U.S. AIDS Policy: More Harm Than Good, Says Brazil

Sandy Krawitz

(Washington, May 3, 2005) In an unprecedented move, the Government of Brazil yesterday refused a $40 million grant from the United States to fight AIDS, saying its ideological conditions were too severe.

Nearly 700,000 individuals are inflicted with HIV/AIDS in Brazil, many of whom are living in poverty. The Bush Administration's grant would have imposed scientifically unverifiable, ideological clauses, such as one that asks the country to officially condemn prostitution. Signing such a clause would have impeded AIDS interventions within Brazil, which orchestrates open relationships with prostitutes, homosexual men, intravenous-drug users and other high-risk groups in order to fight the pandemic.

"It is a simple fact that in order fight AIDS, it's crucial to work with the populations that face the greatest risk. It would be a gross human rights violation to deny them life-saving assistance based on moral grounds." said Atila Roque, executive director of ActionAid USA, and himself a Brazilian. "That's why we should praise the Brazilian government's decision, which will help to raise the stakes of international debate concerning the Bush Administration's ideological influence over foreign aid policies."

Added ActionAid International USA policy analyst, Rick Rowden, "HIV/AIDS needs to be battled through a public health approach which requires close working relationships with the most vulnerable communities. You can't have a cooperative working relationship with, say, prostitutes' associations that starts off with a blanket moral condemnation of them. You might think you've taken the moral high ground, but that is not the same thing as an effective anti-HIV/AIDS strategy. From this point on, the U.S. is going to need to decide if it is going to be moralistic or effective."

According to Dr. Paul Zeitz, DO, MPH, director of the Global AIDS Alliance, "In turning down the US grant, the Government of Brazil is actually protecting people at risk by ensuring science- based preventions are implemented rather than ideologically-based preventions that have no basis in scientific reality. This is a phenomenal development by Brazil, a sovereign government which is finally standing up against policies that are doing more harm than good."

Interestingly, there are no Federal laws within the United States banning prostitution. As a result, prostitution is legally condoned within some Nevada counties. According to a 10-year UCLA study, the occurrence of AIDS within condoned rather than condemned brothels is significantly lower than that of the general population.

States Almir Pereira Jr, program coordinator for HIV/AIDS at ActionAid International Brazil, "more than the refusal of accepting the US grant, the Brazilian government's attitude represents its commitment towards maintaining a democratic and progressive AIDS program, as opposed to the conservative vision of the United States. Unfortunately, it seems that the US policy is taking advantage of the great poverty and high vulnerability of developing nations to impose its conservative agenda as a condition for the countries to receive the financial aid they desperately require."

Sandy Krawitz is a staff member of ActionAid USA, part of an international network that works to help poor people. See http://www.actionaidusa.org/ for more information. This story was released through US Newswire. See http://www.usnewswire.com/

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