Country music singers urge Congress to support PEPFAR and end AIDS epidemic | Letters

America, did you cognize that you person led the satellite successful redeeming the lives of 26 cardinal radical from HIV/AIDS astir the world?

That’s acknowledgment to a programme called PEPFAR, the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief.

Twenty-three years ago, President George W. Bush had the imaginativeness to bring unneurotic Republicans and Democrats to legislate a program to halt the AIDS epidemic that was sidesplitting 3 cardinal men, women and children a year.

And we are connected way to extremity the AIDS epidemic presumption by 2030.

Today, 20 cardinal radical are connected antiretroviral medications, keeping corruption and decease rates astatine their lowest successful 20 years. That’s 20 cardinal souls for whom “America” means generosity, compassion and life.

But each that tin alteration successful the blink of an eye. If Congress decides to chopped backing for PEPFAR, radical volition not person their medication. The microorganism volition rebound.

Opinion: Tennessee's reallocation of HIV prevention funds volition bash much harm than good

Infections volition multiply. Millions volition die. And, the epidemic volition turn exponentially worldwide, including a imaginable detonation successful our ain backyards.

Lend your voice. Join america by sending a missive to fto Congress cognize you privation to spot the extremity of AIDS successful 2030, requiring their enactment to afloat money PEPFAR. This isn’t conscionable the astute happening to do, for nationalist security, economic, and nationalist wellness reasons; this is the close happening to do.

Visit ONE.org to instrumentality enactment today.

This missive was drafted by the ONE Campaign and The 2030 Collaborative and was signed by the pursuing state euphony stars. The missive was subsequently sent to each members of Congress.

Amy Grant

Brad Paisley

Brandy Clark

Brittney Spencer

Cam

Cassadee Pope

Darius Rucker

Drew Holcomb

Ellie Holcomb

Jennifer Nettles, Sugarland

Jimmy Westbrooks, Little Big Town

Karen Fairchild, Little Big Town

Kimberly Schlapman, Little Big Town

Kix Brooks, Brooks & Dunn

Kristian Bush, Sugarland

LeAnn Rimes

Maren Morris

Mickey Guyton

Philip Sweet, Little Big Town

Sheryl Crow

Addendum: Middle Tennessee nonmigratory Dr. Bill Frist, who served arsenic U.S. Senate Majority Leader erstwhile PEPFAR became law, offered the pursuing statement: "PEPFAR is the eventual illustration of American exceptionalism and compassion. If we backmost distant from this historic, bipartisan committedness to those little fortunate, we are ceding crushed to China who volition capable the void successful our absence. We are leaving the American radical astatine greater hazard of aboriginal pandemics, arsenic our planetary wellness investments assistance incorporate section outbreaks and forestall dangerous, caller viruses from reaching our shores. And we are turning our backmost connected a palmy diplomatic strategy that has fostered improbable allies, stabilized nations, and strengthened our spot successful the world.”

This nonfiction primitively appeared connected Nashville Tennessean: PEPFAR saves lives from AIDS epidemic and should proceed | Letters