About 4,000 girls and young women in sub-Saharan Africa acquire HIV every week and are considered one of the most at-risk populations for contracting the disease. Programs like the U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, or PEPFAR, and the DREAMS partnership are critical to making sure they have a fighting chance.
DREAMS — which stands for Determined, Resilient, Empowered, AIDS-Free, Mentored, and Safe — was implemented by USAID 10 years after PEPFAR was created. Both programs have a proven track record of delivering education, medication, and screenings for HIV to vulnerable communities. It's one reason why AIDS-related deaths have declined significantly and over 25 million lives have been saved. This is something we should all be proud of.
But people around the world still need access to medication and resources to combat HIV/AIDS. PEPFAR and DREAMS can continue to help. In the past two decades, the programs have made treatment more affordable and accessible particularly in areas where there are gaps in HIV prevention, screening, and treatment.
About the authors
Deborah Birx
Dr. Deborah L. Birx is a senior fellow at the George W. Bush Institute. She previously served as White House coronavirus coordinator and as the U.S. global AIDS coordinator, where she oversaw the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, or PEPFAR.
Hannah Johnson
Hannah Johnson is program manager of global policy at the George W. Bush Institute. Her work focuses on supporting U.S. global health engagement and programs like the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, or PEPFAR, and the Bush Institute’s involvement in the Go Further partnership to end cervical cancer and save lives.
