After Dybul, part two - writing your senator | Global Health

After Dybul, part two - writing your senator

Published February 05, 2009 @ 01:13AM PT

My home base is DC, so I don't actually have a senator. But I have two shadow senators, and this is what I wrote to them:

Dear Senator,

In the next month or so, you will be asked to confirm the next Global AIDS Coordinator, replacement for Ambassador Mark Dybul. In this time of global turmoil, fighting HIV is more important than ever. Global HIV pandemic is a powerful threat to stability in a world that is getting less secure every moment.

However, HIV/AIDS can be prevented and treated. Access to condoms and good education can keep people from getting HIV in the first place. People with living HIV can have full, meaningful lives if they get the treatment the need. The United States, through PEPFAR and USAID's HIV programs, has been a major force in making sure that prevention and treatment do happen.

As a leader in world health, the United States must make sure that our resources have the most impact possible in fighting this global scourge. We must choose a Global AIDS Coordinator with a strong background in HIV/AIDS work around the world, experience in running major public health programs, and a firm commitment to basing AIDS programs on evidence, not ideology.

I urge you to ask tough questions of the candidate presented to you. Ask about their views on the role of science and evidence in the fight against HIV. Ask about their background in running global programs. Make sure that our next Global AIDS coordinator had the skills and the experience to restore our global leadership on HIV/AIDS.

Sincerely,

Alanna Shaikh

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The idea is to start sending a message now, before we are naming names and talking about specific candidates for Global AIDS coordinator. We want to make it clear to our elected representatives that this is not business as usual, and to help ensure that the candidate chosen has the skills we need for a real fight against AIDS.

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Author

Alanna Shaikh has spent the last ten years immersed in global health; she has worked for NGOs, companies, universities, and the US government on projects that ranged from preventing antibacterial resistance to improving maternal and child health.