*EPF511 04/05/2002
Text: USAID Announces Expansion in International HIV/AIDS programs
(NGO providing support, services granted $162 million) (700)

The U.S. Agency for International Development announced April 3 a nearly $162 million contract with the nongovernmental organization (NGO) Family Health International (FHI) to expand HIV/AIDS prevention, care and treatment programs in more than 40 countries.

FHI has been providing HIV/AIDS services with USAID sponsorship since 1987. The new award will allow an extension of programs through 2007. FHI programs are devoted to reducing the risk of HIV transmission, strengthening disease care and treatment, and supporting locally based efforts to improve long-term responses to the epidemic.

USAID is one of the world leaders in supporting international efforts to contain the AIDS epidemic, having provided more than $2,000 million for programs in 50 nations since 1986.

Following is the text of the USAID press release:

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THE U.S. AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

PRESS RELEASE

USAID Provides Family Health International
$162 Million to Continue International AIDS Efforts

WASHINGTON, DC

http://www.usaid.gov

April 3, 2002

WASHINGTON, DC -- The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) announced today it has awarded Family Health International (FHI) and its partners $161.9 million over the next five years to permit USAID missions to expand and scale-up HIV/AIDS prevention, care and mitigation programs.

The U.S. Agency for International Development is the world's leader in providing funding to fight the international HIV/AIDS pandemic. Since 1986, it has provided $2.2 billion for prevention, care and treatment programs in over 50 countries around the world.

USAID first awarded Family Health International $148 million in 1997 to begin the Implementing AIDS Prevention and Care (IMPACT) project. IMPACT works in 40 countries across the globe. At a time when HIV/AIDS continues to ravage many developing countries, this five-year extension (2002 -- 2007) will allow FHI's efforts to continue without disruption.

"This is significant because of the continuity it brings to these programs," said Peter R. Lamptey, MD, DrPH, president of FHI's AIDS Institute. "It allows 10 years of prevention and care interventions to continue uninterrupted and gives us greater freedom to work with implementing agencies to improve their capacity to respond to the world's hardest-hit areas."

"As we step up the war on AIDS, we are pleased to continue our partnership with Family Health International," said Dr. Anne Peterson, who runs USAID's Bureau for Global Health. "By working together, we can and will turn this pandemic around."

With USAID's support, IMPACT -- with experts in public health, program management, communication, social sciences, economics, evaluation, epidemiology and infectious disease control -- uses proven intervention strategies to:

--Reduce risk and vulnerability to HIV Strengthen HIV/AIDS care, treatment and support
--Support public- and private-sector efforts to develop sustainable responses to HIV/AIDS
--Improve the availability and use of data for HIV-related decision making.

These strategies drive an expanded and comprehensive response to the AIDS pandemic designed to give all sectors of society the knowledge, skills and support needed to prevent HIV transmission; to care for and treat those who are already infected; and provide support for those affected by the virus. IMPACT addresses sexual and non-sexual HIV transmission, including mother-to-child transmission. IMPACT also emphasizes the need to intervene at multiple levels to make social norms, health services and political and economic environments more supportive of individual behavior change and to reduce vulnerability to HIV. IMPACT focused initially on prevention; because of the nature of the epidemic, IMPACT now focuses greater attention on treatment, care and support programs.

Family Health International is a non-governmental organization with a worldwide reputation for research, education and service delivery in reproductive health. FHI was one of the first U.S. non-governmental organizations to initiate HIV/AIDS programs in Africa, beginning in 1986. From 1987 to 1997, FHI managed the USAID-supported AIDSTECH and AIDSCAP projects.

This partnership with Family Health International is one component in USAID's comprehensive HIV/AIDS program. This year, USAID's budget for HIV/AIDS is $485 million. For more information on USAID's HIV/AIDS programs see: http://www.usaid.gov/pop_health/aids/index.html.

USAID is the government agency that has provided humanitarian assistance and economic development worldwide for 40 years.

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(Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)

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