[e-med] Appel International pour l'arret des restrictions sous PEPFAR

["Marc DIXNEUF" <Marc.DIXNEUF@sante.gouv.fr>]

[Message du Center for Health and Gender Equity/Centre pour la santé et l'égalité de genre en faveur de la suppression de l'obligation de financement de programmes d'abstinence dans les projets PEPFAR]
 
 
Nous avons des nouvelles excitantes à faire passer : deux membres influents du Congres des US ont réintroduit la proposition de loi sur « La protection contre la transmission du VIH pour les femmes et les jeunes » (PATHWAY Act), qui représenterait une étape importante dans l'amélioration de la politique internationale de prévention du VIH des US.

Nous avons besoin de votre soutien pour que ce texte passe.

Nous recherchons le soutien d'ONG internationales et de particuliers pour permettre que les financements US sur la prévention du VIH et leurs programmes fassent la promotion des droits à la santé et des droits humains de tous les individus à travers des approches de la prévention scientifiquement fondées. Les programmes de prévention doivent s'attaquer aux racines de la vulnérabilité à l'infection VIH, réduire la discrimination et la stigmatisation, et garantir simultanément que tous les individus à risque d'infection aient un plein accès aux méthodes de prévention (dont les préservatifs masculin et féminin), aux formations et à l'information nécessaires pour prévenir la transmission sexuelle du VIH.

En bref, nous vous demandons de signer, en tant qu'individu ou comme institution / association, la déclaration internationale de soutien <http://www.pepfarwatch.org/pubs/IntlStatement.doc>  (également ci-dessous) de la législation américaines (le PATHWAY Act) qui cherche à abolir l'exigence que les US dépensent un tiers de l'argent de PEPFAR dédié à la prévention sur des programmes de promotion stricte de l'abstinence-avant-le-marriage, et à favoriser des approches intégrantes de la prévention du VIH. Si possible, nous vous demandons de répondre avant le jeudi 12 avril. Nous acceptions les signatures individuelles comme collectives.

Pour signer en tant qu'organisation, remplir le formulaire ici <http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/organizationsORG/change/signUp.jsp?key=2152> 

Pour signer comme individu, remplir le formulaire ici <http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/organizationsORG/change/signUp.jsp?key=2156> 

De plus, nous vous demandons de prendre un moment pour nous dire en quoi le passage de ce Pathway Act est important pour les efforts de prévention dans votre pays ou votre communauté. Vous pouvez le faire icie <http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/organizationsORG/change/petition.jsp?petition_KEY=510> . A votre demande, nous garderons votre nom et celui de votre organisation sous statut confidentiel.

Vous pouvez trouver des informations supplémentaires sur le PATHWAY Act sur notre site www.pepfarwatch.org. 

Nous apprécions votre soutien.

Jodi Jacobson

Executive Director
Center for Health and Gender Equity
www.genderhealth.org
www.pepfarwatch.org
www.preventionnow.net

_________________________

 

Objet : TIME SENSITIVE: Int'l Call to End Restrictions under PEPFAR

 

Dear Friends,

We have exciting news: two leading members of the U.S. Congress have re-introduced the Protection Against Transmission of HIV for Women and Youth Act (PATHWAY Act), which would take important steps to improving U.S. international HIV prevention policy.

We need your help in supporting it.

We are seeking the support of international NGOs and individuals to ensure that U.S. global HIV prevention funding and programs promote the basic health and human rights of all individuals through evidence-based, comprehensive approaches to HIV prevention. Prevention programs must address the root causes of vulnerability to HIV infection, reduce stigma and discrimination, and simultaneously ensure that all individuals at risk of HIV infection have complete access to the skills-training, information, and methods (including male and female condoms) necessary to prevent the sexual tranmission of HIV.

In short, we are requesting that you sign on as an individual and/or organization to the international statement of support <http://www.pepfarwatch.org/pubs/IntlStatement.doc>  (also pasted below) for U.S. legislation (the PATHWAY Act) that seeks to remove the requirement that the U.S. spend 1/3 of its PEPFAR prevention money on abstinence-until-marriage programs and to ensure a comprehensive approach to HIV prevention. If at all possible, we request that you reply by Thursday, April 12. We welcome both organizational and individual signatories. 

