ATLANTA, United States (November 26, 2007) - As U.S.
lawmakers begin debate over reauthorization of the U.S. President's
Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), a new CARE policy brief offers
specific, field-based insights into what works best in the fight
against global AIDS. CARE draws practical, ground-tested lessons about
how extreme poverty and disempowerment increase the risk of HIV and
AIDS for millions of vulnerable people in poor countries.
PEPFAR and the Fight against Global AIDS: Strategies for Greater Impact and Sustainability
recommends changes in US policy and legislation and states
unequivocally the need for empowering women in order to turn the tide.
The policy brief, released to mark World AIDS Day, is available at www.care.org.
"Let's be clear about what it will take to reach a turning point in
the fight against AIDS. Given the environment in which the disease
flourishes, more strategic interventions are essential to attack the
underlying, long-term drivers of the pandemic," the policy brief
states. CARE argues that effective AIDS programs must comprehensively
tackle persistent issues such as poverty, gender inequity and food
security because they increase people's vulnerability to HIV and AIDS.
With Sub-Saharan Africa at the epicenter of the pandemic, the policy
brief concentrates on issues particularly critical to ending the
scourge of AIDS in Africa. "The vulnerability of women and girls
requires special focus. In Sub-Saharan Africa, young woman are, on
average, three times more likely to be HIV-positive than young men and
face a disproportionate burden in dealing with its aftermath. No amount
of resources can reverse the pandemic unless gender inequality is
meaningfully confronted," the policy brief says.
CARE President and CEO Dr. Helene Gayle delivered this message in
congressional testimony before the U.S. House Committee on Foreign
Affairs recently as the committee considered priorities for PEPFAR
reauthorization.
In Dr. Gayle's testimony, she called for HIV and AIDS to be
addressed within a development framework. "Otherwise, our investments
may effectively address the consequences of HIV and AIDS in the
short-term, while making little headway in attacking the underlying
drivers of the pandemic over the long-term. This is a marathon, not a
sprint: we need a coherent, sustainable strategy for the hard work.
To schedule an interview with Dr. Gayle or for more information about the policy brief, please contact Alina Labrada (labrada@care.org; 404-979-9383) or Lurma Rackley (lrackley@care.org; 404-979-9450).
