March 11, 2008

HIV/AIDS Expert Says PEPFAR Must Include Family Planning

The next phase of the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) should emphasize HIV prevention by bridging the gap between family planning and HIV/AIDS programs, says Janet Fleischman, senior associate at the Center for Strategic and International Studies HIV/AIDS Task Force. In an opinion piece published in the Philadelphia Inquirer (philly.com, 3/11), Fleischman says, despite the “ideologically charged atmosphere in Congress about family planning, the clear benefits of integrating HIV/AIDS goals with reproductive health programs make it crucial to move beyond this polarization.”

She adds that providing women with access to family planning can help reduce the number of unintended pregnancies, which often lead to children being born with HIV. According to Fleischman, though integrating family planning and HIV/AIDS programs in developing countries won’t be easy, especially considering the limited resources available, the approach would help to tackle HIV while at the same time taking on other top health issues.

“At a time when many policymakers, experts and advocates are debating whether U.S. funding for HIV/AIDS is undermining other critical health priorities - including child survival, maternal health and family planning - the promising approaches toward reproductive health/HIV integration illustrate ways to help strengthen the health sector overall,” she writes.

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