The Living Proof Project

Introduction of Project

The introduction of antiretroviral treatment in 1996 revolutionized the treatment of HIV/AIDS, adding decades of life to people living with the disease. Access to treatment has expanded dramatically over the past decade as a consequence of an unprecedented global effort to combat HIV/AIDS, but intensified efforts in prevention are still needed to reverse the course of the pandemic.

Global Progress

Funding for HIV/AIDS in low- and middle-income countries increased from a mere $300 million (U.S.) in 1996 to $13.6 billion (U.S.) in 2008, the highest level to date.1 In addition, several new institutions were created to coordinate and finance global efforts to combat the pandemic:

• The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) was launched in 1996 to strengthen the U.N. response to the pandemic. It coordinates the HIV/AIDS activities of 10 U.N. organizations, provides strategic information, and advocates for a greater political and financial commitment to control HIV/AIDS.

• The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (Global Fund) was established in 2002 as an innovative financing mechanism to raise and disburse funding to countries in need. As a partnership representing public and private stakeholders, the Global Fund uses a demand-driven, performance-based model. Countries can apply for grants to finance their response to HIV/AIDS, whereas continued financing is dependent on achievement of targets. By March 2009, the Global Fund had committed $11.9 billion (U.S.) to 136 countries for HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment, and care programs.

• The U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), established in 2003 by the U.S. government, represents the largest investment by any nation to combat a single disease in history. PEPFAR contributed $25 billion.

(U.S.) between 2004 and 2009 to address the global HIV/AIDS pandemic. Around 80 percent of this funding was channeled to 15 focus countries, with much of the remainder (16 percent) channeled through the Global Fund. In May 2009, U.S. President Barack Obama asked Congress to appropriate $63 billion (U.S.) between 2010 and 2015 for global health, including $51 billion (U.S.) to address HIV/ AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria.3 If approved by Congress, a substantive portion of this funding will be channeled through PEPFAR for HIV/AIDS efforts.