Hello from Friends! Here is a quick look at what's new in our work to fight AIDS, tuberculosis (TB) and malaria.

Opinion: How PEPFAR Helped to Save Botswana from Extinction (The Hill) 

A new op-ed by former Botswana President Festus Mogae and former U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson considers the vital and transformative role of PEPFAR in Botswana's uphill battle against the deadly HIV epidemic.

"PEPFAR’s support was absolutely critical to helping the people of Botswana in their fight against HIV/AIDS. PEPFAR also has been a smart investment for the American people, one that delivers high levels of return that reverberate far beyond HIV alone, as we discovered during the COVID-19 pandemic, when the contributions to health care infrastructure and the health workforce made by PEPFAR helped countries like Botswana to weather the storm.”

Upcoming Webinar: "Practicality over Panic:

What Happens if PEPFAR Isn't Reauthorized?"

This Thursday, October 26th, Friends Chief Policy Officer Mark P. Lagon will join Jen Kates (Kaiser Family Foundation), Katie Coester (GAPP, Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric Aids Foundation) and Richard Muko (AVAC) for a online discussion about "What Happens if PEPFAR Isn't Reauthorized?" The webinar is being co-hosted by GAPP and Global Health Council and the panel will be moderated by Global Health Council President and Executive Director Elisha Dunn-Georgiou.

Integrated Person-Centered Health Services:

Translating Learnings from the HIV Response

Co-published by Friends of the Global Fight, PATH and JSI, our new report "Integrated Person-Centered Health Services: Translating Learnings from the HIV Response to Pave the Way to Universal Health Coverage" identifies key lessons learned from the HIV response, offers future recommendations to help chart a way forward toward broader implementation of IPCC and concludes with an action plan highlighting critical next steps that need to be taken to scale IPCC.

Friends President and CEO Highlights Strong Bipartisan Support for PEPFAR

"There is strong bipartisan support for PEPFAR, there has been for decades. We need to maintain that. We need to remind new lawmakers about how many lives are being saved, and what an incredible program this is for the United States," says Friends President and CEO Chris Collins in a recent video. 

Updates from the Global Fight Against Malaria

"The Mosquitoes are Winning" (The Daily, New York Times)

In a recent episode of the New York Times podcast "The Daily," Global Health Correspondent Stephanie Nolen considers the recent rapid surge of malaria deaths in Africa and explains why the world is no longer one step ahead in the war against malaria.

Learn how the Global Fund is working to eradicate malaria from communities across the world.

"Rising Temperatures, Extreme Weather Threaten to Propel Malaria Spread” (The Washington Post) 

According to a new analysis from the Washington Post, the impacts of climate change and demographic growth could put over 5 billion people at risk for malaria by 2040. 

Read the full, interactive article by reporters Rachel Chason, Kevin Crowe, John Muyskens and Jahi Chikwendiu. 

World Health Organization Approves Second Malaria Vaccine (WHO)

Earlier this month, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommended a new vaccine, R-21/Matrix-M, to help prevent malaria in children. This is the second malaria vaccine that the WHO has recommended in recent years and although vaccines alone cannot end entire epidemics, the development is still expected to have a large impact on reducing the global burden of malaria, especially in Africa, where nearly half a million die from the disease each year.

Child Health Day Highlights Critical Need to Invest in Ending Epidemics in Children

On October 2nd, Friends of the Global Fight joined organizations and advocacy groups across the country in observing National Child Health Day and recognizing the many children impacted by the global burden of AIDS, TB and malaria. Despite decades of progress, the statistics remain startling; in the face of our deadliest epidemics, children are amongst the most vulnerable populations.

• HIV/AIDS: "Around the world, a child dies from an AIDS-related cause every 5 minutes. And despite the availability of highly effective treatments that prevent pregnant mothers from transmitting HIV to their babies, UNAIDS estimates that 160,000 children were born HIV-positive in 2021 alone." (Global Fund)

• Tuberculosis: Children represent 10% of all people suffering from TB with at least one million children becoming infected with TB each year. (Global Fund)

• Malaria: "In 2021, across Africa, more than 600,000 [people] died of the mosquito-borne disease, most of them children." (NPR)

Learn how the Global Fund is working with partners to invest in strengthening health systems to better serve children in affected communities across the world.

• NYC Struggles to Contain Tuberculosis Cases (Politico)
• To Detect Disease Threats, Mozambique Finds Answers in Wastewater (Global Fund)
• USAID Announces $130 Million in New Investments to Celebrate International Day of the Girl (USAID)
• The Climate Crisis is Also a Health Crisis (NYTimes)