Cooperation, Integration Important Components of HIV/AIDS Response

In an opinion piece in The Hill's "Congress Blog," international health consultant Taufiqur Rahman argues that funding for the HIV/AIDS response is sufficient. He says countries should pay for their own first-line antiretroviral treatment, integrate programs to include HIV prevention activities and apply pressure to bring down the cost of second-line drugs. "We are not using technology and best practices sufficiently to accelerate and sustain our gains to save more lives quickly and build country systems," Rahman states, adding, "We do not need more funds. We need to be smarter about investing existing resources of $8 billion with careful planning, economic analysis, proper prioritization, and lots of coordinated as well as collaborative efforts." He continues, "We now need to focus on a 'Transition Strategy' with countries and this requires serious rethinking and refocusing. Let us have one global strategy of transition, critical investment, and country capacity building. Focus on collaboration, integration, revised national strategy and national financing to win this battle" (7/23).

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