U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator Testifies on President’s Emergency Plan

March 7, 2007 – On March 1, 2007, Ambassador Mark Dybul, M.D., the U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator, testified before Congress on the President’s Fiscal Year (FY) 2008 budget request for the Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief.  Ambassador Dybul discussed the priorities of the Emergency Plan for this year with Members of the Subcommittee on State and Foreign Operations of the Committee on Appropriations of the U.S. House of Representatives. 

Noting that, in 2005, the U.S. Government contributed more than all other Governments combined to the global fight against HIV/AIDS, Ambassador Dybul described the Emergency Plan’s strategy of working in partnership with host nations to meet the "2-7-10" goals laid out by President Bush in 2003, and also looked to the future. 

"[PEPFAR] is integral to President Bush’s vision, which Secretary Rice has called 'transformational diplomacy,'" he said. "This vision is one of partnership, as the U.S. leads the way in changing the development paradigm from the old donor – recipient mentality toward a model of genuine partnership."

Although the Emergency Plan in focused in its objectives, Ambassador Dybul also described its inescapable connection with other international health and development activities that are important to the United States, and the ways in which the U.S. Government can leverage those connections to achieve greater impact, and thereby benefit people in need.

"Our programs are increasingly linked to other important U.S. initiatives in other areas of health and development, such as child survival and health, [tuberculosis], malaria, nutrition, education, and gender inequities, as well as supporting systems of sustainability and accountability," Ambassador Dybul testified.

For more information:

• Read the entire testimony: http://www.pepfar.gov/press/81275.htm. 
• President's FY2008 budget request: http://www.pepfar.gov/press/80064.htm

Last revised: October 11, 2007