In the photo: a test to detect the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). The UN welcomed the adoption of a new funding package to combat HIV/AIDS in the United States Health
The Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) praised the signing of a new $5.88 billion funding package in the United States. The decision reaffirms the continued role of the United States as a key leader in the global fight against HIV, UNAIDS said.
US President Donald Trump signed the law on February 3. The document provides for the allocation of $4.6 billion to support HIV programs as part of the America First Global Health strategy, $1.25 billion to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, and $45 million to support the activities of UNAIDS.
UNAIDS Executive Director Winnie Byanyima thanked the President and the US Congress for their continued support for global health, emphasizing that US investments will provide life-saving care to millions of people around the world and help maintain the efficiency and effectiveness of the global response to HIV.
The new law advances the America First Global Health strategy, which meets UNAIDS’ commitment to ending AIDS as a public health threat by 2030 and accelerates the US strategic transition to taking ownership of HIV. For more than two decades, American investment has been the leading driver of global progress, saving millions of lives and supporting countries in the fight against the epidemic, the program noted.
UNAIDS is committed to making the most of allocated funds by providing technical expertise, data and strategic support to countries and communities, and working closely with the US Government, the Global Fund and national partners. Since the creation of UNAIDS in 1996, the United States has remained its key partner, the organization noted.