Blog: Obama Should Restore PEPFAR Funding Levels Originally Authorized by Lantos-Hyde Act

The author of a Huffington Post blog post writes that in 2008, the U.S. Congress authorized the Lantos-Hyde U.S. Global Leadership Against AIDS, TB and Malaria Reauthorization Act "providing $48 billion over 5 years ($9.6 billion/year) to PEPFAR," the blog writes. The President's $63 billion Global Health Initiative (GHI) "allocated $51 billion over 6 years ($8.5 billion/year) resulting in an overall decrease in PEPFAR funding while allocating $12 billion towards other global health initiatives including maternal and child health. By not providing 'new' money towards maternal and child health, President Obama has in de facto pitted HIV/AIDS funding against other global health priorities." The author of the post calls on Obama to take advantage of "the opportunity to significantly improve global HIV/AIDS (and maternal and child health)" by making HIV/AIDS delivery more cost-efficient, restoring PEPFAR funding to levels originally authorized by the Lantos-Hyde Act, and supporting legislation recently introduced by Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) to increase access to HIV/AIDS medications to populations worldwide (Reddi, 7/27).

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