More SisterLove Joins Over 80 Organizations to Demand Action on PEPFAR Ambassador Appointment

On July 14, 2021, More SisterLove joined over 80 organizations in penning a letter to President Biden regarding the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). We are deeply concerned about the continued delays in appointing a U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator, the leader of PEPFAR. This decision is causing harm to the global AIDS response and is seen as a deprioritization of the crisis by the Administration.

The Need for a Qualified Leader

The COVID-19 pandemic has had devastating consequences for HIV treatment and prevention access, particularly for marginalized and vulnerable populations. The lessons learned from PEPFAR are crucial in addressing the current crisis. Without a bold and ambitious leader at the helm of the U.S. global AIDS response, both efforts will be undermined. We urge the Administration to prioritize the fight against global AIDS and immediately appoint a qualified leader as Ambassador of the Office of the U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator (OGAC).

A Call to Fulfill Promises of Bold Leadership

As global partners who have worked with PEPFAR since its inception, we are calling on the Administration to fulfill its promises of bold leadership and engagement, as stated at the UN High Level meeting on HIV. We are disappointed that, after publicly committing to prioritize the fight against global AIDS during your candidacy, your attention has shifted. This is harming both the HIV and COVID-19 responses.

A Misguided Strategy

We urge the Administration not to pit global health security priorities against the global AIDS response. This is a misguided strategy that does not serve either goal. We humbly request that a bold, creative, and qualified leader be appointed as Ambassador of OGAC, with the necessary authority to succeed.

Sincerely,

Pan Africa ILGA (PAI)

Development Agenda for Girls and Women in Africa Network (DAWA)

Africa Sex Workers' Alliance (ASWA)

Access Care Treatment and Support (ACTS), Ghana

Advocacy Core Team, Zimbabwe

APCOM (Asia Pacific Coalition on Male Sexual Health), Thailand

Bar Hostesses Empowerment and Support Group (BHESP), Kenya

Botswana Network on Ethics, Law and HIV/AIDS (BONELA), Botswana

Busia Survivors, Kenya

Coalition of Women living with HIV/AIDS (COWHLA), Malawi

Coalition for Health Promotion and Social Development (HEPS UGANDA), Uganda

Coast Sex Workers' Alliance (COSWA), Kenya

Community Health Rights Advocacy (CHeRA), Malawi

Dandora Community AIDS Support Association, Kenya

Empower, Cameroon

Gay and Lesbian Coalition of Kenya (GALCK)

Health Development Consultancy Services Cameroon (HEDECS), Cameroon

Highlighting Equitable Access to Rights (HEAR), Nigeria

International Association of Providers of AIDS Care (IAPAC)

Ishtar MSM, Kenya

Kenya Legal & Ethical Issues Network on HIV & AIDS (KELIN), Kenya

Kenya Sex Workers' Alliance (KESWA)

Key Population Consortium of Kenya

Lean on Me Foundation, Kenya

Lesbian Intersex Trans and other Extensions (LITE), Malawi

Minority Persons Empowerment Program (MPEG), Kenya

Mozambique Treatment Access Movement (MATRAM), Mozambique

Nairobi Outreach Services Trust (NOSET), Kenya

National Association of People Living with HIV/AIDS (NAPWA), South Africa

Network of Journalists Living with HIV (JONEHA), Malawi

Pamoja TB Group, Kenya

The People's Matrix, Lesotho

Positive Action Campaign, South Africa

Positive Women's Network, South Africa

Q-Initiative, Kenya

Ritshidze, South Africa

Responsive Action for Visible Empowerment (RAVE), Nigeria

Sexual Minorities Uganda (SMUG), Uganda

SisterLove International South Africa

South African Network of Religious Leaders Living with HIV/AIDS (SANERELA+), South Africa

Swaziland Network of Young Positives (SNP+), Eswatini

SWOP Ambassadors, Kenya

TB Proof, South Africa

Tamba Pwani, Kenya

Tanzania AIDS Forum, Tanzania

Tanzania Network of Women Living with HIV and AIDS, Tanzania

Thriving Inclusive Community Organisation (TICO), Rwanda

Treatment Action Campaign (TAC), South Africa

Uganda Key Populations Consortium (UKPC), Uganda

Uganda Network of AIDS Service Organisations (UNASO), Uganda

Umzingwane AIDS Network (UAN), Zimbabwe

Vietnam Network of People Living with HIV (VNP+), Vietnam

Voice of our Voices (VOOV), Lesotho

Wings To Transcend, Namibia

Women Fighting AIDS in Kenya (WOFAK), Kenya

Wote Youth Development Projects, Kenya

Youth Engage, Zimbabwe

Zambia Tuberculosis and Leprosy Trust (ZATULET), Zambia

Zimbabwean Community Health Intervention Research Project (ZiCHIRe-BC), Zimbabwe

African Services Committee, US

ATHENA Network, Global

AVAC, Global

CHANGE, Global

Coalition Plus International, Global

Global Black Gay Men Connect (GBGMC), Global

Global Network of Young People Living with HIV (Y+ Global), Global

Global Network of People Living with HIV (GNP+)

Health GAP, Global

International Treatment Preparedness Coalition (ITPC), Global

SisterLove Inc, USA

Treatment Action Group, United States

WomenNOW! Network, Global

CC: The Honorable Antony John Blinken, United States Secretary of State

Linda Etim, Senior Director for Development, Global Health, and Humanitarian Response, National Security Council

Catherine M. Russell, Director of the White House Presidential Personnel Office

Ron Klain, Chief of Staff to the President of the United States

Gayle Smith, Coordinator of the Global COVID response and Health Security

Loyce Pace, Director, Office of Global Affairs, Department of Health & Human Services

Dr. Anthony Fauci, Director of the National Institutes of Health

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