US Accused of Diluting Global Aids Targets...

'Aids advocates on Tuesday accused the US of watering down an international declaration to be debated this week at a special United Nations’ general assembly on Aids by removing treatment targets and references to prevention measures that offend religious groups.

Draft versions of the text seen by the FT step back from setting any specific targets in the years ahead, in contrast to specific numerical objectives laid down in the previous text at the last UN Aids assembly in 2001 that helped trigger a sharp escalation in treatment in the developing world.

The wording also dilutes references to the use of condoms and comprehensive reproductive health work to reflect the priorities of the Bush administration on Aids, shifting language from “evidenced-based” to “evidence-informed” measures despite studies showing the efficacy of such techniques.

“This is a major step backwards,” said Jodi Jacobson, head of Change, a Washington, DC-based charity monitoring the effect of US policy on women’s health. “The US doesn’t want to commit to any targets by which it can be held accountable, and it doesn’t want anyone else to commit either.”'

http://www.commondreams.org/headlines06/0531-09.htm

this part of the interview with Noerine Kaleeba (founder of the AIDS Support Organization of Uganda, Africa's largest community support group) to be very interesting.

"In 2006, I think the most important step that needs to be taken is leadership and clear messages. I am very concerned at the growing fundamentalistic tendencies that are beginning to pluralize the messages that young people are getting. And I'm particularly focusing on the issue of the abstinence-only campaigns.

"Abstinence-only campaigns are threatening to crumble whatever we have built in the area of prevention, because young people have to be clearly told, "Yes, abstinence is good," but they have to be told how to access condoms. They have to be given skills of negotiating how to use condoms, so the ABC campaign is very important, but ABC together, not abstinence-only."

It illustrates another way the the U.S. has hampered the fight against AIDS.