Presidential HIV/AIDS Czar Q&A Touts Foreign Focus, Totally In Denial Of U.S. Problem
On World AIDS Day, December 1, 2008, on the WhiteHouse.gov website, U.S. AIDS Czar Amb. Dr. Mark Dybul, touted the Administration's accomplishments under the PEPFAR (Presidents Emergency Plan For AIDS Relief) Program. The web-based Q&A was clearly purposed to help establish George W. Bush's legacy as a fighter in the war against HIV/AIDS. Unfortunately, it would seem that Dybul's comments further highlighted the fact that Bush indeed prioritized funding for the politically-convenient purposes of fighting HIV/AIDS abroad, which targets populations that are dually-served by evangelical organizations that helped elect him and steer clear of messy moral connections to the GLBTQ community; while simultaneously ignoring calls for enhanced support of HIV/AIDS testing and treatment programs in his own country.
Such programs at home, 90% of which have been requested or administered by social groups serving the African American and GLBTQ communities, and generally reject Bush's abstinence-only sex education principles; have seen massive cuts under Bush's regime. While it is cheaper and easier, thanks to the Bush Administrations' work, for NGOs servicing Africa and Asia to buy and distribute life-saving anti-retroviral drugs to the masses, here at home ADAP and Ryan White programs continue to be dealt massive funding cuts from the Federal Budget. To add insult to injury, the cutting-edge "single-pill solutions" like Bristol Myers Squibb's Atripla, and its competing treaments from other pharmy giants, routinely run in the $1200-$2500 range per month according to insurance companies' own formularies. This hypocrisy is evident in the manner in which Dybul talks about Bush's overall "leadership" on the issue. There literally is zero discussion of the HIV/AIDS situation at home, which has become exponentially worse during his 8 years in office.
Below is the unedited transcript of the post from http://www.whitehouse.gov/ask/20081201.html "Ask The White House"
Web Page Q&A with Ambassador Dr. Mark Dybul, U.S. Global AIDS
Coordinator, on December 1, 2008.
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TRANSCRIPT<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
December 1, 2008
After several years as PEPFAR Coordinator I am still amazed at the achievements that our partner nations have made with the support of the American people in the fight against HIV/AIDS. In 2003, just 50,000 people in sub-Saharan Africa were receiving antiretroviral treatment. Today, five years after the inauguration of the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), PEPFAR has fulfilled its commitment to support treatment for two million people, the vast majority of whom reside in sub-Saharan Africa. The President promised to lead the fight against HIV/AIDS when he signed PEPFAR into law. And today we celebrate the lives saved as a result of this initiative.
Brian, from Baltimore, MD
writes:
Can you explain how PEPFAR is caring for people affected by AIDS?Thank
for
all of the work you have done on behalf of the American people.
Mark Dybul
PEPFAR
has a comprehensive approach to care and supports host nations in
meeting the needs of orphans and vulnerable children affected by the
pandemic, as well as people living with HIV/AIDS. At the beginning of
PEPFAR five years ago, we were charged with care for 10 million people
in the 15 focus countries. As of September 30, 2008, nearly 9.7 million
people affected by HIV/AIDS in PEPFAR’s 15 focus countries had received
compassionate care, including nearly 4 million orphans and vulnerable
children. It is safe to say that as of today, the U.S. also has met the
goal of supporting care for 10 million people affected by HIV in the
focus countries. Globally, the U.S. is supporting care for over 10.1
million, including over 4 million children.
Randy, from Washington, DC
writes:
Why has PEPFAR been so successful? What are the biggest challenges
ahead?
Mark Dybul
PEPFAR
reflects the principles of President Bush’s New Era of development:
country ownership, good governance, results-based programs and
accountability, and economic growth. These reflect the
internationally-agreed Monterrey Consensus and Paris Declaration. The
fact that we’ve been able to partner with the countries where we work
and support them in achieving results in their countries has been
fundamental to our success.
The current economic crisis may cause some to look inward to only work on problems in this country, but as President Bush and Secretary Rice have emphasized, this would be a serious mistake. Our work abroad, with PEPFAR and other development initiatives, not only benefits countries around the world, but also advances the United States’ economic, security and moral interests.
Philip, from United Kingdom
writes:
AmbassadorDo you believe the spread of AIDS can be controlled globally,
or
is this only possible in the more developed nations of the world?
Mark Dybul
Philip,
the success of PEPFAR to date shows that success is possible even in
some of the poorest nations. Let me digress to an interesting point:
within developing countries, HIV/AIDS is not only a disease of the
poorest of the poor. HIV/AIDS often affects those who have risen or are
rising economically. It is those people who have mobility and resources
to engage in risky behavior. As a result, the people who are losing the
fight to HIV/AIDS are often in professions like education and health
care.
But I do believe we can succeed in fighting this pandemic. Again, the results announced today should be a source of hope that, together, we can win the fight against HIV/AIDS.
Connie, from Sarnia, Ontario, Canada
writes:
What can I do to help you and the President and our country (I was born
and
raised in CentralSoutheast Michigan,U.S.A.)to help all of our brothers
and sisters around the world suffering with AIDS?
