On May 27, 2003, at the urging of President George W. Bush, Congress authorized the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). Fifteen years later, the global program supports more than 14 million people on HIV treatment across the globe.

That’s more than twice as many as only four and a half years ago, according to a PEPFAR press release marking the anniversary.

Other encouraging statistics from the press release:

  • PEPFAR has also enabled more than 2.2 million babies to be born HIV-free to HIV-positive mothers.

  • More than 6.4 million orphans, vulnerable children and their caregivers affected by HIV/AIDS have been assisted.

  • To protect men and boys from HIV, PEPFAR has supported more than 15.2 million of them with voluntary medical male circumcision.

  • PEPFAR data show a 25 to 40 percent decline or greater in new HIV diagnoses among adolescent girls and young women in nearly two thirds of the highest-HIV-burden communities implementing PEPFAR’s DREAMS (Determined, Resilient, Empowered, AIDS-free, Mentored and Safe) public-private partnership across 10 African countries.

  • Up to 13 high-HIV-burden countries are now poised to achieve epidemic control by 2020 with PEPFAR support.

In honor of PEPFAR’s anniversary, a yearlong campaign titled #PEPFAR15 celebrates “15 Years of Saving Lives Through American Generosity and Partnerships.” It includes videos like the one above titled “15 Years of PEPFAR: Nelly’s Story.”

For a closer look at how scientists and advocates are waging a powerful war against the global epidemic, don’t miss the POZ feature “Nevertheless They Persisted.”

For a more critical view of PEPFAR, read the articles “World of Difference: Questioning taxpayer funding of faith-based groups to fight HIV/AIDS” and “Trump Expands ‘Global Gag Rule’ on Abortion, Affecting $8.8B in Health Funding.” For a roundup of related POZ articles, click #PEPFAR.