Thanks to the short-sighted and heartless actions of the current administration, global progress in HIV care has suffered a massive setback. Cuts to critical funding – including the dismantling of USAID programs – and the growing uncertainty surrounding federal support in the future have both patients and healthcare providers deeply worried.
When government abandons its citizens, then the citizens step in. The Elton John AIDS Foundation and its founder have contributed some much-needed funding and prompted renewed attention to the cause.
The “Rocket Man” said recently: “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…
“Our mission is more important than ever – we refuse to leave anyone behind.”
The Foundation’s 2025 Oscars fundraiser generated $8.6 million for the Rocket Response Fund, an emergency initiative forged to plug the gaps left by USAID cuts. This enables clinics to reopen, medication distribution to resume, and prevention services to continue uninterrupted.
John’s Foundation has joined forces with Brandi Carlile and her Looking Out Foundation on something they call the “Who Believes In Angels?” campaign. Its goal is to raise $1 million to protect HIV care around the world.
John and Carlile are kindred spirits. Carlile states: “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.”
Carlile and John are determined to make music matter — bringing everyone along in the fight against HIV.
Why it matters now more than ever: Recent projections from The Lancet HIV estimate that without sustained funding, up to 10.8 million additional HIV cases and nearly 2.9 million HIV-related deaths could occur globally by 2030.
Founded in 1992 and active globally since 1993, the Elton John AIDS Foundation has raised over $565 million, funding HIV prevention, care, and stigma-reduction programs in over 90 countries. It ranks among the top 10 philanthropic funders worldwide and is the number one funder in Eastern Europe and Central Asia.
“No one should suffer from stigma, fear or lack of access to treatment anymore,” John says. “Everyone deserves the right to a healthy life.”
Carlile’s approach to philanthropy possesses the same sense of urgency. Her foundation (and its roots in music) allows her to “galvanize, pull together and respond” when people need support. John and Carlile have demonstrated the generosity of heart and wallet that America’s leaders have signally failed to do. It is to these musicians’ eternal credit that they have lent their voices and resources to helping others. All that the American leaders who have slashed funding deserve is eternal shame.
