Keynote: Transformational Diplomacy and U.S. Foreign Assistance
Ambassador Randall L. Tobias, Director of U.S. Foreign Assistance and Administrator, U.S. Agency for International Development
Foreign assistance has obtained its highest profile ever and now is a mainstream strategy and commitment of the US government. The amount of US foreign assistance has tripled since 2001 to 27.5 billion dollars. Secretary Rice has proposed reforming foreign assistance to provide stronger incentives to host countries that will ensure a greater potential in the development of these nations. In doing so, a strategic frameworks is needed that will respond to the needs of its people in these host countries. Nations cannot progress without peace, stability, a just government, human capacity, and economic growth. To strengthen the effectiveness of foreign assistance, countries can be categorized based on shared characteristics and placed on the same path to recovery and stability. US government agencies need join together and integrate foreign assistance planning into the US development program. There is an essential need for these agencies to speak with one voice and align their efforts, so as to increase the responsiveness and effectiveness from government and non-government agencies.
HIV/AIDS: 25 Years Later
Speaker: Dr. Mark Dybul, Acting U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator, U.S. Department of State
HIV/AIDS: 25 Years Later
Speaker: Dr. Mark Dybul, Acting U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator, U.S. Department of State
2006 marks the 25th year of the discovery of AIDS identification, which has killed twenty-five million people. In 2003, Bush began PEPFAR, the President’s Emergency Plan for Aids Relief. Fifteen billion dollars have gone into this program to combat AIDS in 120 countries over a period of five years. The goals of the plan are to support two million HIV infected people, support care for ten million including orphans and children, and support the prevention of seven million new infections. PEPFAR is working towards seeking an AIDS free generation that is being instigated by the research of global vaccinations.
PEPFAR encourages the involvement of local organizations in developing and sustaining programs, in doing so it holds a culture of accountability in the world. Community participation creates higher result rates that targets specific issues and allows for an independent response based on cultural norms and lifestyles. The programs implemented are encouraged to be evidence based ones; for instance the ABC program is a preventative program encouraging behavior change (abstinence, be faithful, condom usage). The focus of these programs is some combination of prevention, care, and treatment.
The New Partner Initiative
Patrick Purtill, Director, New Partner Initiative, Office of the U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator, U.S. Department of State
The New Partner Initiative, a program targeting NGO’s, is designed to increase the amount of action towards the AIDS epidemic. Its goal is to increase the emergency plan’s ability to reach people with needed services and to build capacity in host nations. The objectives for NGO’s developing programs are prevention, testing, care of orphans and children, and those with AIDS and HIV. To apply for the program, go to pepfarmpi.gov.
Challenges Ahead in the HIV and AIDS Epidemic
Dr. Tim Flanigan, ACVFA Member and Chief, Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Brown University
In dealing with the AIDS epidemic, there is a need for synergy between treatment and prevention. Treating HIV at its onset is the backbone of prevention for AIDS. A future goal in dealing with AIDS to incorporate families into prevention and intervention as well as linking AIDS care to TB care, a co-occurring epidemic. New programs being developed to combat AIDS include couples testing, routine testing, and community based testing using rapid-oral-testing.
Impact on Development and Lessons Learned from PEPFAR Grantees
Panelists: Emily Chambers (Youth HIV/AIDS Programs Manager, Samaritan’s Purse), Steve Moseley (ACVFA Member, and President and CEO, Academy for Educational Development), William Reese (ACVFA Member, and President and CEO, International Youth Foundation)
Emily Chambers, who works with youth across Africa, discussed the need for community ownership of programs that could reach out to their members more effectively than foreign programs that perhaps wouldn’t understand local customs as well. The stigma of the disease could fade by discussions within community and awareness. She developed programs that taught youth about healthy choices and created a sense of normalcy in getting tested as a preventative measure against AIDS. The program decreases the stigma associated with HIV/AIDS.
Steve Moseley’s approach to the AIDS epidemic has also been to focus on communities and the support that lies within. He seeks to mobilize effective communities, increase support for programs in local schools, and implement voluntary testing programs. William Reese’s approach to HIV/AIDS is through the prevention of the spread of AIDS. He works through schools to change the behavior of youth and to promote life skills among those infected. He sees basic ignorance about the disease as a main factor in the spread of the disease and seeks to combat this by educational programs abroad.
PEPFAR encourages the involvement of local organizations in developing and sustaining programs, in doing so it holds a culture of accountability in the world. Community participation creates higher result rates that targets specific issues and allows for an independent response based on cultural norms and lifestyles. The programs implemented are encouraged to be evidence based ones; for instance the ABC program is a preventative program encouraging behavior change (abstinence, be faithful, condom usage). The focus of these programs is some combination of prevention, care, and treatment.
The New Partner Initiative
Patrick Purtill, Director, New Partner Initiative, Office of the U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator, U.S. Department of State
The New Partner Initiative, a program targeting NGO’s, is designed to increase the amount of action towards the AIDS epidemic. Its goal is to increase the emergency plan’s ability to reach people with needed services and to build capacity in host nations. The objectives for NGO’s developing programs are prevention, testing, care of orphans and children, and those with AIDS and HIV. To apply for the program, go to pepfarmpi.gov.
Challenges Ahead in the HIV and AIDS Epidemic
Dr. Tim Flanigan, ACVFA Member and Chief, Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Brown University
In dealing with the AIDS epidemic, there is a need for synergy between treatment and prevention. Treating HIV at its onset is the backbone of prevention for AIDS. A future goal in dealing with AIDS to incorporate families into prevention and intervention as well as linking AIDS care to TB care, a co-occurring epidemic. New programs being developed to combat AIDS include couples testing, routine testing, and community based testing using rapid-oral-testing.
Impact on Development and Lessons Learned from PEPFAR Grantees
Panelists: Emily Chambers (Youth HIV/AIDS Programs Manager, Samaritan’s Purse), Steve Moseley (ACVFA Member, and President and CEO, Academy for Educational Development), William Reese (ACVFA Member, and President and CEO, International Youth Foundation)
Emily Chambers, who works with youth across Africa, discussed the need for community ownership of programs that could reach out to their members more effectively than foreign programs that perhaps wouldn’t understand local customs as well. The stigma of the disease could fade by discussions within community and awareness. She developed programs that taught youth about healthy choices and created a sense of normalcy in getting tested as a preventative measure against AIDS. The program decreases the stigma associated with HIV/AIDS.
Steve Moseley’s approach to the AIDS epidemic has also been to focus on communities and the support that lies within. He seeks to mobilize effective communities, increase support for programs in local schools, and implement voluntary testing programs. William Reese’s approach to HIV/AIDS is through the prevention of the spread of AIDS. He works through schools to change the behavior of youth and to promote life skills among those infected. He sees basic ignorance about the disease as a main factor in the spread of the disease and seeks to combat this by educational programs abroad.
by Rebecca Bonardi
No comments:
Post a Comment