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The Newsletter of amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research • Summer 2009 Vol. 7, No. 1 INNOVATIONS March 2009 ISSN:1546-3745 amfAR Issues Call to Action at Capitol Hill Summit Nancy Pelosi, “Magic” Johnson, Jeffrey Crowley, Dr. Anthony Fauci Among Speakers National leaders and HIV/AIDS experts called on the federal gov- ernment to take swift action to fulfill President Obama’s pledge to strengthen the domestic AIDS response at a Washington, D.C., confer- ence on May 13, co-sponsored by amfAR and Research!America. Participants emphasized the urgency of implementing an evidence-based national AIDS strategy aimed at lowering the incidence of HIV infection, increasing access to care, and reducing the profound racial disparities of the epidemic. The landmark summit was the first major conference to address the future of the fight against HIV/AIDS since the new administration took office. “Today’s conference gives us hope that by increasing our investments in research and marshalling the skills of these experts, Moderator Ted Koppel, senior we can make tremendous strides in prevention, treatment, and care news analyst for NPR, and of HIV/AIDS,” said conference chair Dr. Susan Blumenthal, amfAR’s senior policy keynote speaker Earvin “Magic” Johnson discussed HIV and and medical adviser. stigma, particularly in the U.S. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), who received amfAR’s Award African-American community. (Photo: Paul Morigi/WireImage) of Courage along with Earvin “Magic” Johnson, Senator Edward Kennedy (D-MA), and former U.S. Surgeon General Dr. C. Everett Koop, discussed the importance of CONTINUED ON PAGE 3 From Cameroon to Kazakhstan, MSM Initiative Extends Its Reach In Memoriam New Round of Awards Targets Eastern Europe and Central Asia It is well established that HIV epidemics world, amfAR launched its MSM worldwide are concentrated among Initiative in 2007. vulnerable populations, such as injection Since announcing a first round drug users, sex workers, and men who of awards in February 2008, amfAR have sex with men (MSM). Indeed, a has supported community-based HIV 2007 study found that MSM in low- and programs for MSM in Africa, Asia and middle-income countries were 19 times the Pacific, the Caribbean, and Latin more likely to be infected with HIV than America. In June, a new round of the general population. funding was announced for grassroots To help reduce these inordinately groups working to stem rising rates of amfAR Trustee high rates of infection and support vital HIV infection in Eastern Europe and Natasha Richardson, HIV/AIDS programs in the developing Central Asia. 1963–2009. (Story page 8) CONTINUED ON PAGE 6 FROM THE CEO INNOVATIONS The Newsletter of amfAR, The Foundation The Challenge and Opportunity for AIDS Research of a National AIDS Strategy Summer 2009 120 Wall Street, 13th Floor New York, NY 10005-3908 New estimates about it emphasizes bottom-line outcomes and the tel: (212) 806-1600 fax: (212) 806-1601 the HIV infection rate need for a more strategic, accountable, and in America should coordinated federal response—not simply more 1150 17th Street, NW, Suite 406 Washington, DC 20036-4622 serve as a wake- resources and programs. Like the broader effort tel: (202) 331-8600 up call to all of us. for health reform, a national HIV/AIDS strategy fax: (202) 331-8606 More than 1.1 million is going to require fresh thinking instead of just TREAT Asia Americans are living Exchange Tower more of the same. 388 Sukhumvit Road, Suite 2104 with HIV, and about The domestic effort on HIV requires Klongtoey, Bangkok 10110 Thailand half of them are not expanded resources and immediate action tel: (+66) 2 663-7561 receiving care. Additionally, profound racial to enact evidence-based policies. Beyond fax: (+66) 2 663-7562 disparities continue to characterize AIDS in our those measures, however, we need a revitalized www.amfar.org country. Yet while the President’s Emergency response to AIDS with specific targets to help Plan for AIDS Relief requires that nations Newsletter Staff lower incidence, increase access to care, and Joshua R. Lamont receiving its funds develop comprehensive reduce disparities, along with annual reporting Vice President, Public Information Andrew McInnes national AIDS plans, 28 years into the epidemic on progress toward these targets. Director, Public Information the U.S. still does not have a national strategy Designing the strategy will challenge all Constance Herndon Senior Staff Writer to guide the use of AIDS-related dollars or hold those engaged to identify what works and what Carolyn Hanson government agencies and others accountable needs to be improved. But the stakes are too Winnie McCroy Contributors for steadily improved outcomes. high to dodge the difficult questions and the Raoul Norman-Tenazas At a recent Capitol Hill conference on HIV/ Creative Director political challenges ahead. With presidential Yolande Hunter AIDS (see page 1), amfAR issued a call to leadership and the broad collaboration of Creative Coordinator action urging our political leaders to adopt a committed stakeholders, a national HIV/AIDS national AIDS strategy. We cannot continue strategy can help all of us—government, the to address a serious national epidemic with a private sector, affected communities, and largely uncoordinated, patchwork response that people living with HIV/AIDS—establish a has been flat funded for years and is too often much more efficient and effective response amfAR meets the BBB hindered by policies not based on evidence of to AIDS at home. Wise Giving Alliance’s Standards what works. That is why President Obama’s for Charity Accountability commitment to a national strategy has received such broad support in the AIDS and health communities. amfAR recognizes American Airlines for its generous support of But a national HIV/AIDS strategy could amfAR’s mission. lead to dramatic progress against AIDS only if Kevin Robert Frost amfAR Welcomes New Leadership Chris Collins, a veteran AIDS advocate who has helped shape HIV/AIDS policy and communications for nearly 20 years, joined amfAR in April as vice president and director of public policy. In May, Gregory Boroff joined amfAR’s staff as vice president of development. Boroff comes to amfAR from the Food Bank for New York City, where he served as senior vice president of external relations. n Chris Collins and Gregory Boroff. 2 INNOVATIONS • SUMMER 2009 www.amfar.org POLICY CAPITOL HILL SUMMIT CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 amfAR Honors Pelosi, Johnson, Kennedy, and Koop evidence-based policies in fighting HIV/AIDS. Express- ing her confidence that President Barack Obama would Four leading figures in the fight honor his commitment to “restore science to its rightful against HIV/AIDS—House place,” she said, “Some say we must choose between Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Earvin faith and science. We say that science is the answer to “Magic” Johnson, Senator Edward our prayers.” Kennedy, and former U.S. Surgeon Jeffrey Crowley, director of the White House Office General Dr. C. Everett Koop— of National AIDS Policy, spoke of the new administra- received amfAR’s Awards of tion’s emphasis on evidence-based solutions to HIV/ Courage at its Capitol Hill summit. AIDS. “This president has asked us to focus on the Speaker Pelosi was honored domestic AIDS battle by for her work in Congress on behalf House Speaker Nancy following the science,” said of people living with HIV/AIDS and her Pelosi received amfAR’s Award of Courage from Crowley. “We now have a support for federal funding for AIDS amfAR Chairman window of opportunity to research. After amfAR Chairman of Kenneth Cole. (Photo: Paul Morigi/WireImage) refocus our efforts on the the Board Kenneth Cole presented HIV/AIDS epidemic.” Pelosi with her Award of Courage, she Stressing the importance reminisced about her first speech to the House in 1987, in which of HIV prevention among she shocked her fellow members of Congress with her vocal support youth, Dr. Kevin Fenton, for people living with HIV/AIDS. “We have made a great deal of director of the National progress since then, but so much more work remains,” she said. Center for HIV/AIDS at the Senator Kennedy, a longtime amfAR supporter and leader in Dr. Anthony Fauci, Centers for Disease Control the fight against AIDS, received the award for his instrumental role director of the National and Prevention, noted that 34 in securing passage of the legislation that has formed the bedrock Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, percent of all new HIV infec- of the U.S. government’s response to HIV/AIDS for the past two spoke about pathogenesis, tions in 2006 occurred among decades. Congressman Patrick Kennedy, Senator Kennedy’s son, treatment, and prevention. youth aged 13–29 years, and accepted the Award of Courage on his father’s behalf. that black youth comprised “Magic” Johnson was recognized for his courageous 70 percent of those cases. announcement in 1991 that he was living with HIV, and for his amfAR meets the BBB Wise Giving Alliance’s Standards amfAR CEO Kevin Robert tireless advocacy and philanthropy through the Magic Johnson for Charity Accountability Frost issued a call to action Foundation and the award-winning “I Stand With Magic” campaign. that outlined steps the gov- Ted Koppel, senior news analyst for NPR and a moderator at the ernment must take to imple- Capitol Hill conference, presented Johnson with his award. ment a national AIDS strategy amfAR recognizes American Airlines Dr. Koop, who was surgeon general during the Reagan for its generous support of amfAR’s mission. and reduce the incidence of administration from 1982 to 1989, was praised for his efforts to HIV infection in the U.S. educate Americans about HIV/AIDS at a time when few public “If this administration is figures would speak out about the crisis.

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