Brazil will not accept funding from the United States for its AIDS prevention program until Washington drops a demand that Brazil condemn prostitution, the head of the huge countrys AIDS program said last week (3 May).
Brazil has turned down 40 million US dollar from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) for its AIDS program because of what it sees as conditions that are not based on scientific evidence in fighting the disease.
Brazil may be one of the first countries to take a clear stance against President Bush and the Republican-controlled Congress attempts to link foreign aid to conservative policies.
– Biblical principles is their guide, not science, Pedro Checkr, director of Brazils globally-lauded AIDS program, said, adding: – his premise is inadequate because it hurts our autonomous national policy.
Brazilian officials worry that condemnation of prostitution would hurt their program – seen as a model for developing nations in fighting AIDS – because sex workers are one of the groups targeted in their educational campaigns.
Brazil promotes the use of condoms, handing out free condoms and giving free access for HIV patients to an anti-AIDS drug cocktail.
The USAID grant, which began in 2003, was to continue until 2008 and total 48 million dollar. In 2003, an act of Congress obliged organizations receiving USAID funding to specifically have a policy opposed to prostitution and sex trafficking.
– I hope that the American Congress starts to reconsider this. I think the United States should start to recognize the principles of others. … The damage is great, damage for the US and damage to the fight on the disease, Checkr said.
He said Brazil received funding from other countries as well, such as Germany, where there are no strings attached.
Brazil has threatened to break the patents of big drug companies anti-AIDS drugs to produce local copies. The policy has helped ensure that around 600.000 Brazilians live with the virus compared with experts predictions in the 1990s that the country would have 1 million people affected by it by 2000.
Correspondents say references to prostitution are likely to become a condition for all US Aids funding. Washington says it is important not to promote prostitution, and does not want any of its funds to be spent on treating prostitutes.
US President George Bush has allocated 15 billion US dollar to the worldwide fight against Aids. Much of the spending is being channelled to programmes that advocate abstinence, rather than condom use, and cannot be used for abortions or to treat prostitutes.
But Aids activists in Brazil said the clause would hamper the treatment of infected sex workers and their clients. Mr. Checkr also called for official recognition of prostitution as a profession in Brazil.
Sex workers should have the right to collect state welfare payments like other workers, he said.
– That clause shows disrespect for sex workers. We advocate the legalisation of the profession, with the right to collect INSS [social security] and a pension, said Mr Checkr.
Kilde: The Push Journal
