Preserving the Winning Formula on Global AIDS

Dr. Coburn Stands for Life-saving Priorities for PEPFAR Reauthorization

• Treating those sick and dying of AIDS,
• Preventing new HIV infections, and
• Guaranteeing measurable results and standards.

• Watch a mini-video about life-saving treatment in U.S. global AIDS programs. 
• Watch the trailer to a moving PEPFAR documentary created in collaboration with the PEPFAR program.
• PEPFAR Website
• President’s State of the Union announcement of the new PEPFAR program.

• Eliminates the requirement for providing life-saving treatment.
• Triples the funding, but only increases the treatment target by 50%.
• Diverts funding from the poorest and neediest countries to richer countries with space exploration and nuclear programs, including Russia, China, and India;
• Expands the scope of the bill from HIV/AIDS treatment, prevention and care to include every poverty and development program under the sun, such as: agriculture, schools, legal aid, gender empowerment, lobbying, microfinance, sanitation, and community food aid (as opposed to just critical nutritional support for patients on anti-HIV medications)
• Doubles the U.S. contribution to the U.N. affiliated Global Fund to Fight HIV/AIDS, TB, and Malaria despite the Fund’s drug quality problems, administrative corruption, and ability to bypass U.S. laws and policies on abortion, needle exchange, and prostitution/trafficking.

 

Senators Coburn, Demint, Burr, Vitter, Chambliss, Bunning and Sessions wrote Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, asking him to protect their rights to object to movement of the House or Senate global AIDS reauthorization bill, which turns the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) from a succesful, $15 billion program to care and treat people with AIDS in the poorest countries into a $50 global development slush fund. 

Click here to read the letter.

The latest WebMemo from the Heritage Foundation on global AIDS legislation.

• 80% of people with HIV/AIDS in developing countries are unaware of their condition, and only 10% of those affected receive treatment.
• Mother-to-child HIV transmission – a largely preventable tragedy with proper medication– is still causing thousands of babies to be born with an AIDS death sentence. 
• Treatment IS prevention: the availability of treatment is the number one predictor of people’s willingness to be tested for HIV/AIDS. Diagnostic testing is the major predictor for prevention-related behavior change. 

 Africans agree... and Dr. Coburn and his colleagues support them...

•  Treatment Cost Analysis
• Treatment cost for private organizations in various settings are all lower than U.S. government costs in the same settings.
• UNAIDS prices 1st line drugs at $500.  

• 63% of AIDS funding in the U.S. goes to treatment.
• Ryan White reauthorization bill focuses on early intervention and treatment for U.S. AIDS patients. 
• Information about Dr. Coburn’s leadership on Ryan White CARE Act.
• Other steps taken by Dr. Coburn to fight HIV/AIDS: HIV/AIDS Issue Page

• Recent study shows that treatment with ARVs significantly reduces the spread of HIV.
• WHO ARV Access Statistics
• Treatment/medication is needed to prevent the spread of AIDS in women who are marginalized by the focus on condoms, says top UNAIDS official and advocates.
• Diagnostic testing is a key predictor for prevention-related behavior change
• Couples don’t use condoms unless they’ve been tested. 

• YES!  Baby-AIDS can be almost eliminated through proper medical care.
• Only 25% of pregnant women with HIV are receiving the necessary preventative MTCT treatment, according to UNAIDS Report.
• Babies can almost always be saved from an AIDS death sentence with proper medical care for them and their moms.  (Articles 1  ... 2 ... 3)  

• No!  Delayed sexual debut and partner reduction are the most successful behavior changes for preventing HIV transmission.
• USAID Global Health expert (10 HIV Prevention Myths) cites partner-limitation as essential for HIV/AIDS prevention.
• Harvard Researcher Daniel Helperin: The ABC approach to HIV Prevention: Abstaining, Being Faithful, Condom Use. (PowerPoint overview of the ABC Study)
• Community initiated ABC (emphasis on AB) approach drastically reduced AIDS in Uganda.
• USAID report on ABC cites partner-reduction as most important factor.
• USAID study results.
• Expert AIDS researchers place partner reduction and sexual debut delay as primary factors in HIV prevention.
• Condom use linked to higher HIV prevalence.
• Uganda's AIDS Commission believes that the increase in HIV/AIDS is a result of the phasing out of reduction/fidelity focused campaigns that were so successful in the 1980s.

Major Findings:

Impact on Taxpayers:

These Findings Demand a Response:

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