* This post is co-authored by Caesar Cheelo, Lecturer in the Economics Department at the University of Zambia and Principal Investigator for the HIV/AIDS Monitor Project.
Last week Laura Bush and daughter Jenna Bush stopped in Lusaka as part of their whirlwind four nation tour through Africa to highlight PEPFAR's programs and its achievements in Senegal, Mozambique, Zambia and Mali. The visit of a First Lady of the US to a country in the developing world, cleverly coined as FLOTUS in a related SAIS blog, does two things: 1) it throws the country in to a frantic and often wasteful scramble - whitewashing walls, scrubbing floors and children, rehearsing shows and painting banners - to present the shiniest version of a program on the day of the visit; and 2) it allows the US to loudly...
* This post is co-authored by Caesar Cheelo, Lecturer in the Economics Department at the University of Zambia and Principal Investigator for the HIV/AIDS Monitor Project.
Last week Laura Bush and daughter Jenna Bush stopped in Lusaka as part of their whirlwind four nation tour through Africa to highlight PEPFAR's programs and its achievements in Senegal, Mozambique, Zambia and Mali. The visit of a First Lady of the US to a country in the developing world, cleverly coined as FLOTUS in a related SAIS blog, does two things: 1) it throws the country in to a frantic and often wasteful scramble - whitewashing walls, scrubbing floors and children, rehearsing shows and painting banners - to present the shiniest version of a program on the day of the visit; and 2) it allows the US to loudly...
* This post is co-authored by Caesar Cheelo, Lecturer in the Economics Department at the University of Zambia and Principal Investigator for the HIV/AIDS Monitor Project.
Last week Laura Bush and daughter Jenna Bush stopped in Lusaka as part of their whirlwind four nation tour through Africa to highlight PEPFAR's programs and its achievements in Senegal, Mozambique, Zambia and Mali. The visit of a First Lady of the US to a country in the developing world, cleverly coined as FLOTUS in a related SAIS blog, does two things: 1) it throws the country in to a frantic and often wasteful scramble - whitewashing walls, scrubbing floors and children, rehearsing shows and painting banners - to present the shiniest version of a program on the day of the visit; and 2) it allows the US to loudly...
Last week's Onion analyzed the breakdown of President Bush's request to double PEPFAR funding to $30 billion:$10 billion: Programs to get people off AIDS and back to work
$30 million: Equipping future Black Hawks with crates of pamphlets and condoms, so next time won't be a total loss
$1.5 billion: Installing particularly vicious anti-AIDS dictator in Uganda
$17 million: Global campaign to promote dry humping
$1,137.62: AIDS-vaccine research
$8.2 billion: Guns to shoot AIDS with
$15 billion: Faith-based initiatives
$.41: Strongly worded letter to AIDS
$14.80: Nameplate for AIDS czarUnfortunately, the satirical newspaper actually overestimated the amount of PEPFAR funds that would go towards an AIDS vaccine. The current grand total? $0. In fact, a recent recommendation from the outgoing...
Last week's Onion analyzed the breakdown of President Bush's request to double PEPFAR funding to $30 billion:$10 billion: Programs to get people off AIDS and back to work
$30 million: Equipping future Black Hawks with crates of pamphlets and condoms, so next time won't be a total loss
$1.5 billion: Installing particularly vicious anti-AIDS dictator in Uganda
$17 million: Global campaign to promote dry humping
$1,137.62: AIDS-vaccine research
$8.2 billion: Guns to shoot AIDS with
$15 billion: Faith-based initiatives
$.41: Strongly worded letter to AIDS
$14.80: Nameplate for AIDS czarUnfortunately, the satirical newspaper actually overestimated the amount of PEPFAR funds that would go towards an AIDS vaccine. The current grand total? $0. In fact, a recent recommendation from the outgoing...
In anticipation of the G8 summit and its focus on commitments to international development in Germany next week, President Bush called on Congress a short while ago to double the funding for PEPFAR from 15 to 30 billion dollars when the current plan expires in 2008. The plan for PEPFAR 2, as described in a White House press release is a "continuation and expansion" of the initial PEPFAR program:
Continuation - HIV/AIDS treatment, prevention and care are life-long needs, and the American people will continue to support those served during PEPFAR's first 5 years.
