John Donnelly — Lifeline: The Story of PEPFAR, the Greatest Humanitarian Initiative of Our Time - with Sheryl Gay Stolberg
John Donnelly presents *Lifeline*, his account of how the United States created the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), a rapid-response program that became one of the most consequential humanitarian and foreign-aid initiatives in American history. The program has saved more than 26 million lives, helped prevent HIV transmission to nearly 8 million infants during birth, strengthened governments, and supported economic recovery across Africa.
The discussion will examine how American and African leaders, physicians, and community members built AIDS-treatment systems from the ground up amid devastating infection and mortality rates. Donnelly’s reporting draws on interviews with more than 200 people, including former President George W. Bush, Dr. Anthony Fauci, local medical professionals, and patients in African villages. He will be joined by New York Times Washington Correspondent Sheryl Gay Stolberg, who has covered HIV/AIDS and PEPFAR for decades.
When: Friday, October 2, 2026
Showtimes: 7:00 p.m.
Venue: Politics and Prose at 5015 Connecticut Avenue NW, 5015 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
Participants: John Donnelly, author and former Boston Globe reporter who covered AIDS policy and the U.S. response to the pandemic, and Sheryl Gay Stolberg, Washington Correspondent for The New York Times
Discussion: Donnelly and Stolberg will discuss PEPFAR’s origins, its implementation in Africa, the people who worked to establish treatment programs, and the program’s broader significance as a model for American leadership and results-oriented foreign aid.
Tickets: Free
Seating: Seating is available on a first-come, first-served basis.
Accessibility: To request accommodations or ask about accessibility, email events@politics-prose.com. The venue asks that requests ideally be submitted at least one week before the event, though it will make efforts to accommodate requests made up to the event time.
Run time: Not specified.
Age guidance: Not specified.