For Mike Pence, It's Bible-Thumping Ideology First, Science Nowhere When it Comes To Public Health

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But less than two hours away, the worst HIV outbreak in Indiana’s history was raging through Scott County. The outbreak surfaced in Austin, a rural town with a population just above 4,000. By March 2015, there were more than 80 confirmed cases of HIV in the county, nearly all of which were linked to shared needle use of prescription drugs. The soaring HIV rates drew widespread media attention, and reporters descended upon the quiet community to cover the fallout.

Officials in Fayette took notice. The two counties shared a number of demographic similarities, including high rates of hepatitis C, which is spread through the blood and linked to injection drugs. So Maupin began to do her own research, and was quickly convinced of the public health benefits of needle exchange programs. Despite evidence of their effectiveness, such programs were banned in Indiana. But mounting pressure from public health experts pushed Gov. Mike Pence (R) to approve a temporary emergency needle exchange program in Scott County and later permit counties, like Fayette, to establish their own programs on an individual basis — provided they find their own funding.

Pence, now the Republican vice presidential nominee, had been known for his vocal opposition to syringe exchange programs. “I do not enter into this lightly,” he declared at a press conference after approving Scott County’s program. His reluctant acceptance of the emergency measures prompted the recent New York Times headline: “Prayer, and Then A Change of Heart.” For many of the governor’s critics, however, that’s an exceptionally rosy characterization. In their eyes, Pence’s tepid response to the HIV outbreak was not a laudable feat of moral acceptance in the face of crisis but a confirmation of a worrisome outlook on public health issues. Many believe he dragged his feet to address a dramatic crisis that could have been preventable with a stronger public health infrastructure. Others say his response to the outbreak was entirely consistent with his approach to health — one that is governed by personal belief rather than medical need, often at the expense of his constituents.

“If I were to sum up Mike Pence and his approach to any of this, it would be ideology trumping evidence every time,” said Beth Meyerson, a professor of public health at Indiana University and co-director of the Rural Center for AIDS/STD Prevention. “Under the Pence administration there has been a very clear message that public health is not a priority and any of the moral policy issues that could be at play will rule over public health evidence and population needs.”

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https://thinkprogress.org/mike-pence-public-health-406b5d08c7de#.8oz4wza2h