Expansion - PEPFAR will further expand efforts to strengthen health systems, and to leverage programs that address malaria, tuberculosis, child and maternal health, clean water, food and nutrition, education and other needs....
In anticipation of the G8 summit and its focus on commitments to international development in Germany next week, President Bush called on Congress a short while ago to double the funding for PEPFAR from 15 to 30 billion dollars when the current plan expires in 2008. The plan for PEPFAR 2, as described in a White House press release is a "continuation and expansion" of the initial PEPFAR program:
Continuation - HIV/AIDS treatment, prevention and care are life-long needs, and the American people will continue to support those served during PEPFAR's first 5 years.
Expansion - PEPFAR will further expand efforts to strengthen health systems, and to leverage programs that address malaria, tuberculosis, child and maternal health, clean water, food and nutrition, education and other needs. The...
*This post is co-authored by Michael Bernstein
With a contribution to date of almost $13 billion, PEPFAR is the largest foreign aid program ever dedicated to a particular disease. Impressive results are documented regularly on PEPFAR's website detailing partners supported, numbers of people treated, cared for and infections prevented to name a few accomplishments of this mammoth and unparalleled program. These results alone don't tell us whether the program is doing its best or could do better to stop the epidemic. While it may be too early to estimate the impact of PEPFAR, a short-term evaluation could certainly tell us if the program is heading in the right direction. So how is PEPFAR doing?That is the question that the Institute of Medicine (IOM) has tried to address in its long...
It is a rare moment when researchers, policymakers, and implementers are in the same room talking about the same thing. But this is happening next week at the IOM workshop on Design Considerations for Evaluating the Impact of PEPFAR. Held Monday, April 30 and Tuesday, May 1 at the National Academies in downtown Washington, this public meeting is being convened to discuss methodological, policy and practical design considerations for the future evaluation of the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief.Following on the coattails of the release of the first IOM Evaluation of PEPFAR, this workshop will be an opportunity to look ahead at how the next stage of the program can answer some of the questions that remain from the first evaluation - questions around adherence to medication...
*This post is co-authored by Michael Bernstein
With a contribution to date of almost $13 billion, PEPFAR is the largest foreign aid program ever dedicated to a particular disease. Impressive results are documented regularly on PEPFAR's website detailing partners supported, numbers of people treated, cared for and infections prevented to name a few accomplishments of this mammoth and unparalleled program. These results alone don't tell us whether the program is doing its best or could do better to stop the epidemic. While it may be too early to estimate the impact of PEPFAR, a short-term evaluation could certainly tell us if the program is heading in the right direction. So how is PEPFAR doing?That is the question that the Institute of Medicine (IOM) has tried to address in its long...
It is a rare moment when researchers, policymakers, and implementers are in the same room talking about the same thing. But this is happening next week at the IOM workshop on Design Considerations for Evaluating the Impact of PEPFAR. Held Monday, April 30 and Tuesday, May 1 at the National Academies in downtown Washington, this public meeting is being convened to discuss methodological, policy and practical design considerations for the future evaluation of the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief.Following on the coattails of the release of the first IOM Evaluation of PEPFAR, this workshop will be an opportunity to look ahead at how the next stage of the program can answer some of the questions that remain from the first evaluation - questions around adherence to medication...
*This post is co-authored by Michael Bernstein
On February 14th, the Senate voted 81-15 to approve a $463.5 billion spending resolution for FY07 that includes a $1.3 billion increase for international HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis programs (see my earlier post for the backstory). This resolution would bring the total for the PEPFAR to $4.5 billion. The Washington Post reports that the bill now goes to President Bush and it is likely that he will sign it. We look forward to seeing whether the increase in US foreign assistance for HIV/AIDS for FY07 will offset the delays in disbursing funding and how this may or may not affect PEPFAR focus countries, in particular. The HIV/AIDS Monitor's country-based research partners in Ethiopia, Mozambique, Uganda and Zambia are examining some of the...
*This post is co-authored by Michael Bernstein
On February 14th, the Senate voted 81-15 to approve a $463.5 billion spending resolution for FY07 that includes a $1.3 billion increase for international HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis programs (see my earlier post for the backstory). This resolution would bring the total for the PEPFAR to $4.5 billion. The Washington Post reports that the bill now goes to President Bush and it is likely that he will sign it. We look forward to seeing whether the increase in US foreign assistance for HIV/AIDS for FY07 will offset the delays in disbursing funding and how this may or may not affect PEPFAR focus countries, in particular. The HIV/AIDS Monitor's country-based research partners in Ethiopia, Mozambique, Uganda and Zambia are examining some of the...