Mark Dybul
Connie,
you are already helping. The American people, through their tax dollars
that fund PEPFAR, have saved millions of lives around the world. The
support I have seen from the American people has been remarkable. Of
course, there remains much to do. If you are interested in engaging the
fight against HIV/AIDS there are many organizations involved in
fighting this pandemic around the world that are in need of both
funding and people to carry out their good deeds. You can volunteer
with or donate to these organizations, and you can also help by raising
awareness about HIV/AIDS within your own communities, including faith
communities. If you are interested in learning more about PEPFAR and
the countries in need – please visit our Web site at www.pepfar.gov.
2nd, from Winter Haven, Fl writes:
What age group has the highest percentage of new AIDS cases? What are
you
doing to educate young people?
Mark Dybul
The
demography of HIV varies among different developing nations, but in
many, the highest percentage of new HIV cases are in those in their
late teens and twenties – those who should be among the most productive
members in society. As a result, many countries have suffered horribly,
and large portions of whole generations have been decimated. In order
to prevent this, we reach young people with age- and
culturally-appropriate messages as soon as we can. The best approach to
treatment, care and all the other challenges posed by HIV/AIDS is to
prevent infection in the first place so that people do not need HIV
treatment or care. We try to make sure these messages reach young
people as effectively as we can. Long before PEPFAR was initiated,
African nations with generalized epidemics had already developed their
own highly successful national HIV prevention strategies that reflected
the “ABC” approach to behavior change (Abstain, Be faithful, correct
and consistent use of Condoms where appropriate). To aid in our
efforts, we have formed public-private partnerships to help
“modularize” and adapt successful prevention programs so that the
components found to be most effective and easy to transfer to other
geographic areas can be rapidly replicated, adapted, and scaled up.
Jiesheng, from Birmingham, United Kingdom writes:
What steps has the US taken in working with the global community in
reaching
Goal 6 of the Millennium Development Goals (Combat HIVAIDs, malaria and
other diseases?)
Mark Dybul
Thanks
for asking about this – my other answers have focused on our U.S.
bilateral HIV/AIDS programs, but your question gives me a chance to
highlight the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. This
is an important part of our approach, and it also provides a mechanism
for other countries that don’t have the bilateral programs the U.S. has
to contribute to the effort against the three diseases. President Bush
provided the founding contribution to launch the Fund, and the U.S.
remains by far its largest supporter, contributing approximately 30% of
its resources. Today the Fund announced the latest results that have
been achieved through the programs it supports, and the U.S. will
continue to support this important mechanism – and to urge other
countries to utilize it as a way to increase their own commitments.
Again, thanks for the good question.
Mark Dybul
Thank you all so much for your questions and support. Development has
been a huge area of success for the American people over the last eight
years under President Bush's leadership – the results released earlier
this morning attest to this. We stand today at a critical juncture –
recalling where we were 30 years ago, yet so encouraged and hopeful as
a result of the substantial progress made in the last few years.
The principles of the new era of development that I spoke about earlier
reflect the compassion and generosity of the American people, and a
deep belief and in the dignity and worth of every human being. In this
time of economic duress, it is crucial that we stand by these beliefs –
and remember that although times are tough, there are others who are
worse off. You should be proud that, in partnership with host nations,
the American people have lifted millions of people up and saved their
lives. On this World AIDS Day 2008, let's continue to work in
partnership to serve one another and to achieve an HIV free generation
– and in so doing, change the world.
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BIOGRAPHY:
Ambassador Mark R. Dybul
United States Global AIDS Coordinator
Ambassador
Mark R. Dybul serves as the United States Global AIDS Coordinator,
leading the implementation of President Bush's Emergency Plan for AIDS
Relief. From March to August 2006, he served as Acting U.S. Global AIDS
Coordinator, and prior to that he held the positions of Deputy U.S.
Global AIDS Coordinator and Assistant U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator.
Before coming to the Coordinator's Office, Ambassador Dybul served on the Planning Task Force for the Emergency Plan, and was the lead for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) for President Bush's International Prevention of Mother and Child HIV Initiative.
At HHS, he also served as the Assistant Director for Medical Affairs, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), National Institutes of Health (NIH), as well as Co-Executive Secretary of the HHS HIV therapy guidelines for adults and adolescents. He continues to be a Staff Clinician in the Laboratory of Immunoregulation at NIAID/NIH and maintains an active role as the principal investigator for clinical and basic research for U.S. and international protocols with an emphasis on HIV therapy, particularly those that may be applicable in resource-poor settings, including intermittent therapy and HIV reservoirs and immunopathogenesis. Ambassador Dybul holds the rank of assistant surgeon general and rear admiral in the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, the uniformed service of HHS. He is also a former member of the World Health Organization's Writing Committee to develop global HIV therapy guidelines.
Ambassador Dybul received his A.B. (1985) and M.D. (1992) from Georgetown University before completing his residency in internal medicine at the University of Chicago Hospitals (1995) and a fellowship in infectious diseases at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (1998).
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