Elton John praises the progress being made in the fight against HIV
Elton John has labelled the progress being made in the fight against HIV as a “symbol of American greatness” and said that “we need to keep our foot on the accelerator”.
John was speaking via video link at a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing regarding the reauthorisation of the US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS (PEPFAR) ahead of the looming September deadline. The English singer-songwriter, who has raised hundreds of millions for the cause, explained why the battle is still ongoing and needs to remain a priority.
“There is no better symbol of American greatness than PEPFAR, and you should all be very proud of your extraordinary efforts,” he said. “We need to keep our foot on the accelerator. We’ve come so far in such a short time, relatively. By extending PEPFAR for another five years and fully funding it, together we can continue the march toward ending AIDS for everyone everywhere and leave no one behind.”
Democratic politician Senator Bob Menendez said: “The next five years will determine whether we meet the goal of ending the global HIV/AIDS epidemic by 2030”. Meanwhile, Republican politician Senator Jim Risch added: “I urge my colleagues to join me in working to reauthorise PEPFAR without delay and without new mandates and directives.”
Elton John is currently on an arena tour across the United Kingdom ahead of his retirement from playing live following his headline slot at Glastonbury Festival this summer.
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