American leadership on HIV/AIDS making a difference in U.S. and abroad

"As two people who worked as physicians in the early years of the HIV/AIDS epidemic before the miracle of antiretroviral drug (ARV) therapy, and who now have the honor of leading the domestic and global HIV/AIDS programs for the Obama administration, we look back in awe of the American leadership that has transformed the epidemic in the 22 years since the International AIDS Conference was last held on U.S. soil," Grant Colfax, director of the Office of National AIDS Policy, and U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator Ambassador Eric Goosby write in a Washington Blade opinion piece. "As we remember the lives lost to this disease and commit to the vision of an AIDS-free generation, it's worth reflecting on how U.S. leadership and U.S. investments to combat HIV/AIDS domestically and internationally are saving lives and turning the tide against the disease," they continue.

Colfax and Goosby highlight domestic and international HIV prevention efforts over the past two decades, discuss funding for these efforts, and write, "The fact of the matter is that our achievements are continuing to grow rapidly" due to "greater efficiencies borne of driving our programming with evidence of impact, the growing commitment of governments and citizens in the developing world, the reduced costs of treatment, and the growing impact of prevention." They conclude, "While tough budget decisions come with the job, President Obama has committed us to achieving more in the fight to create an AIDS-free generation in the U.S. and across the globe, and we're succeeding. That continues the legacy of American leadership on HIV/AIDS that should make us all proud" (7/18).