Obama must fund syringe exchange globally

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Press Release: Obama must fund syringe exchange worldwide, say activists

The US Global AIDS Plan

Health GAP (Global Access Project) • Physicians for Human Rights • Global AIDS Alliance (GAA) • Treatment Action Group (TAG) • World AIDS Campaign • Center for Health and Gender Equity (CHANGE) • Caribbean Drug & Alcohol Research Institute • Caribbean Vulnerable Communities Coalition • International Civil Society Support (ICSS) • Coalition PLUS • International Council of AIDS Service Organizations (ICASO)

PRESS STATEMENT
For Immediate Release: July 21 2009

Contact: Matthew Kavanagh, Health GAP, matthew@healthgap.org +1 202.486.2488

AIDS and Health Activists Call on Obama and Clinton to Permit U.S. Global AIDS Programs to Fund Syringe Exchange Overseas

(Washington DC and Cape Town) AIDS and health experts in Washington, DC and Cape Town, South Africa at the annual conference of the International AIDS Society called on President Obama's Administration to correct the Bush-era policy denying global HIV prevention initiatives that receive U.S. funding the flexibility to include syringe exchange in their program requests.

President Obama made public and written campaign pledges that this policy would be fixed; in addition, the Administration's delegation to the March, 2009 meeting of Commission on Narcotic Drugs of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime asserted that the Administration "will incorporate a more comprehensive approach, including needle-exchange programs to prevent the spread of HIV and AIDS among injection drug users." (Seehttp://vienna.usmission.gov/031109cnd.html) Despite President Obama's pledges, the policy restriction has remained in place.

Injection drug use accounts for the majority of HIV infections in dozens of countries in Asia and Eastern Europe. In many countries outside Africa, the largest number of new infections now occurs among injection drug users. Shown in dozens of rigorous studies in the U.S. and around the world to reduce HIV infections without increasing drug use, needle exchange is perhaps the most effective of all strategies to prevent the spread of HIV. In addition, in several sub-Saharan African countries, injection drug use is emerging as a new source of HIV transmission. Yet prohibitions driven by ideology currently prevent US-funded programs from making use of this proven medical intervention.

Advocates pointed out that countries will have only a limited period of time within which to submit PEPFAR country plans for 2010--and unless the policy restriction is lifted, those plans cannot include syringe exchange . "PEPFAR country plans for 2010--the year in which Universal Access to HIV prevention, care, and treatment is to be reached--are currently being finalized," said Asia Russell, Director of International Policy for Health GAP. "If the White House does not take action, countries will have to wait until PEPFAR's 2011 programming cycle to include requests for funding for syringe exchange--these delays will result in needless new HIV and hepatitis C infections."

There is currently no legislation prohibiting the funding of syringe exchange programs or other harm reduction efforts in international aid funding. In addition, the ban on PEPFAR funding for syringe exchange comes from a Bush Administration policy that can be lifted through revised policy guidance issued by the White House.

While there is a ban in U.S. law on the use of domestic Health and Human Services funding for U.S. syringe exchange programs, no similar ban exists in the foreign operations appropriations. "People
are dying--we don't have the luxury of patience," said Paola Barahona of Physicians for Human Rights. 'The White House urgently needs to end this flawed policy--the lifting of the domestic ban does not change the global PEPFAR restriction, and is not necessary in order for PEPFAR and the State Department to act."

"Now that Dr. Eric Goosby has been confirmed as the U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator, the time is right to act and the action is as simple as removing a few sentences in Bush-era policy guidance. We urge President Obama, Secretary Clinton, and Ambassador Goosby to act immediately." said Sue Perez, Director of Policy for Treatment Action Group.

ENDS