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Heroes United Kingdom15. July 2020

Elton John Continues Fight Against AIDS with 25 Million-Dollars

Famous singer Elton John and his husband David Furnish are giving 25 million dollars in grants to projects focused on tackling the rise of HIV infections in Eastern Europe and Central Asia.

RADIAN, a partnership between the Elton John AIDS Foundation and the Gilead pharmaceutical company, has announced its first batch of grants as rates of HIV infections around the world have been dropping over the years, with Eastern Europe and Central Asia being the only region that is instead witnessing a fast and heavy rise in the number of infections.

“This region has seen a dramatic 72% increase in new HIV infections in the last decade when the global rate has decreased by 23%,” says Furnish, chairman of the Elton John AIDS Foundation founded in 1992. “Considering we have the tools and treatment to prevent and treat HIV, this is shocking and we are committed to not leave anyone behind.”

John, aged 73, has raised around half a billion dollars to date in the overall fight against HIV/AIDS. Over the next five years, RADIAN will work to avert new infections and to guarantee quality care for those who are HIV positive – especially in countries like Russia, which stigmatizes homophobia and HIV/AIDS while also suffering from the highest number of HIV-positive people in the region.

Source:
Thomson Reuters Foundation

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