|
|
|
|
|
President George
W. Bush
We are health care providers, researchers, religious leaders, advocates and HIV positive women working daily on the frontlines in the ongoing struggle to improve the lives of women and families throughout the world, and particularly in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean. We are convinced that a consistent global response to HIV/AIDS requires more than financial assistance. Given the close connections between HIV/AIDS and poverty, an effective response to HIV/AIDS will require consistent and sustained strategies for the eradication of poverty eradication, efforts to eliminate patterns of male violence and domination, renewed attention to the links between sex, gender, and power, and in many settings, and most particularly in Africa, a sustainable solution to the burden of debt. Though details on how you would address these issues were lacking, we nonetheless, welcomed the announcement in January that your administration would dramatically increase US funding for HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment and care in Africa and the Caribbean. We recognized that the HIV/AIDS initiative announced by the US government could have meant increased assistance to address the needs of those most vulnerable to HIV infection throughout the world. These hopes were dashed, however, when we learned that you planned to expand the "global gag rule" to HIV funding, thereby disqualifying a large number of organizations-especially family planning programs-from delivering integrated HIV prevention services. We understand that your administration is considering expanding these restrictions to all development assistance. Rather than saving lives, this policy will have the opposite effect: consigning untold numbers of women and girls to infection, suffering and premature death that could otherwise have been prevented. Women now represent half of those infected with HIV worldwide and 58 percent of those in Sub-Saharan Africa, where the AIDS epidemic has taken the greatest toll to date. Women and girls are at highest risk for HIV infection for a broad range of reasons, including lack of social and economic power, lack of access to information and services, and widespread violence and sexual coercion against women. For these same reasons, women also are at high risk of unintended pregnancy. Today, conservative estimates by the World Health Organization indicate that over 600,000 women die each year from complications related to pregnancy, including obstructed labor, hemorrhage, and infections resulting from unsafe abortion. Indeed nearly one-sixth of all maternal deaths result from the complications of unsafe abortion in countries where safe services are either illegal or inaccessible. Beyond the figures, we know the faces as we see them every day. Integrated sexual
and reproductive health services offer pre- and post-natal care, family planning
information and supplies, nutrition information, infant and childcare services
and a host of other basic health care interventions. They offer HIV prevention
information and skills training to women at risk. Increasingly, they are working
to change the cultural and social norms that promote violence and other forms
of discrimination against women, as well as to encourage men and boys to practice
safe sex, refrain from violence and coercion against women and girls, and engage
in relationships based on mutuality and respect. Without these programs the
epidemic we know today would be far worse. We know that integrated sexual and reproductive health care saves lives, and that the single most effective strategy to prevent unnecessary deaths is to combine political will, economic resources, and sound public health policies to strengthen and expand access to sexual and reproductive health services. Each and every one of these deaths can be prevented. To do any less represents a moral and political failing. Yet we watch as the United States attempts on every level to undermine such services throughout the world. We therefore write to tell you in the strongest possible terms that we oppose the Mexico City Policy in its current form, and we oppose any expansion of this policy to HIV/AIDS funding, development assistance or debt relief. We urge you in the strongest possible terms to abandon your plan to expand these restrictions in any form, and to do what is needed to increase funding for and access to reproductive health services including HIV prevention. Doing so will save the lives of hundreds of thousands of women throughout the world each year. It will give your stated commitment to compassion and to family values some serious meaning. Sincerely,
Dr. Uzodinma A.
Adirieje, Executive Coordinator Betty Akullo, Coordinator Dr. Marijke Alblas,
International Medical Consultant in Reproductive Health Tsehaines Amanual,
Infrastructure Officer Tebereh Andemichaiel,
Executive Secretary Aadielah Anderson,
Soul Buddyz Programme Manager Cheryl Ayogu, Provincial
Coordinator Mrs. Noelene Blekkenhorst,
Director Lindsey Breslin,
Technical Advisor Wamundu I. Cassette,
Health Educator Dina Cormick Leslie Cumming,
HIV/AIDS Intern Dr. Kim Eva Dickson,
Regional Development Director Lynne Duffy, RN,
PhD, Nurse Educator Esther Endalé,
National Treasurer Gary Engelberg,
Co-Director Odette Ngo Etame,
President Susan Fox, Research
Manager Akberet Fre, Dy.
