The ideological and economic agenda of US funding for HIV/ AIDS

[Guest guest]

Dear Friends,

On February 23, 2004, the U.S. Department of State Office of the Global AIDS

Coordinator released the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief: U.S.

Five-Year Global AIDS Strategy, which outlines the central priorities and

policy guidance for spending billions of dollars in U.S. global AIDS

funding. The Center for Health and Gender Equity (CHANGE) has conducted an

evidence-based analysis of the U.S. Strategy, including the assumptions that

underpin the Strategy and the priorities on which programmatic decisions are

being made. The critique of the Strategy, titled Debunking the Myths in the

U.S. Global AIDS Strategy: An Evidence-based Analysis can be downloaded at

http://www.genderhealth.org/pubs/AIDS5-YearStratAnalysisMar-04.pdf

The U.S. Strategy asserts that policies and programs will be

" evidence-based. " Our review of the Strategy arrives at two basic

conclusions.

One is that the prevention strategy is crafted more to cater

to the ideological agenda of the Administration's " base " -the far political

and evangelical right-than it is to meet the urgent prevention needs of the

millions of people now at risk of infection throughout the world.

The second is that the treatment agenda is based far more on the interests of

pharmaceutical companies than on the urgent needs for access to ARVS of the

millions already suffering from AIDS. Thus, the Strategy does not meet the

test set out by the President himself when he committed to a global HIV/AIDS

effort that would " create a cycle of hope and promise that will benefit

millions. "

In fact, recent steps taken by the Administration reveal an aggressive

strategy of silencing those critics of the U.S. policy. For example, recent

communications from the field and from within relevant government agencies

indicate that NGOS, technical experts, and even local government officials

who protest these policies as being contrary to the needs of those at risk

or suffering from AIDS find themselves increasingly sidelined from the

process. And at a meeting being convened by the Office of the AIDS

Coordinator in Botswana this week, the Administration is hoping to craft a

policy document questioning the quality of generic drugs approved by the WHO

Drug Pre-qualification Program. As of this writing there is no

representation at this meeting of members of civil society with experience

in delivering these drugs in the field.

In sum, billions of dollars in U.S. global AIDS funding are being used to

support both ideological and corporate agendas on prevention and treatment

that have little to do with the needs and rights of the millions at risk of

HIV infection or suffering from AIDS.

CHANGE will continue working with our colleagues here and abroad to monitor,

analyze, and disseminate information on implementation of the Global AIDS

Strategy, to inform policymakers on whether U.S. tax dollars are being spent

for the most effective response to this global epidemic.

Please let me know if you have any questions or would like further

information. I can be reached at jjacobson@.... If you would

like a hard copy of this document mailed directly to you, please write to

Danna , dscott@....

With best wishes,

Jodi son

Executive Director

Center for Health and Gender Equity (CHANGE)

6930 Carroll Avenue Suite 910

Takoma Park, land 20912 USA

Phone: (301) 270-1182

Fax: (301) 270-2052

www.genderhealth.org

E-mail: jjacobson@...>

The Center for Health and Gender Equity is a U.S.-based international

reproductive health and rights organization. We seek to make public health

and human rights principles integral to all relevant U.S. international

population and health policies and programs. For more information or to be

added to our database, please e-mail Danna at D@....