PEPFAR Reauthorization
Rumors Regarding PEPFAR and Abortions
The 2023 PEPFAR (the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief) reauthorization has been complicated by rumors that the program funds abortions. Shepherd Smith, Co-founder of Children’s AIDS Fund International has been a strong advocate for and involved in Christian work to care for and provide support for people living with HIV for many years, going back to before PEPFAR’s creation.
Shepherd Smith researched the situation and found no evidence to support the rumor that PEPFAR is funding – or has funded – abortion or promoted abortion and wrote a summary of his findings, as well as an opinion piece explaining why Why a One-Year PEPFAR-Reauthorization Is a Really Bad Idea. In the piece Shepherd explains the pitfalls of the one-year reauthorization and presents why conservatives and pro-life advocates who have knowledge about the program and work in developing countries have always been supportive of PEPFAR.
Opinion Pieces from Faith Actors Supporting a Clean PEPFAR Reauthorization
CCIH, the Christian Health Association of Kenya and the Cameroon Baptist Convention Health Services contributed to this opinion piece posted by the Global AIDS Policy Partnership on “Why Christian Organizations Want Congress to Reauthorize PEPFAR.”
In this opinion piece in the New York Times, Father Richard Bauer shares his experience working for 25 years in clinics for people with HIV in Kenya, Tanzania and Namibia and the transformational impact he saw from PEPFAR. Father Bauer is a Roman Catholic priest with the Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers who serves as a hospital chaplain and social worker. In the piece, he expresses his support for a clean five-year PEPFAR reauthorization and debunks the rumors that PEPFAR funds have been used for abortions.
World Relief President and CEO Myal Greene wrote an opinion piece published in The Hill about PEPFAR and why he supports it: PEPFAR is a pro-life miracle – evangelicals must continue to support it.
Advocacy Resources
CCIH Advocacy Toolkit
CCIH released this advocacy toolkit in 2022 that we hope members will be able to use and customize to achieve their advocacy goals. We aim for it to be useful for organizations that have been advocating for years, as well as for those who are just beginning. To help guide development of the toolkit, CCIH conducted several focus group conversations with members to learn more about their advocacy outreach and ways that CCIH might be more effective in supporting those efforts.
CCIH Advocacy Advisor Bob Noziglia wrote this blogpost to share some highlights of those conversations and what we’ve learned, as well as a follow up piece to explore the influence of faith communities a little deeper. We hope you will use the toolkit and we would appreciate hearing from you about your thoughts or suggestions for advocacy tools so we can continuously improve the toolkit.
CCIH Voice on the Global Stage
CCIH staff participate in many advisory councils, coalitions, communities of practice, networks, roundtables, and working groups to share our expertise on a variety of issues and speak up for faith-based actors. See a list of groups
Why Christians Support Strong Global Health Programs
This two-page brief explains why US support of strong global health programs aligns with Christian values and is a wise investment to protect security and economies.
Christian Voices on the Importance of Advocacy
In this video, CCIH members explain the value of U.S. foreign assistance and why advocating and speaking out for those without a voice is important to them as Christians.
Issues & Actions
February, 2024
IWGFA Emergency Supplemental Funding Letter
The Interfaith Working Group on Foreign Assistance – which includes CCIH and other FBOs – sent a letter expressing support for proposed humanitarian aid in global conflict zones, including Gaza, the West Bank, and Ukraine. The letter emphasizes the importance of focusing on vulnerable populations and urges the prioritization of funding for areas heavily impacted by conflicts, such as Sudan, Armenia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Horn of Africa, and Yemen.
See The LetterJanuary, 2024
FY25 GAVI Replenishment Sign-on Letter
CCIH and 44 organizations have signed a letter urging the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and other stakeholders to prioritize full funding of $340 million for GAVI, the Vaccine Alliance, in the Fiscal Year 2025 President’s Budget. The letter emphasizes the impact of an additional $40 million in funding for the R21 malaria vaccine, highlighting U.S. leadership in global immunization and advocating for continued support for USAID’s Maternal and Child Health programs. The overall goal of the letter is to strengthen U.S. leadership in global immunization efforts.
SEE THE LETTERJanuary, 2024
Alliance to End Hunger Sign-on Letter
Christian Connections for International Health and 60+ organizations signed a letter urging Congress to fully fund domestic and international nutrition programs in the Fiscal Year 2024 budget. Congress must prioritize and adequately fund these programs to address the escalating food insecurity crisis. As the January 19th funding deadline approaches, bipartisan efforts are crucial to strengthening the nation’s nutrition safety net and ensuring positive health outcomes for vulnerable community members.
See The LetterJanuary, 2024
Non-Defense Discretionary Funding Support
CCIH joined nearly 1,100 organizations in signing onto a letter expressing our concern about deep cuts to non-defense programs (often referred to as non-defense discretionary appropriations or NDD) for fiscal year 24 (FY24) if a full-year continuing resolution were to pass. Such cuts would be disastrous for the capacity of the US government to serve the public, assist those in need, fuel innovation, and address national and global threats. The letter urged Congressional leadership to instead finish the FY24 appropriations process and adopt the bipartisan Senate funding framework as a starting point for final negotiations.
See The Letter