Elton John and Brandi Carlile aim to raise $1 million for HIV/AIDS amid Donald Trump’s cuts
Through their new joint initiative, Elton John and Brandi Carlile aim to raise $1 million to combat the global HIV/AIDS crisis.
The musical pairing, who recently released their first joint album, Who Believes In Angels?, has launched the campaign under the same name as their musical project. It has been launched through their respective charities, the Elton John AIDS Foundation and Carlile’s Looking Out Foundation.
“Without prompt action, decades of progress in the global fight against HIV could be reversed, creating a global health crisis that we have both the power and the tools to prevent,” John said in a statement of their plans for the campaign.
He continued: “Our mission is more important than ever – we refuse to leave anyone behind – and I’m so fortunate that Brandi is not only a wonderful collaborator and artist, but a dear friend who shares my vision of a world where HIV care is prioritized and protected.”
The Who Believes In Angels? campaign hopes to raise money for the Rocket Response Fund, which provides vital care to those fighting HIV/AIDS around the globe amid the withdrawal of USAID support by Donald Trump’s administration.
Carlile also said of the foundation: “Elton’s activism and work with the Elton John AIDS Foundation was what led me to Elton before I even heard a note of his music. It’s an incredible honor to launch this partnership and raise funds for the life-saving work of the Elton John AIDS Foundation and the Rocket Response Fund at a time when support is needed the most.”
The new regime’s cost-cutting measures so far include removing the entire staff who work in the Office of Infectious Disease and HIV/AIDS Policy and five branches of the Center for Decise Control’s HIV prevention division. It’s also feared that countries around the globe will follow suit, which could set back the fight against HIV/AIDS by decades.
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