An unexpected campaign by conservative and anti-abortion activists to paint PEPFAR, the U.S. global AIDS initiative, as a source of funding for abortion has some advocates worried that plans to extend its legal authorization for another five years could be derailed.
Without full authorization, the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, or PEPFAR, which has saved 25 million lives since it was founded two decades ago, would be at risk of budget cuts, deprioritization, and diminished status. Several of its provisions and requirements would also expire, including those that direct PEPFAR’s focus areas and spending, as well as authorize U.S. contributions to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.
People working behind the scenes to support PEPFAR say the attack has less to do with the reality of how the initiative operates and more to do with a broader political push against President Joe Biden’s progressive policies at home and abroad. It also comes at a time when reproductive rights, and particularly abortion, seem especially politically divisive.
About the authors
Michael Igoe@AlterIgoe
Michael Igoe is a Senior Reporter with Devex, based in Washington, D.C. He covers U.S. foreign aid, global health, climate change, and development finance. Prior to joining Devex, Michael researched water management and climate change adaptation in post-Soviet Central Asia, where he also wrote for EurasiaNet. Michael earned his bachelor's degree from Bowdoin College, where he majored in Russian, and his master’s degree from the University of Montana, where he studied international conservation and development.
Adva Saldinger@AdvaSal
Adva Saldinger is a Senior Reporter at Devex where she covers development finance, as well as U.S. foreign aid policy. Adva explores the role the private sector and private capital play in development and authors the weekly Devex Invested newsletter bringing the latest news on the role of business and finance in addressing global challenges. A journalist with more than 10 years of experience, she has worked at several newspapers in the U.S. and lived in both Ghana and South Africa.
