PEPFAR – The President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief
PEPFAR – The President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief – was originally a five-year, $15 billion American Government initiative to combat the global HIV/AIDS epidemic. The amount was subsequently increased to $18.8 billion, the largest commitment ever by any nation for an international health initiative dedicated to a single disease.
President George W. Bush has since requested that Congress reauthorize PEPFAR for five additional years and $30 billion additional dollars, which would bring the American people’s 10-year commitment on global HIV/AIDS to more than $48 billion.
PEPFAR focuses its efforts mainly on 15 countries: Botswana, Cote d’Ivoire, Ethiopia, Guyana, Haiti, Kenya, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Vietnam and Zambia. There is a very strong emphasis on the provision of treatment and care for people with AIDS; only a fifth of the money is allocated to HIV prevention work.
An important aspect of the work is building the capacity of local organisations, including governments and community- and faith-based organisations, to plan, implement, and manage HIV & AIDS programmes to ensure sustainability. The fund also supports national strategies to address weaknesses and lack of human resources and capacity in such areas as health networks, physical infrastructure, and commodity distribution and control.
PEPFAR and Anglican AIDS
In October 2004, a partnership between the Anglican Church of Southern Africa, FreshMinistries and the Episcopal Diocese of Washington, secured a grant of US$10m over 5 years from PEPFAR for the Siyafundisa programme.
In 2007, our Vana Vetu programme was awarded a PEPFAR grant to the value of US$1m (just under R7m) for one year, with the possibility of further funding. This has enabled Vana Vetu to scale up its Orphans and Vulnerable Children training and implementation to eight new dioceses.
The grant to Vana Vetu is managed by AED [the Academy for Educational Development], a US]based non profit organisation working globally to improve education, health, civil society and economic development.
AED operates HIV & AIDS programs in 25 countries to reduce stigma and discrimination, provide care for orphaned and other vulnerable children, promote nutritional care and support, prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV and reduce transmission through workplace prevention and education.
Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA)
The Canadian International Development Agency was formed in 1968 by the Canadian government. CIDA administers foreign aid programs in developing countries, and operates in partnership with other Canadian organizations in the public and private sectors as well as other international organizations. It reports to the Parliament of Canada through the minister for International Cooperation. Its mandate is to support sustainable development in developing countries in order to reduce poverty and contribute to a more secure, equitable, and prosperous world.
