Senator Clinton Introduces Bill to Increase Global AIDS Research

Urges Focus on Treatment Delivery and Prevention

January 31, 2008 -- Washington, DC – Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton today introduced the PEPFAR Accountability and Transparency Act, legislation to increase global AIDS operations research. Praising recent advances in developing medical interventions and treatments for HIV, Senator Clinton urged renewed focus on identifying the best ways to deliver those treatments and important prevention messages. As Congress begins reauthorization of the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), Senator Clinton called for funding effective programs with the potential to educate, treat and care for the greatest number of individuals possible.

“This epidemic remains an enormous global challenge. More than 30 million people are living with HIV worldwide. Advances toward new and more effective treatments have raised hopes around the world that we will finally make real progress against this terrible disease, but that will only happen if we develop successful methods for delivering treatments,” Senator Clinton said. “Operations research will help improve delivery of life-saving prevention messages and life-extending medications that can halt and reverse this epidemic. It also helps us direct our resources toward programs that have been proven to be effective. I strongly believe that we need to increase our investments in this type of research.”

The legislation Senator Clinton introduced today would require the Global AIDS Coordinator to develop a strategic plan to improve program monitoring, evaluation and operations research, helping to better target U.S. funds to activities that prevent new infections, particularly mother-to-child transmission, and improve HIV-related care and delivery, including integration of HIV services with other types of care. The bill would also call for the development of a ‘Best Practices’ report, to easily share information about cost-effective interventions that can be replicated in settings around the world.

Operations research can help to reduce the disparities between prevention, care and treatment outcomes for HIV in the developing world. For example, in the United States, cases of perinatal HIV transmission have been substantially reduced, from more than 1,000 in 1991 to less than 100 in 2005. These gains were largely due to the fact that medical interventions were routinely offered to HIV-positive pregnant women. Yet in the developing world, fewer than 1 in 10 women receive the medications that can help to prevent mother-to-child transmission during pregnancy. Operations research efforts are currently helping the world health community understand how it can, in low resource settings, improve testing, education, and treatment options that reduce cases of perinatal transmission.

Senator Clinton has long been an advocate of increasing global AIDS prevention, care and treatment programs. She has supported efforts to increase funding for PEPFAR and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. Last year, she introduced the the Protection Against Transmission of HIV for Women and Youth (PATHWAY) Act, legislation that would require the President to develop and implement a comprehensive, integrated and culturally relevant global HIV prevention strategy that addresses the vulnerabilities of women and girls.

The PEPFAR Accountability and Transparency Act is endorsed by the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation, Population Action International, the Population Council and Family Health International.

Source: Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton

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