New York Times: Letter to the Editor

Tuesday, July 22, 2010:  Aid for Africa Executive Director writes a letter to the editor of the New York Times asking that as research on promising HIV/AIDS prevention moves forward, effective programs already in place not be shortchanged.

To the Editor:

It is heartening to read about new research focused on women and children in the fight against H.I.V./AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa (“2 African Studies Give Women Hope in Fighting H.I.V.,” front page, July 20).

Currently, some 14 million women and children in the region live with H.I.V. or AIDS — nearly two-thirds of all cases. A shift in approach to Africa’s most vulnerable is overdue and crucial.

But as we await more research on the effectiveness of microbicides and payments to families with girls in averting the spread of H.I.V., let’s ensure that funding for prevention programs already proven effective for women and children, like those that stop mother-to-child transmission of the disease, continue to be improved and expanded.

Barbara Alison Rose
Executive Director, Aid for Africa
Chevy Chase, Md., July 20, 2010

A version of this letter appeared in print on July 22, 2010, on page A26 of the New York edition.