Global AIDS Policy Partnership: Proud of PEPFAR Campaign
In 2024, the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) faced unprecedented, baseless attacks from the far right. Despite decades of strong, bipartisan support and saving 25 million lives, the program’s reauthorization was at risk due to claims it is a “slush fund for abortions.” This demonstrably false assertion put one of the most successful U.S. global health programs at risk.
As the deadline for PEPFAR’s usual, five-year reauthorization passed — and the misinformation and roadblocks continuing to hold it up — the Global AIDS Policy Partnership sought to provide air cover for congressional champions, create greater awareness for uninformed lawmakers as to the power of the program, and support advocacy for fiscal year 2024 appropriations through a comprehensive, surround-sound communications campaign.
The one-week campaign included:
- Paid advertising
- Social media engagement, including a dedicated hashtag (#ProudOfPEPFAR) and a social media toolkit
- Videos amplifying the voices of frontline healthcare workers and others who have benefitted from PEPFAR’s support
- A web landing page
- Extensive earned media, including a focus on faith-based partners to counter the false narrative and resonate with conservative lawmakers
Results for the campaign over the course of one week included:
