This way please
Please do take some time to read this excellent article on the President’s Emergency Plan for Aids Relief (PEPFAR). Pepfar is the largest single fund available for international HIV initiatives, and it is also notorious for its hamfisted and blinkered approach to HIV prevention.
The baby of a President hero-worshiped by America’s Christian right, it focuses on abstinence and fidelity, and vilifies sex-workers – restrictions that demonstrate a horrifying lack of understanding of the complex social, cultural and environmental conditions that contribute to the spread of HIV in countries across the world.
This article clearly and concisely outlines some of the flaws in Pepfar, and highlights not only how damaging some of its policies are proving to be, but also that it is administratively inept, and corrupt.
Everyone should know about this.
December 5th, 2006 at 6:57 pm
Thanks for the reference to this article. It’s unfortunate, but perhaps inevitable, that ideology comes into play when democratic governments undertake such efforts. Dr. Zeitz’s comment that we have all sorts of wonderful technologies is off point, though. Those technologies don’t eliminate ignorance, corruption, or irresponsible behavior in PEPFAR nor in the “focus” countries. Availabillity of condoms, clean needles, and anti-retrovirals is important but not sufficient to overcome ignorance, ideology or social norms at either end.
December 7th, 2006 at 8:21 am
Precisely, which is why people need to find their own, appropriate, ways of tackling the problem, rather than having their approach dictated to them by people who haven’t got a fucking clue about their lives.
December 7th, 2006 at 10:07 pm
But if no one had sex then aids would not spread.
December 8th, 2006 at 8:18 am
Joe, I hate to assume anything, but you are joking I take it?