HIV/AIDS and Women

March 8, 2012

As we celebrate International Women’s Day and the many strides women across the globe have made, we are also reminded of the difficult and complex  fight ahead. While we have made much progress in the fight against HIV and AIDS, women continue to bear the blunt of the epidemic. 50 percent of the world’s population living with HIV are women. Think about this number for a minute. 

We know for sure if we do not provide sufficient treatment to those affected, many of them will die. This is one of the many reasons why the U.S. should continue to fund HIV/AIDS treatment and prevention programs. Because without them, we will lose our sisters, mothers, daughters, and friends.

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Posted by Patricia Kisare

Treatment is Prevention

July 25, 2011

Patricia Kisare reflects on global progress in treating  HIV/AIDS for Third Way Cafe:

According to the United Nations AIDS agency, the global annual rate of new HIV cases dropped by 25 percent over the last ten years, and some6.6 million people were on treatment at the end of 2010. But another 9 million people who qualify for treatment are unable to get it due to lack of funding.

Read more.

Leave a Comment » | Articles, HIV/AIDS, Issues, Office Publications | Permalink
Posted by Patricia Kisare

Funding Our Priorities

February 23, 2011

Early Saturday February 19 the House of Representatives passed legislation (H.R. 1)

MCC/Melissa Engle

that would cut federal spending by $61 billion.  The cuts come mainly in programs dedicated to assistance for vulnerable populations in the U.S. and internationally.

 

You can let your Senators know that this approach to the budget is neither responsible nor just.

Together, these two areas of the budget represent just 15 percent of U.S. spending.  Although the same legislation requests  a defense budget 3 percent lower than the President’s 2011 request, it is still $8 billion higher than 2010 levels.  Defense spending represents over 50 percent of U.S. discretionary (not mandatory) spending.

The math is questionable: how can we address the deficit without addressing the most expensive portion of the budget?  Even beyond military spending, H.R. 1 fails to adequately address a number of root causes of the nation’s deficit.

Read the rest of this entry »

Leave a Comment » | Africa, Asia, Civil Rights, Crime and Justice, Environment, Global Economic Justice, Gulf Coast, Health Care, HIV/AIDS, Immigration, Latin America/Caribbean, Legislative Updates, Middle East, Militarism, Native American, Resources, U.S. Economic Justice | Tagged: , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Christina Warner

UNAIDS releases a report on HIV/AIDS

November 23, 2010

Investments  in global HIV/AIDS programs save lives.  The new report (2010) by the United Nations’ programme on  HIV/AIDS shows that the number of new infections and death from Aids are declining. Whilst progress has been made, the report also reveals that there is a sharp increase in new infections and Aids related deaths in other parts of the globe (i.e. Eastern Europe and central Asia) where the rates were lower. This mixed progress underlines the need for continued global efforts to fund HIV/AIDS programs.

Click here to read the full report.

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Posted by Patricia Kisare

Quote: 3/3/2010

March 3, 2010

Women and girls are not victims, they are the driving force that brings about social transformation.

- Michael Sidibe, UNAIDS Executive Director discussing women and HIV/AIDS

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Posted by Mary Stata

World AIDS Day

December 1, 2009

Melissa Engle/MCC

Today is World AIDS Day.  Today 5,500 people will die of AIDS.  Today 8,200 will become infected with HIV.  While it is important to recognize recent  achievements in the fight against HIV/AIDS, including declining HIV related deaths worldwide, significant challenges remain.

The Obama Administration is currently developing their budget proposal for the next fiscal year.  It is critical for HIV/AIDS policy to address the particular needs of women and girls, strengthen health systems, and provide reliable and flexible assistance that will help meet long term goals.

PEPFAR and the Global Fund are still not fully funded.  Failing to robustly fund these vital programs threatens to wipe away the gains and progress of the past few years.   December 1 is an opportunity to lift our voices and urge decision makers in Washington to keep their promises.

This is the fourth and final installment in a series of weekly blog posts leading up to World AIDS Day on December 1.  Click here to learn more about MCC’s HIV/AIDS programming and here to learn more about HIV/AIDS policy.

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Posted by Mary Stata

AIDS Leading Cause of Death for Women and Girls Worldwide

November 23, 2009

Melissa Engle/MCC

The World Health Organization (WHO) recently released a report that revealed AIDS to be the leading cause of death and disease for women and girls worldwide.  According to an AP article,  a WHO analyst stated that

Women enjoy a biological advantage because they tend to live six to eight years longer than men. But in many parts of the world they suffer serious disadvantages because of poverty, poorer access to health care and cultural norms that put a priority on the well-being of men.

Addressing the particular issues and vulnerabilities that women face – including gender based violence, economic disempowerment, lack of education, etc – is crucial in developing HIV/AIDS policies, budgets, programming, and performance monitoring and evaluation.

This is the third in a series of weekly blog posts leading up to World AIDS Day on December 1.  Click here to learn more about MCC’s HIV/AIDS programming and here to learn more about HIV/AIDS policy.

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Posted by Mary Stata

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