PEPFAR decisions to be grounded in scientific evidence, Goosby says

Dec 17 2009

U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator Eric Goosby "said future programmes to prevent HIV infection would be those supported by the best scientific evidence," reports the Financial Times. Goosby told the Financial Times in an interview: "I will always wrap myself in the science as the justification of decision-making. I will not factor in an ideological rationale."

"His comments signal a break with past restrictions on how PEPFAR spent its funding, which constrained its ability to support some of the most effective organisations working with prostitutes, drug users and younger people at highest risk from the virus," the newspaper writes. Goosby said to the newspaper, "We need to have abstinence and fidelity closely linked to condom distribution."

The PEPFAR five-year strategy announced recently "will closely track HIV infections, and emphasise 'prevention strategies that have been proven effective, and [target] interventions to the most at-risk populations with high incidence rates,'" the Financial Times writes. Though PEPFAR's new strategy emphasizes a commitment to prevention and targeting high-risk groups, it "remains scant on detail," the Financial Times writes. The article includes Goosby's views on the success of PEPFAR to date and his thoughts on the program's future (Jack, 12/16).

The webcast of a Kaiser Family Foundation town hall with Goosby to discuss the PEPFAR five-year strategy is available online.