A bill authorized February 27 by both the White House and House leaders will more than triple funding for the President’s Emergency Program for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) to $50 billion over the next five years, The Washington Post reports (washingtonpost.com, 2/28).
The reauthorization bill—if passed by the Senate—would also loosen abstinence-messaging requirements for the global AIDS program. While countries are encouraged to spend 50 percent of their funding on sexual-transmission prevention programs that promote abstinence, countries may appeal to Congress to spend less on that component. According to the Post, PEPFAR officials also affirm that “abstinence” is only the first part of the program’s ABC strategy, which also includes the messages “be faithful” and “condom use.”
The $50 billion will also go toward treating pregnant women to prevent mother-to-child transmission, making blood supplies safer and providing clean syringes to medical facilities.
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John, Woodbury, 2008-03-06 17:53:42
I think it is wonderful that we are proposing to help those around the world. However, we must not forget those living with HIV/AIDS in the USA where Ryan White has been flat funded under the terms of Presideant Bush. President Bush, The House and Senate need to work on meeting the needs of all individuals living with HIV in the USA.
woofboy, Philadephia, 2008-03-04 13:11:49
What about Americans suffering from HIV our President has turn his back on us once again.
Beth Benne, RN, is HIV negative, but
the virus has impacted her life. She currently supervises a biannual HIV/AIDS awareness week as
the director of the student health center at Pierce College, a
community commuter school in Woodland Hills, California.
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