Opinion: At the epicenter of the HIV epidemic, we still need PEPFAR

I had a profound experience when I visited Washington, D.C. in mid-September to address decision-makers from Capitol Hill ahead of the reauthorization deadline of PEPFAR, the United States’ flagship global program on HIV/AIDS.

It was the day before our meeting and I had the chance to walk past the Lincoln Memorial and the White House, and even the U.S. Agency for International Development offices. I became overwhelmed by the generosity of the American people for funding the programs that made it possible for me to serve my country through its worst public health crisis, the HIV/AIDS epidemic. A journey through the darkest days imaginable to the hope we see today.

So, while the PEPFAR five-year reauthorization deadline passed and the program’s future remains in political discussion, I am sharing my story from the epicenter of the HIV epidemic to remind everyone of how far we have come, just how successful PEPFAR has been from the local perspective, and what is at stake if we lose focus on ending HIV as a public health threat by 2030.