According to the Washington Post, a Baptist-affiliated treatment center in South Africa has started a program for traditional "witch doctors" known as "sangomas." The program is designed to spread HIV awareness messages through traditional medicine in the community - 80% of which consult sangomas according to WHO.A lofty goal, indeed. The program, however is contingent on the sangomas agreeing to study the Gospel of John twice a week before receiving lessons in human anatomy, symptoms of HIV infection and the function of antiretrovirals and other modern medicines.According to the Post, Nobuntu Matholeni, a chaplain at the center, brushed aside criticism. "They came to us knowing very well what we stand for and knowing that this is God's thing," Matholeni said.Living Hope is funded heavily...
What do you observe about mobile phones when you travel in Africa and Asia? It's not just that everybody is on their mobile phone; they are on their mobile phones all the time, messaging their way through their day. Capitalizing on this fast-spreading communication technology in the developing world, PEPFAR's latest foray into a private-public partnership to move information up and down the health service delivery chain is commendable. With the announcement at the 3GSM Congress on mobile communications in Barcelona this week, we learn that:The "Phones-for-Health" project will use software loaded on to a standard Motorola handset to allow care workers in the field to enter critical health information into a central database in real time. It will be transmitted using a standard GPRS mobile...
What do you observe about mobile phones when you travel in Africa and Asia? It's not just that everybody is on their mobile phone; they are on their mobile phones all the time, messaging their way through their day. Capitalizing on this fast-spreading communication technology in the developing world, PEPFAR's latest foray into a private-public partnership to move information up and down the health service delivery chain is commendable. With the announcement at the 3GSM Congress on mobile communications in Barcelona this week, we learn that:The "Phones-for-Health" project will use software loaded on to a standard Motorola handset to allow care workers in the field to enter critical health information into a central database in real time. It will be transmitted using a standard GPRS mobile...
How often do you get more money than you ask for? Not that often and probably less so when it has to do with helping poor countries to improve their citizens' health. In a surprising but welcome move on January 29th, the House Appropriations Committee filed their joint continuing resolution for FY 2007 to complete the unfinished federal funding bills for the current fiscal year 07. While most programs were funded at FY06 levels a few "High Priority Needs" were selected for increased investments. For Global Health, one such high priority need, most of the increase is directed at HIV/AIDS and malaria, while funding for other accounts such as child survival, maternal health and family planning will stay at their FY 2006 levels and some areas such as Avian Flu remain entirely unfunded....
How often do you get more money than you ask for? Not that often and probably less so when it has to do with helping poor countries to improve their citizens' health. In a surprising but welcome move on January 29th, the House Appropriations Committee filed their joint continuing resolution for FY 2007 to complete the unfinished federal funding bills for the current fiscal year 07. While most programs were funded at FY06 levels a few "High Priority Needs" were selected for increased investments. For Global Health, one such high priority need, most of the increase is directed at HIV/AIDS and malaria, while funding for other accounts such as child survival, maternal health and family planning will stay at their FY 2006 levels and some areas such as Avian Flu remain entirely unfunded....
In spite of the endless analysis and hovering media attention during the new Congress's "100 hours," one of the first major budget decisions has somehow gone largely unnoticed: the Democrats decided to nix the Republican's 2007 budget request and continue funding programs at FY06 levels. As Desmond Tutu wrote in Monday's Washington Post, the effects of this decision could be tragic for many Africans infected or affected by HIV/AIDS:Staying at 2006 funding levels would result in a loss of up to $700 million for the 15 PEPFAR focus countries. As a result, 280,000 fewer people will be put on AIDS treatment. That is 280,000 lives needlessly lost.At a recent event at the Global Health Council, the US Global AIDS Coordinator, Ambassador Mark Dybul, sounded a similar warning about lost AIDS...
