Embassy of the United States

Ambassador Speeches

Remarks by U.S. Ambassador Carmen Martinez at PEPFAR Meeting with the Government of the Republic of Zambia and U.S. Government Agencies

Good morning. It’s a great pleasure and honor for me to be here today. This is our third joint meeting on the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief’s (or PEPFAR’s) contributions to the Government of Zambia’s national HIV/AIDS strategy.

The discussion and planning today is centered, firstly, on a joint presentation that will highlight some of the achievements of the Government of Zambia’s national efforts to combat HIV and AIDS, and secondly, how PEPFAR can continue in the coming years to best support Zambia’s efforts to mitigate the devastation of the HIV/AIDS pandemic in Zambia.

Let me begin with a bit of background information that may help to set the stage for today’s presentation. President Bush announced the initiative now known as “PEPFAR” in 2003, recognizing that we – as a global community – are facing a grave worldwide health challenge. PEPFAR is the largest commitment ever by a single nation to an international health initiative.

With this remarkable increase in resources, PEPFAR’s worldwide goals are to place 2 million people on treatment, to prevent 7 million new HIV infections, and to care for 10 million people affected by or infected with HIV by 2008. To date, PEPFAR has helped provide treatment to approximately 395,000 in Sub-Saharan Africa alone, and about 70,000 in other nations.

In the first two years of the initiative, approximately 3.2 million women received PEPFAR- supported services to prevent mother-to-child transmission, and reached over 42 million people with evidence-based community outreach prevention efforts.

I want to clarify that PEPFAR funding is not a parallel or separate program that the USG is implementing – PEPFAR is the name of all USG funding that is channeled into HIV and AIDS programs around the world, in 123 countries. This includes unprecedented support to the Global Fund – the U.S. contributes nearly one-third of the Global Fund’s total budget each year.

PEPFAR also supports UNAIDS, HIV vaccine and microbicide initiatives, and TB and malaria programs around the world. In 2005, the United Stated committed approximately $2.8 billion globally to PEPFAR. In 2006, $3.2 billion has been appropriated for this important global initiative.

President Bush’s historic decision to markedly increase funding for HIV and AIDS has allowed us globally – and particularly here in Zambia -- to expand existing HIV and AIDS prevention, care and treatment programs. So where does Zambia fit in the global vision of PEPFAR? This year, in 2006, Zambia is receiving $149 million in PEPFAR funding to support and expand the GRZ’s prevention, care, and treatment efforts in all 72 provinces. I’m proud to say that this year’s funding is more than a 100% increase from 2004.

These efforts and programs that you see on the ground today are expansions of “pre-PEPFAR” programs that were created in close consultation with the Government of Zambia and in line with the national strategy. PEPFAR also allowed us to further strengthen critical areas, such as ARV procurement, the national blood safety program, and supply chain management. I emphasize that our Mission’s PEPFAR focus is to support the national strategy and to consult with the GRZ through this process.

And we are doing well here in Zambia. In 2004, there was an estimated 3,000 individuals receiving ART; today, the GRZ has been able to place over 50,000 individuals on life-saving treatment. In only two years, Zambia has successfully scaled up its national treatment program.

With PEPFAR support, the Zambian Government was able to provide care and support services to over 300,000 Zambians last year. Nearly two-thirds of those receiving care services were orphans and vulnerable children.

The U.S. Government is fully committed to the fight against HIV and AIDS in Zambia. We are now about to commence the third year of a wide range of HIV/AIDS programs supported by funding through the PEPFAR. Our Mission works closely with the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Sport, Youth and Child Development, and other ministries, the National AIDS Council, NGOs, FBOs, and CBOs to further the response against HIV and AIDS. U.S. Government programs, through PEPFAR, contribute to the Zambia National HIV/AIDS Strategic Framework and address Zambia’s national priorities in fighting HIV and AIDS.
Today is our opportunity to appreciate the achievements of our joint efforts. Not just the effort of the Zambian Government and the U.S. Government, but our combined efforts – cooperating partners, NGOs, CBOs, the faith-based community – as a dedicated group working hard towards turning the tide of the HIV/AIDS pandemic in Zambia.

As we sit in this meeting today, we should take advantage of each of our perspectives and experiences and plan strategically on what needs to be emphasized or prioritized in the next year and the years following. How can we really effectively work together to address areas of HIV prevention, care and treatment that need stronger support? How do we fill these gaps? Your leadership, collaboration and coordination of efforts will help us be more effective partners not only with the Zambian Government, but with all stakeholders in this important fight.

As Ambassador Tobias, former U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator has said, let us continue to honor the people who bring hope to places where this pandemic has sown hopelessness.

Thank you for your participation in this historical effort.