Dev. Coordinator Margaret Gecaga Nathan Geffen Dr. Susan Goldstein,
Senior Manager-Research and Children's Series Rosemary Gravenor Chloe Hardy, Paralegal Maryrose Baby Ikumi,
HIV & AIDS Programme Advisor, Dr. Rachel Jewkes,
Director-Gender & Health Group Mr. Sangeet H.
Jooseery, Executive Director Konjit Kefetew Dr. Gudrun Kober,
Psychology Department Mme Catherine Kouakou,
Assistante Sociale Daniel Kumeh, Programs
Coordinator Prof G. Lynne Lackey Amasse Leon, Directeur
Executif, Ingrid Martens,
Bureau Chief, Executive Producer Judi Merckel, National
Coordinator Zanele B. Mhlanga-Karl Lori Michau, Co-Director Promise Mthembu,
Sexual and Reproductive Rights Officer Semret Narayo,
Community Health Assistant Mvioki Nkadi, Executive
Secretary Theodora Nyamboli,
External Relations Secretary Josepha Nyirankundabera,
President Naomi Nyitambe,
Reproductive Health Officer, Odor King Obinna,
Program Officer Clifford Odimegwu,
Executive Director William N. Okedi,
Program Officer Adeyemi Omotunde
Tajudeen Dorothy Onyango,
Founding Member and Trustee Baron Oron, Trainer Ruth Prinsloo Monenese Semela Fatou Sow, Professor
and Researcher, National University of Senegal Vivienne Taylor,
Professor, University of Cape Town Dr. Judy Tobler,
Department of Religious Studies Mountaga Toure,
Executive Director Edwin Kabiru Wanjiku,
Psychological Counselor Samantha Willan,
Project Director Issifou Yaya, Medical
Assistant
Md. Ziaul Ahsan,
Secretary General Romeo Arca Jr.,
M.A., Center for Health Policy Studies Mahansen Al Emam,
Journalist and Director Dr. Rama Baru,
Centre of Social Medicine and Community Health Nattaya Boonpakdee,
Coordinator Meiwita Budiharsana,
Program Officer - Sexuality and Reproductive Health Anjana Das, Clinical
Specialist Mina Das, Secretary Celina D'Costa,
Regional Contact Jacqueline Devine,
Deputy-Country Representative Alvin M. Dizon Ani Choying Drolma,
Founder Heinrich B. Dulay,
Program Officer Gracie Fong, Administrative
Officer Gigi Francisco,
Professor, Miriam College Elijah Fung, Manager Asha George, Research
Consultant Shankar Ghose,
President Dr. Padma Grover Anna de Guzman,
Field Project Director Attashendartini
Habsyah, Lecturer Mai-Anh Hoang,
Country Representative Pinar Ilkkaracan Sumie Ishii, Deputy
Executive Director Aditi Iyer, Research
Consultant Dr. Latha Jagannathan,
Medical Director and Managing Trustee Zanaa Jurmed, Director Indra P. Kambo,
Consultant Datuk Dr Raj Karim,
Regional Director Jane Keith-Reid,
Executive Director Ahsan Khalique
Khan Rita Kolibonso,
Director P. Lalitha Kumari,
General Secretary Dr. Sea Baick Lee,
President Ms. Louise Lee-Jones,
Programme Officer Herna Lestari,
Director Marina Mahathir,
President Rekha Masilamani,
Country Representative Kanchan Mathur,
Professor and Head Sudipta Mondal,
Research Scholar Vanita Mukherjee,
Sociologist Dr. Nirmala Murthy,
President Ginger Norwood,
Coordinator Anne Philpott,
International Programme Manager Yohana Prawitasari,
Lecturer- Faculty of Psychology Brahm Press, HIV/AIDS
and Mobility Researcher Anita Rachman,
Lecturer Rama Kant Rai Dr.Mohan Rao, Centre
for Social Medicine and Community Health Dr. Gabrielle Ross,
Regional Advisor, Gender and Women's Health Gita Sen, Professor,
Indian Institute of Management and Business Seona Smiles, Communication
Officer Marine Solomonishvili,
President Prof. Pham Song,
President Sujal Stebbins,
