Do Republicans in Congress need a stab in the face or a whach on the head with a 2x4?

[Pure]

for impeding efforts to prevent AIDS?

who's in charge of OGAC, Office of the U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator?***

from the US government accounting office:

http://www.gao.gov/docdblite/details.php?rptno=GAO-06-395

Global Health: Spending Requirement Presents Challenges for Allocating Prevention Funding under the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief

GAO-06-395 April 4, 2006 (87 pages)**


The U.S. Leadership Against HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria Act of 2003 authorizes the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) and promotes the ABC model (Abstain, Be faithful, or use Condoms). It recommends that 20 percent of funds appropriated pursuant to the act be spent on prevention and requires that, starting in fiscal year 2006, 33 percent of prevention funds appropriated pursuant to the act be spent on abstinence-until-marriage.

The Office of the U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator (OGAC) is responsible for administering PEPFAR. GAO reviewed PEPFAR prevention funds, described PEPFAR's strategy to prevent sexual HIV transmission, and examined related challenges.


[for the fiscal years 2004-2006]
the abstinence-until-marriage spending requirement, including OGAC's policies for implementing it, have presented challenges for country teams. First, although most teams found the ABC guidance generally clear, two-thirds reported that ambiguities in some parts of the guidance led to uncertainty about implementing the model. OGAC officials told GAO that they plan to clarify the guidance.

Second, although several teams told GAO that they value the ABC model and emphasize AB messages for certain populations, teams also reported that the spending requirement can limit their efforts to design prevention programs that are integrated and responsive to local prevention needs.

Seventeen of 20 country teams reported that fulfilling the spending requirement, including OGAC's policies implementing it, presents challenges to their ability to respond to local prevention needs. Ten of these teams (primarily those with smaller PEPFAR budgets) received exemptions from the requirement, allowing them to dedicate less than 33 percent of prevention funds to AB activities.

In general, the nonexempted teams were effectively required to spend more than 33 percent of prevention funds on AB activities; as a result, OGAC should just meet the overall 33 percent spending requirement for fiscal year 2006. However, to meet the requirement, nonexempted country teams have, in some cases, reduced or cut funding for certain prevention programs, such as programs to deliver comprehensive ABC messages to populations at risk of contracting HIV.
---

What GAO Recommends:

GAO recommends that the Secretary of State direct the Global AIDS
Coordinator to collect and report information on the abstinence-until-marriage spending requirement’s effects and use it to assess whether the requirement should apply only to the Global HIV/AIDS Initiative account. GAO also suggests that Congress use the information to assess how well the requirement supports the Leadership Act’s endorsement of both the ABC model and strong abstinence programs.

[Office of the U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator] OGAC agreed regarding collecting information but disagreed with applying the requirement only to certain funds. We modified our recommendation in light of this concern.
==

**doc is at
http://www.gao.gov/htext/d06395.html

----

***The U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator is appointed by President Bush and confirmed by the Senate to coordinate and oversee the U.S. global response to HIV/AIDS.

Dr. Mark Dybul is the Acting U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator. Reporting directly to the Secretary of State--

website
http://www.state.gov/s/gac/about/




pdf version:
http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d06395.pdf

 

[Liar]

The U.S. Leadership Against HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria Act of 2003 authorizes the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) and promotes the ABC model (Abstain, Be faithful, or use Condoms). It recommends that 20 percent of funds appropriated pursuant to the act be spent on prevention and requires that, starting in fiscal year 2006, 33 percent of prevention funds appropriated pursuant to the act be spent on abstinence-until-marriage.

How is that done? "Don't screw around, kids. Got it? Ok then, off you go."

 

[dr_mabeuse]

If Bush had been in power during the Black Plague, his policy probably would have been "Just don't breathe."

 

[neonlyte]

How is that done? "Don't screw around, kids. Got it? Ok then, off you go."

And share this condom between you...

 

[Pure]

here's a link to some of the uganda stories:

"US Denies Pressuring Uganda to Change AIDS Policy," by Joe de Capua - VOA, 30 Aug 2005

...Dr. Mark Dybul, Deputy US Global AIDS Coordinator, denies the United States is exerting any pressure on Uganda to change its AIDS prevention approach. He says, "Nothing could be more absurd."
Dr. Dybul says the Bush Administration supports Uganda’s ABC prevention system.


"Fifteen years ago, long before it became fashionable for international organizations to pop into Uganda for a couple of days and tell them how to run their country, the Ugandans developed what’s known as ABC – abstain, be faithful and, if you can’t do either, correct and consistent use of condoms. This approach has been remarkably successful by all documentation," he says.

He says it’s true the Bush Administration is now stressing A & B – abstinence and being faithful - because an overemphasis has been placed on C, condom use, in some areas. Dr. Dybul says that’s to ensure there’s a balanced ABC approach in the country.

"In concentrated epidemics, where the infection is concentrated among prostitutes, drug users, truckers, condom-only approaches tend to work fairly well because you have a concentrated group of people. In a generalized epidemic, which is what we see in Uganda, throughout all of Africa, where the infection is already in the general community, only an ABC approach works. Condoms-only is a failed, failed approach," he says....

===
I wonder if Dr. Dybul can sleep at night? Does he believe this crap about 'balanced approach.'?