OF NOTE THIS WEEK

PEPFAR marked World AIDS Day with the release of their new five-year strategy, which outlines the intended direction of PEPFAR's next phase, including overarching goals and new programmatic targets. Annexes to the strategy, which will address specific program areas in more detail, are set to be released later this week, Ambassador Goosby states.

The Global Fund, PEPFAR, and World Bank marked World AIDS Day on December 1 by committing to continue their work in the fight against the disease and unveiling their recent results, which include the Fund and PEPFAR combining to support ARV treatment for 3.7 million people in low- and middle-income countries.

New data released by the WHO and UNAIDS in advance of World AIDS Day show that there were 17 percent fewer new HIV infections worldwide in 2008 compared with 2001, but for every five people infected, only two begin treatment, the Los Angeles Times reports.

NEWS AND HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE DONORS

• PEPFAR publishes its latest results and its five-year strategy, which outlines a high-level direction for its next phase
• The World Bank marks World AIDS Day with an institutional commitment to stay the course in confronting HIV/AIDS epidemic
• The Global Fund's end-of-year results show it is supporting ARV treatment for 2.5 million people living with HIV
• Nike joins the Global Fund's (RED) campaign to fight HIV/AIDS in Africa

OTHER NEWS AND HIGHLIGHTS

• UN Says Deaths Are Down, but AIDS Still a 'Major Priority' (Wall St. Journal)
• How Obama Is Changing Bush's Global AIDS Plan (Newsweek)
• WHO: Treat HIV Patients Sooner (AP)
• AIDS-Free Generation of Children Achievable, Says UN Report (Aidsmap)
• Study in Rural Uganda Finds Benefits in Treating AIDS Patients at Home (NY Times)
• HIV/AIDS Commitments to Women Often Unmet (Voice of America)
• The Kaiser Family Foundation updates its global HIV fact sheets to reflect newly released UNAIDS data and details the U.S. budget for programs in President Obama's new Global Health Initiative

RECENT CGD HEALTH POLICY BLOGS

• Should Poor Countries Follow WHO’s New Advice on When to Start AIDS Treatment? By Mead Over
• Comment on our Drug Resistance Consultation Report By Rachel Nugent
• Family Planning Makes a Comeback with the U.S. Global Health Initiative, But Can We Make It Stay? By Nandini Oomman

HIV/AIDS MONITOR RECOMMENDATIONS AND POLICY IMPACT

• The HIV/AIDS Monitor has been tracking the policy changes among PEPFAR, the Global Fund and the World Bank MAP related to the recommendations that have come out of our research. Explore these changes using our interactive flash tool.