In spite of the endless analysis and hovering media attention during the new Congress's "100 hours," one of the first major budget decisions has somehow gone largely unnoticed: the Democrats decided to nix the Republican's 2007 budget request and continue funding programs at FY06 levels. As Desmond Tutu wrote in Monday's Washington Post, the effects of this decision could be tragic for many Africans infected or affected by HIV/AIDS:Staying at 2006 funding levels would result in a loss of up to $700 million for the 15 PEPFAR focus countries. As a result, 280,000 fewer people will be put on AIDS treatment. That is 280,000 lives needlessly lost.At a recent event at the Global Health Council, the US Global AIDS Coordinator, Ambassador Mark Dybul, sounded a similar warning about lost AIDS...
With billions of dollars going to global HIV/AIDS programs, it's good policy to ensure we are measuring the results of that money. But measuring is incredibly complicated, and the latest proof comes from a USAID audit (.pdf) of its global AIDS programs, featured in the AP/Washington Times article "AIDS Program Loses Track of Funds, Results."
The audit examined programs in four countries and found multiple instances of inaccurate or poor quality reporting by USAID contractors and grantee organizations. So how did the U.S. government respond? According to the AP story, "The Bush administration says the situation has improved greatly because it has imposed tighter, standardized reporting systems on groups that receive U.S. money." Meanwhile, Congress has signaled its intention to...
With billions of dollars going to global HIV/AIDS programs, it's good policy to ensure we are measuring the results of that money. But measuring is incredibly complicated, and the latest proof comes from a USAID audit (.pdf) of its global AIDS programs, featured in the AP/Washington Times article "AIDS Program Loses Track of Funds, Results."
The audit examined programs in four countries and found multiple instances of inaccurate or poor quality reporting by USAID contractors and grantee organizations. So how did the U.S. government respond? According to the AP story, "The Bush administration says the situation has improved greatly because it has imposed tighter, standardized reporting systems on groups that receive U.S. money." Meanwhile, Congress has signaled its intention to...
The Office of the U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator is pleased to announce the launch of www.PEPFAR.gov - a new online resource for the U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). This website features comprehensive information on PEPFAR's work around the world. Two new features include a series of issue briefs and resources for World AIDS Day. Our new Issue Brief series provides an overview of each PEPFAR intervention area, examples of PEPFAR-supported work, information about results, and lists of key resources on each topic. Briefs are currently available on Adult Treatment, Gender, and HIV Counseling and Testing. The U.S. Government's World AIDS Day theme, The Promise of Partnerships, illustrates how local people around the world, in partnership with the American people,...
The Office of the U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator is pleased to announce the launch of www.PEPFAR.gov - a new online resource for the U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). This website features comprehensive information on PEPFAR's work around the world. Two new features include a series of issue briefs and resources for World AIDS Day. Our new Issue Brief series provides an overview of each PEPFAR intervention area, examples of PEPFAR-supported work, information about results, and lists of key resources on each topic. Briefs are currently available on Adult Treatment, Gender, and HIV Counseling and Testing. The U.S. Government's World AIDS Day theme, The Promise of Partnerships, illustrates how local people around the world, in partnership with the American people,...
Today's Washington Post highlights several AIDS prevention programs in Africa which are using the ABC approach without much success. Programs in both Botswana and Kenya failed to change participants' behavior while another program in Nigeria increased condom use but not fidelity or abstinence rates. The lack of results would make you think that funders would be hesitant to expand ABC programs, wouldn't it? Unfortunately, the opposite may be true. The same Washington Post article reveals that the CDC has begun funding a project to insert abstinence-only messages into the educational curriculum in Kenya, citing a study from Philadelphia that showed increased abstinence rates among participating youth.I don't know enough about the study from Philadelphia to comment on its findings but I...
The New York Times today detailed the FDA's recent tentative approval of a generic 3-in-1 combination anti-retrovival drug made by the Indian manufacturer Aurobindo Pharma. This decision follows on the heels of another approval last week (that one for a generic version of GlaxoSmithKline's Epivir ARV) and opens the door for the purchase and use of the drugs in PEPFAR-supported programs in developing countries.
According to Mark Dybul, quoted in the article, it is unclear if the generic drug will significantly cut costs, but by requiring patients to only take one pill two-times a day the combination drug "should facilitate better therapies and better adherence." Equally important, it seems, the ability to use these drugs will bring PEPFAR's policies and procurement closer to those of...