I nearly spilled my organic latte on my Birkenstock's this morning reading the lead editorial in today's SF Chronicle, all about the latest wrinkle in the effort to make AIDS drugs available around the globe, and how none other than Rep. Pelosi, of all people who should know better than to play budgetary politics with ill-people's live, is standing in the way of ironing out the problem.
Such a welcome surprise, the Speaker's hometown paper, which over the years has given her a free ride on AIDS accountability matters, using its editorial bully pulpit to goad her into doing the right thing.
From the SF Chronicle editorial:
An AIDS Dilemma
It sounds implausible: a Democratic-led Congress is holding up overseas-bound AIDS money. Yet this outcome is very real, unless party leaders relent on spending plans.
What's happened is a political car crash. A scheduled increase in AIDS money is smacking into a Democratic pledge for thrift and reform. Speaker Nancy Pelosi, San Francisco's own, stands at the center of this stalemate and could settle it with nod.
Will she? Despite her strong record on the disease, AIDS groups aren't sure and have sounded the alarm. Unless the mess ends, life-extending drugs for 350,000 new patients won't be dispensed. [...]
This risk shouldn't be run. Since 2003, Democrats and Republicans have united by backing a White House five-year plan to spend $15 billion on AIDS. For 2007, the sum was due to rise from $3.2 billion to $4 billion, and programs expanded operations in expectation of the increase. [...]
Without new tax money, Pelosi has pledged to block extra spending. For now, that means no increase in AIDS money, affecting thousands in 15 countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America taking part in the U.S. plan. [...]
The United States is, by far, the biggest funder of AIDS care worldwide. This praiseworthy record is at stake now. Cheaper drugs, better treatment and expanded prevention need the extra money to do the job.
It's a turning point not lost on many House members, including Oakland Democrat Barbara Lee, a longtime battler for increased AIDS money. She has lined up 87 other representatives in asking that the health program be expanded as expected.
Pelosi should heed this message from her troops. AIDS care shouldn't be caught up in a budget wrangle.
One place where Pelosi might cut some budget fat is her $1.5 million earmark for a pilot study by S.F. DPH. Pelosi's HIV/AIDS earmark would pay executives at the DPH money to duplicate some of the work they're already performing on prevention and treatment collaborations within the department.
Having seen details on Pelosi's $1.5 million HIV earmark, I know it would be a waste of money, and I suggest she direct that money, and more, to pay for the AIDS drug programs. Click here for some history on the earmark.
After that, Pelosi and her legion of supporters and donors from AIDS groups in her district and around the country, must address the obscene profiteering by Big Pharma for their HIV/AIDS meds.
For too long, nonprofit AIDS service and advocacy organizations have put more resources and staff time into getting federal and local governments to pay for the high priced drugs, while accepting large donations from Big Pharma, which pleases the companies because of an increased profit due to programs such as ADAP, and the exorbitant cost of the drugs, developed with funding from the NIH and the feds, is not addressed at all by AIDS Inc executive directors.
When was the last time you heard about AmFAR, GMHC, SF AIDS Foundation, NAPWA, APLA, the ADAP Working Group, or any other members of the AIDS Inc establishment pooling their staffs and public policy budgets to mobilize town hall meetings about the drug prices and availability, grass roots lobbying on Big Pharma or the feds to force lower prices, or in any way challenge the system in which our community groups receive huge cash infusions from drug manufacturers, and wage no battle on the Big Pharma donors?
AIDS Inc, Big Pharma and Mrs. Pelosi are all a little too cozy with each other, in my estimation, and I fully expect a solution to the problems mentioned in the Chronicle would soon be announced. Then, it will be back to business as usual for them all, meaning, no serious effort to demand price concessions on AIDS drug costs.
Read the full SF Chron editorial here.
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