[procaare] TIME SENSITIVE: Int'l Call to End Restrictions under PEPFAR

["Jodi Jacobson" <jjacobson@genderhealth.org>]

TIME SENSITIVE: Int'l Call to End Restrictions under PEPFAR
- Jodi Jacobson
************

PEPFAR Watch  <http://www.pepfarwatch.org> 

Dear Friends,

We are seeking the support of international NGOs to ensure that U.S. global
HIV prevention funding and programs promote the basic health and human
rights of all individuals through evidence-based, comprehensive approaches
to HIV prevention. Prevention programs must address the root causes of
vulnerability to HIV infection, reduce stigma and discrimination, and
simultaneously ensure that all individuals at risk of HIV infection have
complete access to the skills-training, information, and methods (including
male and female condoms) necessary to practice safer sex.

In short, we are requesting that you sign on to the international
<http://www.pepfarwatch.org/pubs/IntlSignOnStatement.doc> statement of
support (also pasted below) for U.S. legislation that seeks to rescind the
abstinence-until-marriage earmark in the original legislation authorizing
PEPFAR and ensure a comprehensive approach to HIV prevention. If at all
possible, we request that you reply by 5:00 pm Tuesday, September 5, so that
we can present your endorsement to members of Congress at an important
Congressional hearing on Wednesday, September 6. We will continue to collect
signatures after September 5. We welcome both organizational and individual
signatories.

Background:
As many of you already know, on June 22, 2006, Congresswoman Barbara Lee and
56 original co-sponsors in the United States Congress introduced the PATHWAY
(Protection Against Transmission of HIV for Women and Youth) Act. This bill
has received considerable support in Congress and around the U.S.; there are
now 73 members of Congress that have co-sponsored the bill and 78 U.S.
national, local, and community endorsers.

Building on momentum from the Toronto International AIDS Conference and the
overwhelming call for an end to the abstinence-until-marriage spending
requirement in U.S. international HIV prevention programs, we want to add
your voice to a list of international organizations supporting the PATHWAY
Act. The PATHWAY Act eliminates the mandate requiring a minimum of one-third
of U.S. HIV prevention funds be spent on abstinence-until-marriage programs,
to ensure that funds can be used to support the most effective strategies to
prevent the greatest number of HIV infections among populations at risk.

Please email your name, organization, country and contact information (and
indicate whether organizational or individual signature!) to Healy Thompson,
<mailto:outreach@genderhealth.org> outreach@genderhealth.org, if possible by
Tuesday, September 5, 2006, evening Eastern Standard Time, U.S.
Organizations will be listed for individuals for identification purposes
only.

You can find more information about the PATHWAY Act on our Legislation
<http://www.pepfarwatch.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=17&Ite
mid=31> page of www.PEPFARWatch.org <http://www.pepfarwatch.org/> ,
including PATHWAY
<http://www.pepfarwatch.org/pubs/OverviewPATHWAYAct6-21-06.pdf> Act summary
(pdf) and lists of  <http://www.pepfarwatch.org/pubs/endorsingorgs.doc> U.S.
endorsers (doc) and
<http://www.pepfarwatch.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=17&Ite
mid=31> U.S. Congressional co-sponsors. 

We appreciate your support.

Best,

Jodi Jacobson
Center for Health and Gender Equity

Naina Dhingra
Advocates for Youth

-----

Links:

International Endorsing Statement (also pasted below):
http://www.pepfarwatch.org/pubs/IntlSignOnStatement.doc
PATHWAY Legislation Webpage:
http://www.pepfarwatch.org/index.php?option=com_content
<http://www.pepfarwatch.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=17&Ite
mid=31> &task=view&id=17&Itemid=31
PATHWAY Act Summary:
http://www.pepfarwatch.org/pubs/OverviewPATHWAYAct6-21-06.pdf
U.S. Endorsers: http://www.pepfarwatch.org/pubs/endorsingorgs.doc
U.S. Congressional Co-sponsors:
http://www.pepfarwatch.org/index.php?option=com_content
<http://www.pepfarwatch.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=17&Ite
mid=31> &task=view&id=17&Itemid=31


---------

International Statement of Support for the PATHWAY Act of 2006, September
2006

The undersigned organizations represent a diverse array of regional,
national, community- and faith-based organizations and individuals from
around the world working to end the HIV/AIDS pandemic. We are united in our
commitment to ending the spread of HIV and the suffering caused by
AIDS-related illnesses through policies and programs that simultaneously
promote basic individual human rights and public health. We are further
committed to comprehensive, evidence- and rights-based HIV prevention
programs that simultaneously address the root causes of vulnerability to HIV
infection, such as gender-based violence, stigma and discrimination, and
offer comprehensive interventions that ensure that all individuals at
immediate or potential risk-women, men, adolescents and young adults-have
access to the information, skills-training, and methods-including male and
female condoms-needed to practice safer sex.

We therefore strongly support the Protection Against the Transmission of HIV
for Women and Youth Act of 2006 (PATHWAY Act) introduced to the U.S.
Congress in June 2006 by U.S. Congresswoman Barbara Lee and 56 original
co-sponsors. We support the PATHWAY Act's efforts to establish a
comprehensive HIV prevention strategy to address the vulnerabilities of
women and girls for each country for which the United States provides
assistance to combat HIV/AIDS. We also support eliminating the mandate
requiring a minimum of one-third of prevention funds be spent on
abstinence-until-marriage programs, ensuring that funds can be used to
support the most effective strategies to prevent the greatest number of HIV
infections among individuals at risk.

We applaud the generosity and leadership taken by the United States in
allocating $15 billion towards HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment and care
through the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). We are,
however, profoundly concerned about the devastating implications for the
spread of HIV infection in our countries of restrictions levied on
prevention funding under PEPFAR. These restrictions undermine basic public
health and human rights principles and local decision-making power and
autonomy in crafting HIV prevention strategies that respond to local needs
by dictating solutions to local problems from afar. The implications are
clear: new data already suggest an upturn in HIV infections in Uganda, a
country in which U.S. restrictions and U.S. funding have had the greatest
influence to date. The reversal of previous gains cannot be condoned.

We believe passage of the PATHWAY Act is a critical first step in correcting
misguided prevention policies being imposed on our countries by the United
States in exchange for funding of prevention activities. 

Signatures:

Organizations listed for individuals are for identification purposes only.

[List in formation]

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