Health GAP (Philadelphia)
30 July 2008
press release
After a year of negotiations, today President Bush signed into law a $48 billion bill that continues US programs aimed at addressing global AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria.
The bill, named after the late Congressmen Tom Lantos and Henry Hyde, passed both the House and Senate by overwhelming majorities.
Health GAP, with many allies, worked with numerous grassroots partners over the last 12 months in African countries and across the U.S. to help develop and support the passage of this landmark legislation,” said Paul Davis, Health GAP’s Director of US Government Affairs. “Many said it could not be done. However, there are still US policies that stand as serious barriers to AIDS prevention and sexual and reproductive health, and we will continue to challenge these harmful policies. But the passage of this bill is a huge step forward for people with AIDS worldwide.”
This landmark global health bill begins to address critical lessons of the past five years of global AIDS programs. Health GAP activists in particular applauded the bill’s new support for the efforts to correct the shortage of health workers that has frustrated efforts to scale up access to care and treatment. The bill calls for supporting poor countries’ efforts to achieve 2.3 doctors, nurses and midwives per thousand country residents, with direct support to train and retain 140,000 new health workers. The bill also places an emphasis on training and retention of new doctors and nurses.
“Millions of people living with or at risk for AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria can look forward to new hope and support thanks to the leadership and staff of Rep. Lantos and Berman, as well as Senators Biden and Lugar for pushing this bill through Congress, despite significant hurdles,” said Davis. “These leaders would not have been successful without the strong support they got from Representative Lee, Payne, and Waxman as well as Senators Reid, Feingold, Kennedy, Kerry and Coleman, Hagel, Specter, along with others. And at the 11th hour when things look grim, Senators McCain and Obama weighed in with others to ‘unstick’ the bill.”
The legislation also overturns the HIV travel and immigration ban that has been in place since 1992. The ban denied entry, either as a tourist, student or resident, to any non-US citizen living with HIV or AIDS. “This much-derided ban has no place in public policy, and only reinforces the stigma associated with HIV infection,” said Health GAP Board member Amanda Lugg of New York City. “Finally the US has joined almost every other nation in removing discriminatory barriers against the travel and immigration rights of people living with HIV.”
Just a few weeks ago, passage of the AIDS, TB and malaria bill seemed uncertain. Seven Senators led by Tom Coburn had placed a “hold” on the legislation, in spite of broad support ranging from President Bush to both presidential candidates. “Groups from across the political spectrum raised a ruckus in their respective way, and Senator Reid really stepped up and made it a priority to pass this legislation,” said Health GAP board member Jose DeMarco from Philadelphia.
Activists, while grateful for passage of the legislation, said that changes were still needed to make sure the programs are fully effective. “Lifesaving provisions on treatment, prevention and care were stripped from the bill as a result of compromises,” said Health GAP’s grassroots organizer Kaytee Riek. “This bill is a major step forward, but critical changes are still needed.” Activists detailed five major areas of concern with the legislation:
· Sex Worker “Loyalty Oath”: The bill does not address a current US policy that requires recipients of US foreign assistance funds to certify that they oppose prostitution. This "pledge" increases stigma for hard to reach populations and can lead to fewer sex workers having access to HIV prevention and treatment programs.
· Sexual and Reproductive Health: US policies that limit the ability of recipients to provide family planning services are harmful and must be overturned by a future Congress or President. The bill is silent on integration of family planning programs with AIDS programs. US policies create increased fragmentation on the ground and denying resources to organizations providing family planning services who must choose between providing sexual and reproductive health services and care for AIDS, TB and malaria. Effectively, US policy limits availability of services to sick patients.
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