Tag: prevention
-
Jul 21, 2010
Keep it Together at AIDS 2010: Moving Beyond the Pitfalls of False Dichotomies
Let’s face it, we’re in one of the worst economic crises we’ve seen in decades, and HIV funding has flat-lined. In editorials and the blogoshere, we are seeing the old debates over investing precious resources once again rear their ugly, divisive heads—HIV prevention versus treatment, HIV versus other global health concerns, one type of HIV prevention versus another. But, as former United States President Bill Clinton said in his speech Monday, “We’ve been there before,” so I’m challenging us to look beyond these dichotomies. In a climate of limited funding, we will be limited in what we can do, but that means we have to get creative and get smart. I’d like to share some of the evidence-based solutions I’m hearing about at AIDS 2010 that take us beyond the false dichotomies. Treatment is prevention. Yesterday, I learned about models coming out of South Africa that analyze the cost of putting people living with HIV on antiretroviral therapy (ARVs) and the cost savings of preventing new infections by lowering people’s infectivity with drug treatment. This data suggests that in the long run, it... Read More »
