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On World AIDS Day Dec. 1, President Bush announced that
400,000 people around the world are now receiving antiretroviral
medicine under the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS
Relief. Worldwide, the number of people infected with HIV rose to
40 million in 2005, according to a November report by the
Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) and the
World Health Organization. Some 3.1 million more people died from the disease in 2005
and 4.9 million more infections were reported, the report
said. USAID’s own budget to battle the widening pandemic
rose from $1.3 to $1.5 billion this year. In September 2005, USAID awarded a major contract to provide
drugs and supplies to fight AIDS in the 15 focus countries.
The Supply Chain Management System will provide up to $500
million for medicine and supplies over three years so that
millions of people infected with HIV/AIDS can receive life-prolonging
drug treatment. “The system is designed to help HIV/AIDS programs meet
the president’s goals of ‘two-seven-ten’ by
2008,” said Carl Hawkins, in USAID’s Office of HIV/AIDS. “Two-seven-ten” refers to the Emergency Plan’s
goal of treating 2 million people, preventing 7 million new
infections, and providing care for 10 million others, such
as children orphaned by AIDS. The Emergency Plan is to spend $15 billion over five years
fighting AIDS in 123 countries, with a focus on 15 countries
in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. U.S. efforts to fight AIDS employ the ABC approach to prevent
new HIV infections, abstinence, be faithful and consistent
and correct use of dondoms. Being faithful reduces the number of sexual partners, which
is critical to stopping the spread of AIDS, especially among
the many girls and young women who become infected every year. “The fight against HIV/AIDS is literally a matter of
life and death,” said Kent Hill, assistant administrator
for Global Health. “USAID is committed to doing all we
can to defeat this scourge.”
Employees Receive 2005 Awards
Among the many employees who received thanks for heroism,
initiative, and just plain good work at the annual USAID award
ceremony Nov. 17, was Nawal Hassan Osman, who courageously
reported on mass killings, displacement, and suffering in
Darfur, Sudan. Osman, winner of the Foreign Service National of the Year
Award, joined USAID in 2003 and was sent to report on the
unfolding Darfur disaster and advise on response—often
at great personal risk. She became USAID’s principal advisor on Darfur issues,
such as protection, sexual violence, tribal conflict, and
peacemaking. Her unique perspective and knowledge became an
asset to the entire humanitarian community responding to the
displacement of 2 million people and the deaths of 200,000. Without Osman, USAID would not have been able to gain the
level of understanding or access to victims that have been
crucial to the disaster response, said Catherine Farnsworth,
USAID senior humanitarian advisor in Khartoum. “Her dedication, service, and profound compassion and
humanity represent the highest ideals of USAID.”
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