AFRO-NETS> Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report - Fri, 15 Feb 2002

[Cecilia Snyder <csnyder@ccmc.org>]

Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report - Fri, 15 Feb 2002
-----------------------------------------------

In observance of President's Day, the Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report will 
not be published on Monday, Feb. 18. The Daily Report will resume pub-
lication on Tuesday, Feb. 19.

* In MTV Forum, Powell 'Strongly Advocates' Condom Use to Prevent HIV,
  STDs; Views Anger Conservatives
* International Council of AIDS Service Organizations Releases Update,
  Instructions for NGOs on the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis
  and Malaria
* New South African Village Will House and Provide Care for People With
  HIV/AIDS

--
In MTV Forum, Powell 'Strongly Advocates' Condom Use to Prevent HIV, 
STDs; Views Anger Conservatives

Secretary of State Colin Powell last night in an MTV international 
youth forum "strongly advocated" the use of condoms as a means of pre-
venting HIV transmission and other sexually transmitted diseases, "set-
ting himself apart from" President Bush's views on sex education and 
angering many conservatives who back abstinence-only HIV/AIDS preven-
tion programs, the Washington Post reports (Slevin/Connolly, Washington 
Post, 2/15). The condom issue was raised by Daniela Satori, a 19-year-
old Catholic girl from Milan, Italy, who asked what Powell thought of 
the Catholic Church's prohibition on condom use as it relates to 
HIV/AIDS prevention. Powell answered that, while he "certainly re-
spect[s]" the views of the church, in his view "condoms are a way to 
prevent infection, and therefore, I not only support their use, I en-
courage their use among people who are sexually active" (Riechmann, 
AP/Worcester Telegram & Gazette, 2/15). He added, "It is important that 
the whole international community come together, speak candidly about 
it, forget about taboos, forget about conservative ideas with respect 
to what you should tell young people about [sex]" (Associated Press, 
2/15).

At Odds With the Boss?

Conservative groups immediately refuted Powell's remarks and criticized 
him for apparently opposing the Bush administration's support of educa-
tion initiatives that promote abstinence as the "best option" for pre-
venting STDs and pregnancy (Reuters, 2/15). James Dobson, president of 
Focus on the Family, said Powell's remarks "directly contradict those 
of his boss, President Bush. ... As one who has distinguished himself 
in the armed services, surely Mr. Powell must understand the importance 
of self-control and discipline. ... It is these same traits that can 
keep young people from HIV infection through abstinence" (Focus on the 
Family release, 2/14). Ken Connor, president of the Family Research 
Council, called Powell's statements "reckless and irresponsible," add-
ing, "Can you imagine what Powell's response would have been to a sol-
dier under his command who made public pronouncements contrary to his 
own?" Connor called on Bush to "repudiate Secretary Powell's comments 
and publicly exhort him for his irresponsible remarks" (FRC release, 
2/14). American Values president Gary Bauer, a former presidential can-
didate, also criticized Powell, saying that "regarding public health 
issues, he should follow the lead of the Bush administration, which he 
serves." Bauer added that condoms are "no magic bullet. In fact, [they 
give] very little protection at all" (American Values release, 2/14). 
However, White House spokesperson Ari Fleischer said that Powell's re-
marks were "consistent" with administration policy because he limited 
his answer to "people who are sexually active" (Reuters, 2/15). State 
Department spokesperson Richard Boucher added, "Any attempt to find 
differences between [Powell] and administration policy is obviously 
misplaced. He does support the entire policy of the administration, in-
cluding abstinence education." According to HHS spokesperson Bill 
Pierce, the administration has issued "no restrictions regarding con-
doms" but "believes that abstinence education needs to be raised up to 
an equal level with all other types of health education." AIDS activ-
ists praised Powell for his remarks. "We want to salute him and say, 
'Bravo!'" Marsha Martin, director of AIDS Action, said, noting that be-
cause Powell is a member of the Bush administration, "we are getting 
perhaps a new message and a welcome message about HIV prevention."

Lowering Drug Prices

Powell last night also said that the administration is working in con-
junction with U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan to persuade drug compa-
nies to lower their prices on AIDS drugs. In response to a question 
from an HIV-positive Brazilian woman, Powell said, "I would like to see 
[the drugs offered for] free, but as an economic matter, we haven't 
quite achieved that goal and I'm not sure we will." He added that drug 
companies "deserve a return" on their investment in research and devel-
opment (Washington Post, 12/15). NPR's "All Things Considered" also re-
ported on Powell's discussion of condoms and AIDS on MTV. The full seg-
ment is available in RealAudio online (Kelemen, "All Things Consid-
ered," NPR, 2/14).


--
International Council of AIDS Service Organizations Releases Update, 
Instructions for NGOs on the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis 
and Malaria

The International Council of AIDS Service Organizations yesterday re-
leased an update for non-governmental organizations regarding progress 
with the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria and how to 
apply for grants. The report, titled "The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, 
Tuberculosis and Malaria: Update and Next Steps," gives background in-
formation on the fund, as well as an outline of the fund's framework 
and structure. The report also provides NGOs with information on where 
to find eligibility rules, application forms and other key documents. 
The report then outlines the procedure for the funding application 
process, including necessary forms, deadlines and contact information. 
The deadline for the first round of applications is March 10, and the 
GFATM board will announce grant recipients during its next meeting on 
April 23-24. However, ICASO encourages NGOs to "look beyond" the first 
deadline and "create a solid base from which [NGOs] can ensure creative 
and innovative proposals in future rounds." The report is currently 
available in English online and will be made available in French and 
Spanish next week (ICASO release, 2/13).


--
New South African Village Will House and Provide Care for People With 
HIV/AIDS

The Sparrow Rainbow Village, a village created to house and care for 
South Africans living with HIV/AIDS, opened on Thursday in Roodeport, 
South Africa, the Associated Press reports. The village, which is lo-
cated near Johannesburg, will eventually house 450 people, including 
100 children. Many of the residents will live in "igloo-like struc-
tures" in the village, while others will receive care in their own 
homes. "In the coming years we are going to need a great many more vil-
lages like this," Rev. Corine McClintock, founder of Sparrow Minis-
tries, said. The village was built with donations from private compa-
nies and grants from the governments of South Africa and the United 
States (Associated Press, 2/14).

--
The Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report is published for kaisernetwork.org, a 
free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, by National 
Journal Group Inc. © 2002 by National Journal Group Inc. and Kaiser 
Family Foundation. All rights reserved.

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