We recently reached a pivotal milestone with the Viva Glam campaign—raising $100 million for the M∙A∙C AIDS Fund.  From its inception, the M·A·C AIDS Fund set out to serve the most vulnerable populations.  We began by providing for the most basic life-saving and life-sustaining needs.  Our goal has always been to make a difference on the ground where it matters most. As the epidemic has expanded, so has our reach.  Today, the Fund is supporting programs in 55 countries and increasing its presence in those regions with the greatest burden-- Africa and the Caribbean. 

Yet, despite this global expansion, we have also remained firmly committed to HIV/AIDS programs and services in the United States.  In 2007 alone, the M∙A∙C AIDS Fund donated over $11 million to more than 300 nonprofit organizations to carry out vital HIV/AIDS programs across the U.S.  As we ended 2007, we were humbled and inspired to learn that, through the growth of the Viva Glam campaign, the M∙A∙C AIDS Fund was the third largest corporate funder for HIV/AIDS programs, and the largest non-pharmaceutical corporate donor to the HIV/AIDS field.

In 2008, the MAC AIDS Fund will continue to focus on supporting the basic needs of persons infected and affected by HIV while at the same time increasing its support for innovative programs to prevent and treat HIV infection in high risk populations and regions.  We will continue to strengthen our work in the Caribbean, a region with the second highest rates of HIV infection in the world.  Toward this end, we partnered with Idol Gives Back, donating $1 million in support of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria’s HIV/AIDS programs in the region and will be deepening our work with a number of important nonprofit partners in the region.  We hope that other funders will join us in efforts to curb infection in this part of the world.  Together with Viva Glam spokesperson and Grammy-Award winning performer Fergie, the M∙A∙C AIDS Fund is also launching a Global Youth HIV Prevention Initiative to address the rising numbers of HIV infection in young people around the world.  With this global initiative, we aim to launch new and scale up existing innovate prevention programs with the goal of reducing infection rates in persons under 25 years old.

This year, much discussion surrounded UNAIDS revision of its previous estimates of HIV infection rates around the world.  While we take comfort in knowing that there are fewer infected persons than originally thought, we know that with 33.2 million infected persons worldwide, much work remains to be done to end this epidemic.  Thank you for your ongoing support and commitment to our work.

With gratitude,