Stronger Leadership Needed From U.S. to End Global AIDS Epidemic

In this opinion piece in the Atlantic, Mark Harrington, co-founder and executive director of the Treatment Action Group (TAG), says that stronger leadership from the U.S. is needed in order to end the AIDS epidemic. Harrington notes that "earlier this year, [President Obama] proposed a shocking cut of $550 million to [PEPFAR], the most successful U.S.-funded global health program in history," and highlights his absence from "the first International AIDS Conference to be held on American soil since ... 1990." He provides "a to do list the president should consider if he wants to walk the walk," which includes "[f]ully fund[ing] PEPFAR and support[ing] its reauthorization in 2013," "[f]ully support[ing] the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria," "[r]eject[ing] the congressional ban on federal funding for needle exchange," "[r]evis[ing] and revitaliz[ing] the National HIV/AIDS Strategy," increasing funding for NIH, and "fully funding the research, prevention, care, and treatment" needed to end the epidemic (7/24).

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