PEPFAR Operations Research Bill Will Help Improve Accountability and Efficiency
2/26/2008
Contact: Robert Yule
202.448.8456
ryule@pedaids.org
Statement of Pamela W. Barnes, President and Chief Executive Officer, The Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation
It is absolutely crucial that we maximize every resource available in the battle against the HIV/AIDS pandemic. The PEPFAR Accountability and Transparency Act, introduced yesterday by Representative Brad Miller (D-NC), would closely evaluate the efficiency and effectiveness of the U.S. global HIV/AIDS effort, and help speed the delivery of lifesaving medicines and therapies to those who need it most.
Like its companion bill in the Senate introduced by Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY), this bill represents a vital step in the U.S. effort to stop the spread of HIV/AIDS. It would elevate operations research – determining best practices and evidence-based solutions – as a new core function within PEPFAR. It would also require development of a five-year strategic plan to prioritize the implementation of operational improvements.
As the largest provider under PEPFAR of services for the prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT), the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation strives to reach women, children, and families worldwide to help protect them from HIV. Unfortunately, less than 10 percent of HIV-positive pregnant women in resource-poor countries currently have access to those services. In 2007, almost half a million children became infected, most from mother-to-child transmission. This bill would help us devise new strategies to deliver crucial PMTCT services to more women and prevent the vast majority of these infections.
As the largest HIV/AIDS program ever brought before Congress, PEPFAR provides the opportunity and the obligation to more closely monitor the delivery and administration of services in the places hardest hit by the pandemic. The PEPFAR Accountability and Transparency Act will help evaluate which strategies within PEPFAR are most effective on the frontlines and ensure their efficient implementation.
As a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and as Chairman of the Subcommittee on Investigations and Oversight of the Science and Technology Committee, Representative Miller has shown great leadership in trying to maximize PEPFAR’s lifesaving potential. We applaud him for introducing this legislation and urge Congress to pass it as part of the reauthorization of PEPFAR.
Learn more about the Foundation’s policy recommendations on operations research and PEPFAR.
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About the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation
The Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation is a worldwide leader in the fight against pediatric AIDS. Its innovative research programs, collaborative training initiatives, advocacy efforts, and rapidly expanding international prevention and treatment programs are bringing dramatic changes to the lives of children worldwide.