Elton John AIDS Foundation and PEPFAR Reaffirm Commitments to HIV Support for Key Populations

July 24, 2018• byMichael Strangeways

22nd International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2018) Amsterdam, Netherlands.
Copyright: Matthijs Immink/IAS
PLENARY
Breaking barriers of inequity in the HIV response
Photo shows:
Ndaba Mandella
Sir Elton John, United Kingdom
HRH The Duke of Sussex, United Kingdom

New results from LGBT Fund show important progress as part of a broader key populations efforts

24 July 2018 (Amsterdam, the Netherlands) – At the 2018 International AIDS Conference, the Elton John AIDS Foundation (EJAF) and the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) are reaffirming their commitment to and investment in reaching key populations, including lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people, with lifesaving HIV prevention and treatment services.

As part of these broader commitments, today EJAF and PEPFAR jointly announced the initial results from the LGBT Fund, which launched its first grants at the 2016 International AIDS Conference. The $10 million fund, created to address human rights violations, stigma, discrimination and violence faced by LGBT people and strengthen local organizations, has since reached nearly 60,000 LGBT people in several sub‐Saharan African countries and the Caribbean through targeted, community‐level projects.

Sir Elton John commented: “Since I founded the Elton John AIDS Foundation a quarter of a century ago, an article of faith for us is that no one gets left behind. Our LGBT Fund in partnership with PEPFAR is part of that spirit. The LGBT community has suffered discrimination and isolation in many parts of Sub Saharan Africa which have added to HIV vulnerability and left too many people behind in accessing treatment. I am proud of what we have achieved with this Fund and hope its work can continue.”

“PEPFAR’s commitment to key populations’ access to critical HIV prevention and treatment services remains strong,” said Ambassador Deborah L. Birx, M.D., U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator and Special Representative for Global Health Diplomacy. “Our over $360 planned million investment for key populations in the next 12 months will expand non-discriminatory access for the most vulnerable individuals to quality, lifesaving HIV prevention and treatment services, restoring health and dignity and advancing progress toward achieving HIV/AIDS epidemic control.”

Pending Congressional approval, PEPFAR’s planned investment for expanding key populations’ access to HIV prevention and treatment services over the next year will include nearly $100 million previously committed for its Key Populations Investment Fund, which will primarily support indigenous organizations reaching key populations with HIV services in communities.

Elton John AIDS Foundation is the largest private European funder of HIV programs for key populations such as gay people, transgender people and sex workers. The Foundation has been funding the response for LGBT people for 25 years and is supporting programs across the Americas, Africa, Asia, UK and Eastern Europe. Foundation partners ran a national campaign for gay men in South Africa, set up new services for injecting drug users in Africa, and opened stigma‐free LGBT clinics in megacities like Lagos and New Delhi. The Foundation’s Eastern European initiative boldly supports key populations in a neglected region where the HIV epidemic is growing rapidly, while in the United States, the Foundation is among the biggest responders to the country’s opioid epidemic.

Collectively, these combined efforts in collaboration with community leaders and civil society will save and improve the lives of key populations in countries with high HIV‐burdens and contribute to the global goal of ending the AIDS epidemic as a public health threat by 2030.

###

About the International AIDS Society: The mission of the International AIDS Society (IAS) is to lead collective action on every front of the global HIV response through its membership base, scientific authority and convening power. Founded in 1988, the IAS is the world’s largest association of HIV professionals, with members from more than 180 countries working on all fronts of the global response to HIV. Together, we advocate and drive urgent action to reduce the global impact of HIV. The IAS is also the steward of the world’s two most prestigious HIV conferences: the International AIDS Conference and the IAS Conference on HIV Science. For more information, visit www.iasociety.org.

About the Elton John AIDS Foundation
Since 1992, the Elton John AIDS Foundation has raised more than £290 million ($400 million) to combat stigma, prevent infections, provide treatment and services, and motivate governments to end AIDS. As a leading worldwide organisation supporting those affected by HIV, we work alongside local, national and international partners, government officials, and advocates to promote a global response that leaves no one behind. We are supporting programs in 23 countries to advance our fundamental belief that access to information, testing and treatment can improve the lives of those living with, affected by or at risk of HIV/AIDS. For more information and to get involved, please visit www.ejaf.org.

About the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR)
PEPFAR is the United States government’s response to the global HIV/AIDS epidemic, which represents the largest commitment by any nation to address a single disease in history. Through the compassion and generosity of the American people, PEPFAR has saved and improved millions of lives, accelerating progress toward controlling and ultimately ending the AIDS epidemic as a public health threat. For more information, please visit www.pepfar.gov, and connect with PEPFAR on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

About the International AIDS Conference: The International AIDS Conference is the largest gathering on HIV and AIDS in the world. First convened during the peak of the AIDS epidemic in 1985, it continues to provide a unique forum for the intersection of science, advocacy, and human rights. Each conference is an opportunity to strengthen policies and programmes that ensure an evidence-based response to the epidemic. The conference also serves as a focal point to intensify political and financial commitments to AIDS. The 22nd International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2018) will be hosted in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, on 23-27 July 2018, with the theme Breaking Barriers Building Bridges. For more information, visit www.aids2018.org.

AIDS 2018: Join the conversation: Get the latest conference updates and share your thoughts and ideas through the AIDS 2018 social media channels.

Tweet along with us – @iasociety – using #AIDS2018 to keep the conversation going, and Facebook Live questions submitted with #AIDS2018Live.
Like AIDS 2018 on Facebook – and stay in touch with the latest conference updates and developments.
Check us out on Instagram to see photos as they are happening.

www.aids2018.org www.iasociety.or

About the Author: Michael Strangeways

As the Editorial Director/Co-Owner, Michael Strangeways writes, edits and does about a million other jobs for Seattle Gay Scene, Puget Sound's most visited LGBTQ news, arts and entertainment website now celebrating its 14th year as a media outlet. A semi-proud Midwesterner by birth, he's lived in Seattle since 2000. He's also a film producer who would like you to check out the Jinkx Monsoon documentary, "Drag Becomes Him" now available on Amazon.com. In his spare time, he gets slightly obsessive about his love for old movies, challenging theater, "otters", vodka, chocolate, "I,Claudius", Lizzie Borden, real books made out of paper, disaster films, show tunes, Weimar era Germany, flea markets, pop surrealistic art, the sex lives of Hollywood actors both living and dead, kitties, chicken fried steak, haute couture and David Bowie. But, not necessarily in that order.