| The US Global AIDS Plan |
Take 2 minutes to comment on Transition Team website to call for swift action to implement Obama's bold plan to fight AIDS
As the United States moves from one President and one Congress to the next, it’s time to stop and take a look at where we are in terms of fighting HIV/AIDS. President Bush and Congress have made tremendous progress in getting people on treatment, and have implemented programs on the ground that are indeed saving lives. But more work remains. Too much of prevention money is tied up in strings that limit the ability of communities to determine how to prevent HIV locally. Multilateral initiatives, like the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB, and Malaria, have been left with insufficient funding to meet the growing need. President Obama and the new Congress have work remaining to continue the progress made to save the lives of people living with HIV, and those at greatest risk. President Obama has laid out a bold plan for how to do this, both by signing on to the reauthorization of the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief and releasing a detailed plan on AIDS policy during his campaign. By following the steps laid out by President Obama, the US can finally help turn the tide of the AIDS epidemic and save millions of lives.
What you can do:
By commenting on the recommendations to address global AIDS, we’re helping to make sure the Obama Transition Team knows that this is a high priority for Americans. So here are two ways to provide comments to the Transition Team:
- Write your own comment. Make sure to say why this is important to you, and why you want Obama to make fighting AIDS a priority in his first 100 days
- Pull from the messages below. Pick one from section A, and one from section B, and paste them into the comments section on the Transition Team website. Feel free to personalize these further.
Click here to access the global AIDS and health recommendations Health GAP and others submitted to the Transition Team, and leave a comment today.
| Section A (The urgency of changing the way the US fights AIDS): |
Section B (Why Obama should implement his bold and visionary AIDS plan): |
- In spite of tremendous progress made in recent years to fight AIDS, the epidemic continues to grow. This year, more than three million people were infected with HIV, and two million died. Continuing and improving the way the US fights AIDS should be a priority for the Administration within the first 100 days, and for all four years of President Obama’s term.
- 15 million women worldwide are living with HIV, and women are becoming infected at higher rates than ever before. In order to combat the growing feminization of HIV, reforming and expanding global AIDS programs should be a priority in the first 100 days.
- Those at highest risk of HIV infection are often those who are most marginalized – sex workers, drug users, gay men, and women. The Bush administration’s approach to HIV prevention has left these communities behind, and, within the first 100 days, Obama could change this.
- An overwhelming majority (69%) of Americans believe that the US should increase funding to fight AIDS, TB and malaria. President Obama should see this support as a clear sign that his visionary plan, laid out during the campaign, to improve and expand US global AIDS efforts should be implemented quickly.
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- Obama's plan is easy to do, and would have huge effects. Much of his plan can be accomplished with simple directives to agencies, and does not require a new law to be passed. Millions of lives can be saved if this plan is implemented as quickly as possible.
- Obama's plan would improve the US image around the world. President-elect Obama can help improve the US’s image around the world by promoting reform and expansion of US global health efforts. Nine of the ten countries with the highest level of support for the US are found in African nations that receive PEPFAR funds. But the US is also seen as a bully of other countries, by dictating how funding can be used even if those directives do not work in local communities. President-elect Obama can improve this image by removing conditions that limit local control from US aid.
- Obama's plan would promote multilateralism. Multilateral approaches must be front-and-center in the US’s efforts to fight AIDS globally. The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB, and Malaria received insufficient levels of funding from the Bush Administration. As a result, the Global Fund is facing a serious funding crisis that may lead to 25% cuts in existing and future grants. President Obama can renew the US’s commitment to multilateralism, and help end the Global Fund’s financial shortfall, by immediately proposing $800 million for the Global Fund immediately, and $2 billion for Fiscal Year 2010.
- Obama's plan would help make our efforts sustainable. President-elect Obama laid out a plan that includes training and retaining 140,000 new health workers. Perhaps the greatest bottleneck to achieving the goals laid out in the global AIDS bill, and the greatest obstacle to making our efforts sustainable, is the lack of trained health workers in developing countries. By working with countries to develop plans to train and retain sufficient health workers to meet the needs of people, and by financially supporting the implementation of those plans, US efforts to fight global AIDS will have a broad effect and improve whole health systems to benefit all people, not just those with HIV.
- Obama's plan would provide a break from the last eight years. While the Bush Administration made significant progress in increasing funding for global AIDS, much of the funds are tied up in strings that limit efficacy on the ground. President-elect Obama’s plan clearly outlines the need to put evidence and honesty first, especially as it relates to HIV prevention funding. This means ending the requirement that organizations that spend less than 50% of sexual prevention funding on abstinence and fidelity programs write a report to explain why. Additionally, US funds should be used to reach those most marginalized and oftentimes at highest risk of HIV infection. Obama should end the Sex Worker Loyalty Oath that forces organizations to explicitly oppose prostitution before working with sex workers. And PEPFAR funds should be able to be used for the single most effective method to prevent HIV infection in injection drug users, which is syringe exchange. Finally, family planning programs, which have only received limited support during the Bush administration, should be fully integrated with HIV care, treatment and prevention, so we can reach people where they are.
- Obama's plan would ensure the US meets its promises to treat 1/3 of people in need. PEPFAR has been a remarkable success, especially relating to treatment, as a result of an emphasis on concrete goals with timelines. President Obama signed on to support treatment for three million people with HIV, plus those treated by multilateral programs, for a total of four million on treatment by 2013. Unfortunately, that hard target was removed during negotiations to reauthorize the program. The US must set a clear target of treating three million people, plus those treated by multilateral sources, so we can gauge our success and keep our commitment to achieve universal access to HIV treatment worldwide.
- Obama's plan would show he’s serious about bringing change. President-elect Obama should send a strong signal, early in his administration, that the US intends to continue and expand on progress made to fight AIDS globally. Hiring a Global AIDS Coordinator who has a background in taking on projects as bold as those outlined by Obama during the campaign, and who is willing to use all the flexibilities allowed by the new law, is a first step towards showing the world, and in particular those who rely on US funds to receive prevention, care and treatment, that global AIDS programs will be prioritized by the new administration.
- Obama's plan would restore trust in the United States. President-elect Obama’s campaign commitments to $50 billion over five years for global AIDS received accolades from the rest of the world, but also created high expectations. The new administration, by following through on commitments made to the world to expand access to HIV prevention, treatment and care, can help restore trust in America as a nation that reaches out to help those in need.
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