Coordinator Dr. R. Sukanya,
Faculty Member, Achutha Menon Centre for Health Science Studies, Zoemrotin K. Susilo,
Vice-Chairperson Dr. Padmini Swaminathan,
Professor Ruchira Tabassum
Naved, Ph. D. Marina Tabukashvili,
Women's Program Coordinator Dr. B. P. Thiagarajan,
Joint Director - Monitoring & Evaluation Maria Ullfah, Chair Ashok Vohra, Professor
of Philosophy Ninuk Widyantoro,
Chair
Alexandros Alavanos Dominique Audouze,
Advocacy Officer Loraine Bacchus,
Primary Health Care Advocacy Worker Dr. Karine Balyan,
Public Health Adviser Anne Barclay, Past
President Jessica Bazarrabusa-Horn,
Programme Officer Mirabel Bausinger,
Assistant Programme Officer Marge Berer, Editor Dr. Arsene Bikoue,
President Petra Bongartz,
Programme Assistant for Partnerships A.A.L.J. van den
Broek Catherine Budgett-Meakin,
Population and Sustainability Project Coordinator Jennifer M. Bushee,
Communications Coordinator Marco Cappato Michael Cashman Greice Cerqueira,
Coordinator Ms. Pornthip Chompook Bjarne B. Christensen,
Executive Director Carol Connolly,
Finance and Administration Officer Susan F. Crane,
Executive Director Prof. Viktorija
Cucic, MD, Ph.D., Medical Faculty and Chair Isabelle Defeu Jocelyn DeJong,
Institute for Development Policy and Management Susan Downhill,
Regional Accountant Bernice Dubois,
General Secretary Jos Dusseljee,
Operational Director Ilse Egers Dr.Rayah Feldman,
Faculty of Humanities and Social Science Dr. Hans Fleisch,
Executive Director Eva Foldvari, Program
Manager-Network Women's Program Anna Foss, Research
Fellow-Department of Public Health and Policy Arlette Gautier,
Laboratoire "Population et Environnement" Rebecca Gomperts,
M.D. Ms. Gill Gordon Lissy Gröner,
John Guillebaud,
Emeritus Professor of Family Planning and Reproductive Health Christophe Z. Guilmoto,
Directeur de Recherche Jyotsna A. Gupta,
PhD Kate Harrison,
Treasurer Elfriede Harth,
European Representative Catherine Heaney,
Chief Executive Mrs. Jan Hemlin,
Vice-President Patricia Hindmarsh Andrew Hobbs Belisar Hoxholli Brett Hunter, Analyst Greg Hunter, United Kingdom Pol Jansegers Yvette M. Jarvis,
City Council Woman Willeke Kempkes,
MPH, Policy Advisor on HIV/AIDS Glenys Kinnock Emily T. Knox,
Program Coordinator-XV International AIDS Conference Daphne Kouretas Esmeralda Kuliesyte,
Executive Director Cecilia Kusters Professor Dr. Ingrid
Langer, President Els Leye, Scientific
Collaborator Ms. Helen Liebling,
Chartered Clinical Psychologist/Ph.D Student Katarina Lindahl,
Secretary-General Chris Lomon, Directeur Jo Manchester,
Founder Member Christina Marouli,
PhD, Sociologist and Environmental Policy Analyst, Elizabeth McKay,
Trustee Wouter A. Meijer,
Executive Director Suzy Mommaerts Rina Nissim Diane Nash, Programme
Action Wanda Nowicka,
President Sue O'Sullivan,
Supporter Aasha Pai, Senior
Programmes Support Manager David Paricio Salas Olga Pietruchova,
Chairwoman Andrea Powell,
Director Elisabeth Pracht Liz Probert Mar Pujades, Clinical
Research Fellow Dirk Pyck, Director Anna Rapolti, Program
Coordinator Tobias Raschke,
Founder and Spokesperson Els Reniers, Financial
Accountant Anne-Marie Rey,
Co-president Francisca Sauquillo Roula Scoutari,
Creatress Steven W. Sinding,
Director-General Lene Sjorup, Ph.D. Eva Skoudaropoulou,
Teacher Mrs José
Sluijs-Doyle Catherine Stihler Katerini Storeng,
Research Fellow Fern Terris-Prestholt Adrienne Testa Dr. Nahid Toubia,
