We are pleased to announce that the winner of the PEPFAR II Naming Contest is: the AIDS and Healthcare Leadership Program (AIDSHELP), submitted by Nicolas Cook. The name won over 5 other finalists selected from dozens of submissions. In the end, we received nearly 200 votes from countries all across the globe, including the U.S., U.K., Pakistan, Kenya, Nigeria, Zambia, and many more.Percentage of the Vote ReceivedBy referring to U.S. leadership on AIDS and healthcare, the winning name appears to reflect the feeling among those who voted that the U.S. global AIDS program needs to be better integrated with the important work being done in other areas of global health. Advocates have been successful in mobilizing unprecedented resources for the global fight against HIV/AIDS, but there is a growing consensus that AIDS programs must ensure that they are strengthening overall health systems and having a positive spillover effect on health in general.Many voters also seemed to prefer a name that resembled the original PEPFAR acronym. The second and third place choices had the acronyms APFAR and PEPFAR, and collectively they received more votes than did AIDSHELP. This is likely a reflection of the strong brand recognition that PEPFAR has established in its focus countries, and is something that those in charge of PEPFAR should consider when determining whether and what to rename the program.Congratulations to Nicolas and thank you to all those who participated.