To sign-on as an organization, please fill out the simple form found here <http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/organizationsORG/change/signUp.jsp?key=2152> : 

To sign-on as an individual, please fill out the simple form found here <http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/organizationsORG/change/signUp.jsp?key=2156> :

(U.S. organizations and individuals are requested not to sign this international statement but instead to endorse the PATHWAY Act as an organization, which you can do here <http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/organizationsORG/change/signUp.jsp?key=2139> .)


Additionally, we ask you to take a moment to tell us why the passage of the PATHWAY Act is important to HIV prevention efforts in your country or community. You can do that here <http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/organizationsORG/change/petition.jsp?petition_KEY=510> . At your request, we will keep your name and organization confidential.


About the PATHWAY Act:

On March 27, 2007, Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-CA) and Congressman Christopher Shays (R-CT) re-introduced the Protection Against Transmission of HIV for Women and Youth Act (PATHWAY Act). This bill is critical to ensure that U.S. funding for international HIV prevention programs work for women and youth. It would remove the requirement that the U.S. spend 1/3 of its international HIV prevention funding on abstinence-until-marriage programs (the "abstinence earmark") and it would require the President to develop a strategy to address the specific prevention needs of women and girls. 

You can find more information about the PATHWAY Act on our website at www.pepfarwatch.org. 

We appreciate your support.

Best,

Jodi Jacobson

Executive Director
Center for Health and Gender Equity
www.genderhealth.org
www.pepfarwatch.org
www.preventionnow.net

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Links: 

International Endorsing Statement (also pasted below): http://www.pepfarwatch.org/pubs/IntlStatement.doc 

International Endorser Organization Sign-Up:
http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/organizationsORG/change/signUp.jsp?key=2152

International Endorser Individual Sign-Up:
http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/organizationsORG/change/signUp.jsp?key=2156

Tell us why PATHWAY is important in your country or community:
http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/organizationsORG/change/petition.jsp?petition_KEY=510

Statement:

International Statement of Support for the 

PATHWAY Act of 2007

March 2007

We, the undersigned represent a diverse group of regional, national, community- and faith-based organizations and individuals from around the world working to end the HIV/AIDS pandemic. We are united in our commitment to ending the spread of HIV and the suffering caused by AIDS-related illnesses through policies and programs that simultaneously promote basic individual human rights and public health. We are further committed to comprehensive, evidence- and rights-based HIV prevention programs that simultaneously address the root causes of vulnerability to HIV infection, such as gender-based violence, stigma and discrimination, and offer comprehensive interventions that ensure that all individuals at immediate or potential risk-women, men, adolescents and young adults-have access to the information, skills-training, and methods-including male and female condoms-needed to practice safer sex. 

We therefore strongly support the Protection Against the Transmission of HIV for Women and Youth Act of 2007 (PATHWAY Act), H.R. 1713, introduced to the U.S. Congress in March 2007 by U.S. Congresswoman Barbara Lee and Congressman Christopher Shays. We support the PATHWAY Act's efforts to establish a comprehensive HIV prevention strategy to address the vulnerabilities of women and girls for each country for which the United States provides assistance to combat HIV/AIDS. We also support eliminating the mandate that requires a minimum of one-third of prevention funds to be spent on abstinence-until-marriage programs. Removing this requirement would ensure that U.S. funds are used to support the most effective strategies to prevent the greatest number of HIV infections among individuals at risk.

We applaud the generosity and leadership taken by the United States in allocating $15 billion towards HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment and care through the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). We are, however, profoundly concerned about the devastating implications for the spread of HIV infection in our countries of restrictions levied on prevention funding under PEPFAR. These restrictions undermine basic public health and human rights principles and local decision-making power and autonomy in crafting HIV prevention strategies that respond to local needs by dictating solutions to local problems from afar. The implications are clear: recent data already suggest an upturn in HIV infections in Uganda, a country in which U.S. restrictions and U.S. funding have had the greatest influence to date. The reversal of previous gains cannot be condoned. 

We believe passage of the PATHWAY Act is a critical first step in correcting misguided prevention policies being imposed on countries by the United States in exchange for funding of prevention activities. 

Organizational Signatures:

Individual Signatures: