Elton John urges Congress to keep ‘foot on accelerator’ to end AIDS

Sir Elton John joined a Senate Foreign Relations hearing on Wednesday to herald the successes of an AIDS relief programme as the British singer urged Congress to keep “our foot on the accelerator” and fund the US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR).

The 76-year-old, who is a longtime advocate of the cause, having established the Elton John AIDS Foundation, praised the programme but added the work is far from finished.

Sir Elton testified remotely before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee’s hearing, “PEPFAR at 20: Achieving and Sustaining Epidemic Control”.

“We are living in deeply troubled times with countless global challenges — all of which I know beckon your time and attention,” the singer told lawmakers. “Given that, I am boundlessly grateful for the bipartisan cooperation that has been the hallmark of PEPFAR for two decades now.”

The Tiny Dancer hitmaker continued: “While this effort was initially conceived of by President [George W. Bush,] it has been enthusiastically supported by four presidents and 10 Congresses, and consistently championed by the generosity of the American people.”

Sir Elton said that prior to PEPFAR’s authorisation in 2003, “much of Africa was in free fall,” with more than a quarter of a million people dying of AIDS each year.

He credited the initiative for saving 25 million lives.

Sporting a pair of pink-tinted glasses, the performer said: “But we are not done yet.

“We have the tools we need to turn the tide and increasingly national leadership, capacity and ingenuity are taking what is good and making it better and more sustainable — but we need to keep our foot on the accelerator.”

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“By extending PEPFAR for another five years and fully funding it, together, we can continue the march toward ending AIDS for everyone everywhere and leave no one behind,” he added.

He urged the young people who were not born during the “horrors of AIDS need a wake up call”, but also require accurate information and the “power to use it”.

The singer also noted private donor funding for his foundation has decreased due to the Covid pandemic, and underlined the importance of PEPFAR.

Sir Elton has previously made an appeal to US lawmakers about funding to fight HIV and AIDS.

He testified in 2015 before a Senate appropriations subcommittee.

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