PEPFAR Contributes $3.5M to HIV/AIDS Program Managed by Zambian Companies, U.S. Ambassador Says

The President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief has contributed $3.5 million to eight Zambian companies that are partnering with the U.S. for a program that aims to curb the spread of HIV/AIDS in the workplace, according to a statement released on Wednesday by U.S. Ambassador to Zambia Carmen Martinez, Xinhua News Agency reports (Xinhua News Agency, 2/8). According to a release, PEPFAR's contribution will match the companies' pledge to spend $5.7 million over the next three years on the program, which aims to reduce the impact of HIV/AIDS on the companies' employees and the surrounding communities. The embassy said the funds were released to Global Development Alliance, a public-private partnership between Zambian-based agribusiness companies and the U.S. government that is managed by USAID (U.S. Embassy release, 2/8).