antiretroviral drugs.