President Obama Fails to Lead on AIDS

AIDS Programs Starved Under President’s National AIDS Strategy

July 12, 2010

AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), the largest global AIDS organization, will host a press conference Tuesday, July 13th at 3:30 PM Eastern, to criticize President Obama’s National HIV/AIDS Strategy (NHAS) which is being formally released in a White House press conference at 2pm Tuesday. The strategy, 15 months in the making, was crafted as the nation’s AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP) the federal and state funded, state run network of programs that supply lifesaving AIDS drugs to low-income Americans in need, collapsed.

WHAT: Press Conference

WHEN: Tuesday, July 13th 2010, 3:30 PM Eastern Time

WHERE: National Press Club, Murrow Roo, 529 14th Street, Washington, DC 20045

WHO: Michael Weinstein, AHF President; Tom Myers, General Counsel & Chief of Public Affairs for AHF

CONTACT: Ged Kenslea, (323) 791-5526; Lori Yeghiayan (323) 377-4312

Obama’s National HIV/AIDS Strategy will be formally released at a White House press conference at 2pm Tuesday, followed by a separate White House reception for 250 or so of the nation’s AIDS leaders at 6pm. Many AIDS organizations and advocates—including AHF—have been disappointed by the laggard approach Obama and Administration officials have toward AIDS. AHF will host its press conference to respond to Obama’s AIDS strategy at 3:30pm at the National Press Club (Murrow Room) nearby.

“The ‘New York Times’ obtained a copy of the President’s AIDS strategy, and from what we’ve learned of it so far, there is really no ‘there’ there,” said Michael Weinstein, President of AIDS Healthcare Foundation. “This strategy is a day late and a dollar short: 15 months in the making, and the White House learned what people in the field have known for years. There is no funding, no ‘how to,’ no real leadership.”

According to a White House press statement, the National HIV/AIDS Strategy “…is a comprehensive plan focused on: 1) reducing the number of people who become infected with HIV, 2) increasing access to care and optimizing health outcomes for people living with HIV, and 3) reducing HIV-related health disparities.”

As of July 9th, there were 2,291 people on waiting lists in 12 states including 605 in Florida—which has the third highest incidence of AIDS in the nation—and which only started its wait list June 1st.

Regarding the 2,200 Americans on waiting lists to receive lifesaving HIV/AIDS medications through the nation’s AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP): In an effort to address the crisis, Senators Burr, Coburn and Enzi introduced S. 3401, the ACCESS ADAP Act, a bill which provides $126 million in unobligated stimulus funds to eliminate waiting lists through Fiscal Year 2010. The bill failed to gain the support of the Administration or Congress. The $126 million was a number provided by state AIDS directors as the amount of additional federal funding required to meet current program needs given the number of people on waiting lists, expected number of new patients and budget cuts per state.

“Under President Obama, the CDC’s landmark—and prudent—2006 guidelines recommending routine testing for HIV for all those ages 13-64 have also not been implemented nor even really prioritized,” added Weinstein. “All around, this is a real disappointment.”

AHF to Roll Out “Who’s Better on AIDS?” Obama/Bush Comparison Ad Campaign in DC
As part of ongoing advocacy efforts to spur President Obama and the Administration to do more on AIDS, AHF is rolling out an ad headlined “Who’s Better on AIDS?” The ad—which will appear in the print and online versions of ‘Politico’ as well as at 16 bus shelter advertisements in Washington near the White House—features a split screen head shot of Presidents Obama and George W. Bush merged into one—half of Obama’s face on the left of the ad, and half of Bush’s on the right. President Bush created PEPFAR (the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief), the successful US global AIDS program, which has also been neglected and underfunded on Obama’s watch.

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About AHF

AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) is the nation’s largest non-profit HIV/AIDS healthcare provider. AHF currently provides medical care and/or services to more than 139,000 individuals in 23 countries worldwide in the US, Africa, Latin America/Caribbean and Asia. Additional information is available at www.aidshealth.org