WASHINGTON, D.C. /eNewsChannels/ — On December 14, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and South Africa’s International Relations and Cooperation Minister Maite Nkoana Mashabane signed a Partnership Framework that will guide future efforts to combat HIV/AIDS in South Africa. The Partnership Framework under the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) provides a five-year joint strategic plan of cooperation among the Government of South Africa, the U.S. Government and other stakeholders.
The Framework supports the goals of South Africa’s national strategy to fight HIV/AIDS, while also contributing to PEPFAR’s global goals for prevention, care and treatment. The Framework emphasizes sustainability, local expertise, coordination and accountability in the fight against AIDS.
The PEPFAR Framework will build on existing U.S. support for South Africa’s efforts to provide HIV prevention, treatment and care for millions of people in the country. In 2010 alone, PEPFAR funds have supported treatment for nearly 920,000 adults and children in South Africa, while more than five million South Africans have been tested for HIV and received HIV counseling with U.S. support.
President Barack Obama has made the fight against AIDS a cornerstone of his Global Health Initiative. A key principle of the Initiative is support for country ownership, and through the Partnership Framework, the United States will support South Africa in building the capacity to sustain its progress on HIV/AIDS for the long term.
