---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: 4 Mar 2000 05:52:30 -0800
From: David Mozer <[log in to unmask]>
Reply-To: [log in to unmask]
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: [wa-afr-network] Fwd: ACTION: HIV/AIDS in Africa in legislation - WOA
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Date sent: Wed, 01 Mar 2000 15:17:49 -0500
From: Leon Spencer <[log in to unmask]>
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Organization: Washington Office on Africa
The Washington Office on Africa:
An Action Alert
March 2000
HIV/AIDS in Africa: On the agenda
There has been a deluge of bills introduced in the Congress dealing
in one way or another with HIV/AIDS in Africa. In one sense, that is
all to the good, for the figures remain stunning: Of the 2.6 million
AIDS-related deaths worldwide in 1999, some 85 percent were in
Africa. Each day AIDS buries another 5,500 African men, women
and children, a figure that is projected to reach 13,000 daily by
2005. By the end of this year, 10.4 million African children under
the age of 15 will be "AIDS orphans." Ten people in Africa are
infected by the virus every minute. In Zimbabwe fully 26 percent of
adults aged 15-49 are living with HIV/AIDS. (Compare that to 0.18
percent in the United States.). Ten percent of all new infections
worldwide occur in South Africa, the fastest growing of the AIDS
catastrophe. And while AIDS should not obscure the myriad of
public heath needs in Africa, AIDS deaths in Africa in 1998 were
nearly double the one million deaths from malaria and eight times
the number of deaths from tuberculosis.
So, it is encouraging that people in Congress - and elsewhere - are
beginning to talk about AIDS in Africa. The danger is that the array
of bills being introduced may permit Congress to make gestures
without sub-stance, especially in such a political year. Many of the
bills themselves have merit. Hearings have barely begun.
· Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA) was the first to introduce her AIDS
Marshall Plan Fund for Africa Act (HR 2765) last August, where it
was referred to the House International Relations Committee. Now
with 66 co-sponsors, the bill establishes a fund to provide grants to
African governments and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) for
research, prevention and treatment programs.
· Recently Rep. James Leach (R-IA) introduced World Bank AIDS
Prevention Trust Fund Act (HR 3519), which calls for negotiations to
create a trust fund to be administered by the International Bank for
Reconstruction and Development of the International Development
Association to combat AIDS. Sens. John Kerry (D-MA) and Richard
Durbin (D-IL) introduced a parallel bill (S 2033) to HR 3519.
· In February Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA), with four co-sponsors,
introduced the Global AIDS Preven-tion Act (S 2026) to urge that
foreign aid priority be given to HIV/AIDS prevention and care
among "poor people in developing countries", with 50 percent of
such funds directed to the pandemic in sub-Saharan Africa.
· Sen. Richard Durbin (D-IL) introduced the AIDS Orphans Relief
Act (S 2030) which, citing Africa fre-quently, authorizes
microfinance and food assistance for communities affected by
AIDS.
· Sen. Patrick Moynihan (D-NY), joined by Sen. Russell Feingold (D-
WI), introduced the Mother-to-Child HIV Prevention Act (S 2032),
which addresses the transmission issue in Africa, Asia and Latin
America.
It is too soon to tell what will happen with this array of bills. They
differ in specific intent and in structure, and an amalgam of some
sort may emerge. What we recommend, therefore, is not to direct
our energy to-ward advocacy for a specific bill at this early stage,
but instead to let our members of Congress know that we believe
priority should be given to concrete U.S. support in efforts to combat
AIDS, and that we will be expecting a substantive meas-ure to
emerge from this Congress (where - given the political campaign -
time is short).
We urge, then, that you write to your Senators and member of
Congress indicating that you consider the AIDS pandemic in Africa
deserves U.S. attention, that you are aware that various bills have
been presented, and that you look for substantive action in this
Congress toward creation of programs that are characterized by the
following: · Any effective and appropriate programs must strengthen
the ability of men and women to make their own choices that prevent
HIV transmission; · They should help to protect from discrimination
those who are infected; · They should provide assistance to those
who are infected to get treatment for opportunistic infections; · They
should provide pain alleviation to those who are infected; · They
should encourage compassionate care as those who are infected
die; and · They should serve to decrease the impact of those factors
that contribute to the spread and impact of the pandemic, by
improving economic status, decreasing gender inequality, assisting
in adaptations of culture and tradition that facilitate prevention and
care; and increasing access to health and nutrition services.
These are criteria that we believe can be brought to bear as the
legislative process moves forward. As the legislative picture
becomes (perhaps!) clearer, we will issue a further action alert
suggesting specific advo-cacy. For now, however, we think it
important for our members of Congress to know that we are con-
cerned about this issue and are paying attention to what is
happening in Congress on this issue.
You may write to Senators at the U.S. Senate, Washington, DC
20510, or call 202/224-3121; write to Mem-bers of Congress at the
U.S. House of Representatives, Washington, DC 20515, or call
202/225-3121.
Thank you for considering these actions.
------- End of forwarded message -------
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