In January, George W. Bush nominated abstinence-pushing Global AIDS coordinator Randall Tobias to head the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), causing advocates to worry that he’ll nix more funds for pro-condom, non-faith-based international AIDS programs. (USAID funds AIDS programs in approximately 100 countries.) Tobias, 64, former head of pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly & Co., has helped manage the distribution of HIV aid in his current post since 2003—channeling funds to boost pro-abstinence-only programs. USAID previously operated independently of other government orgs, but Tobias’ nomination heralds a shift that places it indirectly under State Department rule. “This will cause decisions about who receives aid to be based on political and military agendas, not on human need,” says Jodi Jacobson, executive director of the U.S.-based Center for Health and Gender Equity. Tobias wouldn’t comment to POZ; at press time, the confirmation vote was scheduled for April. Global reservations are already confirmed.