President Robert Toubon,
Director of Strategy Arantzazu Urzelai
Inurritegi, Médica Especialista en Medicina Preventiva Elena Valenciano
Martínez-Orozco, Diputada Socialista MariJo Vazquez,
Trustee Stephanie Vella Karlijn Verduin,
Project Management Assistant Ana Vicente Dr Rob Vincent,
Learning Coordinator Helene Voeten,
MA, Department of Public Health Hettie Walters,
Specialist Gender and Diversity in Rural Development Dr Alice Welbourn,
Chair Maria Zuurmond,
Trustee
Rosângela
Aparecida Talib Adriana Helena
Araújo Tavares, Médica Carla Bakboord,
President Graciela Biagini,
Cátedra Sociología de la Salud Gilda Cabral Esperanza Cerón
Villaquirán, MD, General Coordinator Flor María
Chalarca, Executive Director Sandra Clenem,
National Representative María Consuelo
Mejía, Director Sonia Corrêa,
Coordinator of the Gender Initiative Dona Da Costa Martinez,
Executive Director Celia Eccher, Coordinator,
REPEM. Red Latinoamericana de Mujeres y Educación María Eugenia
Romero Contreras, Executive Director Monique Essed-Fernandes,
Chair Advisory Board Beatriz Galli,
Coordenadora Executiva Carlos García
de León, President Nadine Gasman,
Executive Director Carla Gisele Batista,
Educadora do SOS Corpo Adriana Gómez Esther Gladys González,
Presidente Nirvana Gonzalez,
Board Member Anna C Gorter,
M.D., Ph.D. Taciana Gouveia,
Coord. Educação Madalena Guilhon Katia Guimarães,
Coordenadora do Fórum de Mulheres do Distrito Federal María Hamlin
Zúniga, MPH, Global Coordinator Teresa Lanza Monje,
Director Márcia Larangeira
Jácome, Coord. Comunicação Marina Laski, Psychologist,
Sexologist Ana Cristina Lima
do Nascimento, Jornalista Alfonso Lopez Juárez Ximena Machicao,
Board Member Cecilia Olea Mauleón,
Board President Maria Betânia
de Melo Ávila, Coordenação Geral Sonia Rene Molina
Cabala, Arquitecta Diana Mores Lynn Murchison,
Project Coordinator Fátima Oliveira,
Secretária Executiva Nancy Palomino,
Board Member Magaly Pazello Roberto Pereira,
Psicólogo Beatriz Peres Ana Maria Pizarro,
Board Member Ana Paula Portella,
Coord. Pesquisa Carolina Pujades Ana Quiros V.,
Director Alexandre M. Rangel,
Coordenação Executiva Emma Reyes, Board
Member Solange Rocha,
Coordenação de Programa Gracia Violeta
Ross, Focal Point for REDLA+ Guadalupe Salas
Eda Aguilar Samanamud,
Executive Director Alessandra Sampaio
Chacham, Regional Coordinator Sílvia Maria
Sampaio Camurça, Educadora do SOS Corpo Lic. Marita Sanchez,
Chair, Sociology of the Health Maggie Schmeitz,
Treasurer Mariel Tosoratti,
Coordinadora Alejandra Trossero,
Co-Vice-Chair Sandra Unbehaum,
Sociologa Paula Viana, Coordenadora Denise Viola David Vitor, Presidente Eleny Xavier, Coordenação
Administrativa e Financeira
Lyn Adamson Colleen Cameron,
Lecturer-Gender, Health & Development Linda Capperauld,
Executive Director Ainsley Chapman Rosemary A Ganley George Harris,
Financial Assistant Kathleen Howes Jennifer Kitts,
Senior Advisor-Sexual and Reproductive Rights Janet Madsen, Communications
Coordinator Michelle Marchione Katherine McDonald,
Executive Director Cara Moody Greta Hofmann Nemiroff,
President Margaret Rao, Co-Chair
Toronto Chapter Lenore Sullivan,
M.A. Molly Sutkaitis
Roxanne Adams,
Course Coordinator Virginia Braun,
Department of Psychology Kel Browne Dr. Nicola Gavey,
Senior Lecturer in Psychology Jo Green, PhD Candidate John McKiernan Chris Remington,
Clinic Manager
|
