TheJakartaPost
Please Update your browser
Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.
Elton John launches fund for HIV/AIDS work amid coronavirus
Change Size
Elton John poses with David Furnish at Cannes, France, May 16, 2019. (Reuters/Stephane Mahe)
E
lton John has launched a $1 million emergency fund to help organisations working with people living with HIV or AIDS so they are not "left behind" during the coronavirus crisis.
With the coronavirus pandemic putting pressure on health systems globally, the British musician said the Elton John AIDS Foundation would give cash to organisations for solutions to keep HIV and AIDS care up and running.
"Distributing medicines, testing and preventative treatment is not as simple as it was a few weeks ago," Elton John, 73, said in a video from his home in Los Angeles posted on Twitter to announce the initiative.
"So our new COVID-19 emergency fund will help frontline partners to prepare for and respond to the pandemic and its effects on HIV prevention and care for the most marginalised communities."
Today, I’m proud to announce that my Foundation @EJAF is launching a $1million COVID-19 Emergency Fund to make sure that our frontline partners can respond to the effects of COVID-19 on HIV care for the most marginalised communities around the world. pic.twitter.com/g4wh9dnd3d
— Elton John (@eltonofficial) April 4, 2020
Read also: Elton John's coronavirus 'living room' show raises $8 million for US charities
While the new coronavirus is not considered a threat to HIV-positive people who are on medication, it could pose a higher risk to those who have weakened immune systems or are unaware of their status, health experts and campaigners have warned.
The singer's non-profit said it would fund solutions for "specific challenges" facing people with or at risk of HIV/AIDS who now face additional threats from coronavirus.
