"This is the right thing to do": Country artists push Congress to renew AIDS relief program PEPFAR

In recent news, several country artists are encouraging Congress to continue funding the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, also known by the abbreviation PEPFAR. PEPFAR is an initiative that was started back in 2003 under the government of the 43rd President of the United States, George W. Bush. The purpose of the initiative is to combat and curb the epidemic of HIV/AIDS by 2030.

The letter was written by the ONE Campaign and The 2030 Collaborative, and it included signatures from 20 country singers in the US. The letter mentioned that PEPFAR has been doing a great job of providing up to 20 million people with the medication that they need to fight the disease. Additionally, the death rates and the infection stats are at their lowest ever since PEPFAR was started.

The last paragraph of the letter reads,

"Lend your voice. Join us by sending a letter to let Congress know you want to see the end of AIDS in 2030, requiring their support to fully fund PEPFAR. This isn’t just the smart thing to do, for national security, economic, and public health reasons; this is the right thing to do."

A list of 20 celebrity signatures follows after the paragraph.

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How did PEPFAR begin?

The President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) began during George W. Bush's presidency. The initiative started in 2003 with the goal of ending HIV/AIDS by 2030. A budget of $15 billion was provided for a term of 5 years after receiving the seal of approval from both parties as per The Bush Record.

PEPFAR is considered to be one of the largest initiatives that was taken to help combat a particular disease. President Bush's initiative has inspired the other G-8 countries to lend a helping hand in fighting the disease.

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Who are the 20 artists who have signed the PEPFAR letter to Congress?

The country stars who have signed the letter showing their support so that Congress will continue funding PEPFAR are:

• Amy Grant
• Sheryl Crow
• Brad Paisley
• Mickey Guyton
• Brandy Clark
• Maren Morris
• Brittney Spencer
• LeAnn Rimes
• Cam
• Cassadee Pope
• Kix Brooks, Brooks & Dunn
• Darius Rucker
• Ellie Holcomb
• Drew Holcomb

It also included members of Sugarland, such as Jennifer Nettles and Kristian Bush.

All the members of Little Big Town also signed the letter. This includes Jimmy Westbrook, Philip Sweet, Karen Fairchild, and Kimberly Schlapman.

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If you want to support this initiative, you can also lend your voice by visiting the ONE.org website. You can send your own letter through this portal.