US federal AIDS program saved an estimated 25 million lives worldwide, CDC says

Adrianna Rodriguez, USA TODAY
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A new report shows a U.S. federal program transformed the AIDS epidemic worldwide and saved an estimated 25 million lives since 2004.

The U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, known as PEPFAR i ncreased the number of people receiving HIV antiretroviral therapy from just over 66,000 people in 2004 to more than 20 million people in 2022, according to the report published Tuesday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. PEPFAR was launched by former President George W. Bush.

That represents a 300-fold increase in people receiving lifesaving HIV treatment, said Hank Tomlinson, director of CDC’s division of global HIV & tuberculosis.

The percentage of people receiving treatment through PEPFAR who reported having the virus under control – known as viral suppression – increased from 80% to 95% between 2015 and 2022. Viral suppression prevents transmission of HIV through sex and reduces the risk of transmission from mothers to infants.

“I still remember the early days of HIV and my time in the emergency department, often diagnosing HIV in very late stages in patients and not having very many tools and treatments for these patients,” said Dr. Debra Houry, CDC’s chief medical officer. “This new report shows us just how much progress has been made.”

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Researchers also found PEPFAR created critical public health infrastructure that assisted labs and testing for other disease, including during the COVID-19 pandemic. Through the program’s five-year strategy, health officials aim to eliminate HIV as a global public health threat by 2030.

“PEPFAR has not only made tremendous gains in the global response to the HIV epidemic, but also strengthened the systems that keep the world safe from other global health threats,” Tomlinson said.

'The race to end HIV is far from over'

As study authors celebrated PEPFAR’s successes, they also acknowledged gaps in care fueled by health inequities.

While viral load suppression rates have reached 95%, rates continue to lag in people who are pregnant and breastfeeding, children, teens, and those living in prison, according to the report. The data also showed lower rates among men compared to women, and younger people compared to older people.

Eliminating health disparities will be impossible without addressing the social stigma that's still associated with HIV, said Maranda Ward, assistant professor of clinical research and leadership at George Washington University.

"We have our work cut out for us to ensure that the social realities of those exposed to HIV mirrors the positive scientific advancements we have see," she said. "It is the only way to eliminate the disparities we see among racial, ethnic, sexual and gender minoritized communities who make up the highest proportion of new HIV cases."

In order to achieve PEPFAR’s goal by 2030, the CDC recommends the global community continue efforts and investment, address health inequities, strengthen global health security, and collaborate with international partners.

“To achieve this goal by 2030, we must sustain this momentum,” Houry said. "The race to end HIV is far from over.”

Follow Adrianna Rodriguez on Twitter: @AdriannaUSAT.

Health and patient safety coverage at USA TODAY is made possible in part by a grant from the Masimo Foundation for Ethics, Innovation and Competition in Healthcare. The Masimo Foundation does not provide editorial input.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: AIDS program saved 25 million lives since 2004, CDC report finds