PEPFAR Reauthorization

When PEPFAR was approved in 2003, the legislation was passed for a term of 5 years, meaning funds would end after 2008 if the legislation was not reauthorized. With that in mind, a new Bill was written and submitted to the US House of Representatives, the first step in the approval process.
Another Government Program - The Ryan White CARE Act
The new version calls for $10 billion to be allocated each year from 2009 to 2013 at which time the legislation would have to be reauthorized once again. Of the total $50 billion dollars, $9 billion would be used to fight malaria and tuberculosis. The new allocations amount to a more than $5 billion per year increase. Some specific provisions of the new legislation include:
$9 billion would be allocated to fight tuberculosis and malaria, which often affect HIV-positive people in Africa;
underwrite food supplements for people living with HIV/AIDS;
add Lesotho, Malawi and Swaziland as PEPFAR focus countries;
adds a "conscience clause" that would allow groups to not endorse prevention methods that they find religiously or morally objectionable;
provide loans to women widowed by the disease or ostracized because of their HIV-positive status.
Maybe one of the biggest changes is the removal of the clause requiring 30% of prevention funds be allocated to abstinence only prevention programs. The new version requires "balanced funding" for abstinence, fidelity and condom programs in each PEPFAR focus country. In addition, the bill would retain the requirement that PEPFAR recipients pledge opposition to commercial sex work. However, while it would allow groups to use PEPFAR funding for HIV testing and education in family planning clinics, the money could not be used for contraception or abortion services. Finally, the bill requires reports to Congress if abstinence and fidelity programs compose less than half of country-level spending on programs aimed at preventing sexual transmission of the virus.
While the House of Representatives passed the Bill in April 2008, support of the legislation is not unanimous. Some feel it is a huge expenditure given there is so much need here in the United States, especially considering how many US citizens lack health care and insurance. Others feel it is one of America's best foreign policy legislations since World War II.
After passing in the House, the Bill was sent to Congress for their approval. While it has gained approval of the Foreign Relations Committee within Congress, as of July 2008 the Bill had yet to gain full Congressional approval.
Sources
Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report; "Politics and Policy - House Approves PEPFAR Reauthorization Bill"; 3 Apr 2008.
Kanabus, A. and Noble, R.; "What is PEPFAR?"; Avert.org; 30 Jun 2008.
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