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The US new global AIDS policy plans to prioritize strengthening health systems before funding more HIV treatment and it is correct in logic. As the health care systems in developing nations were already overburdened and underresourced even before HIV came. If we are just adding thousands of HIV cases on treatment to be taken care by the clinics without helping the clinics with resource moblization, that can be the last straw to tip the systems to total collapse. However ( cont'd on next comment!
It is very sad how PEPFAR is somehow the savior of people or money from the United States and other countries trun their back on their people. However it is clear to me that the secular NGOs like AIDS MEDS and Poz Mag do not understand the value system of Charity. Are these secular group part of the problem in their fancy words and cenorship of words to become like President Bushe's teachings of only a few are allow to speak and write, which is a group without a vision. Shame Shame Shame
Mr. Glonslave words are a little early to judge the Prez and truly giving more credit to fomer President Bush where the Billions of AIDS monies for Global AIDS got spread all over many countries with very little tracking of where the money is going or if HIV people are even getting care from the money. Should the USA Fund all countries healthcare or is it time for other Government to start funding and support their own healthcare systems?
PEPFAR sadly didn’t address important issues BUT it prevented one million children and adults from sure death. Morale of Gregg’s message is we cant pitch AIDS against so called cheaper to treat killer diseases because often times people living with HIV or TB and communities affected by malaria are one and the same. Is it more important that my child’s diarrhea or malaria be treated than it is to prevent her from HIV infection? Remember AIDS provoked resources hitherto NEVER spent on health
Praising Dubya's funding for AIDS treatment in developing countries, you purposefully left out the sinister parts of his charity, like all the money for HAART drugs had to be purchased from Big Pharma in the United States at higher cost and the money that was wasted on moral values like abstinence instead of proper condom usage, while postponing funding for domestic HIV/AIDS services for political gain. You call that exceptional? Perhaps revisionist history is more your calling.
I was diagnosed in 1996. I have been on US health dept program for medications. I am undetectable and cd4 is 1350. I got a job working for the state dept that i lost mid year. However i made $46000. last year so they said new rules. even though you make $0 now you made too much money last year. This letter to inform you as of Dec 2 2009 you will be removed from the program. you can get script and buy them. Yeah like i have $2000 xtra a month. I just wont take and become infectious and date agin.
What Gregg seems to forget is that George W would only give money if you didn't discuss homosexuality, condoms,prstitution, or safe sex. If I remember correctly people that are gay, or sex workers, are at a high risk of HIV.Condoms help prevent the spread of HIV but to hear George and his henchmen tell it condoms have never been proven to stop the spread of AIDS and have a high failure rate.
(DrTeddy)Tewodros Teketel
However again we shouldn't be planning to rebuild the whole system, local resources,Task shifting , community involvement should be used. The risk of the new policy is if the funds are trying to cure every ail of the health systems, the diluted effects will have no significant change in the whole system recovery and catastrophic effect in HIV with loss of all the previous PEPFAR gains!( This happened when malaria control was integrated in many deveping c, I am a witness)
January 14, 2010 • San Francisco