history

HISTORICAL RECORD OF HIV/AIDS Anthony S. Fauci, M.D. Director National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases National Institutes of Health This written record will start today (April 11, 2001) and will state some events retrospectively. I have other records including 2 dictated tapes that should be noted. The event that precipitated this written record, which I hope that I can regularly contribute to is the tidal wave of activity concerning the possibility of treating HIV-infected individuals in developing nations and in sub-Saharan Africa specifically. Towards to end of the Clinton Administration, Leon Fuerth who was the National Security Advisor to VP Al Gore had set into motion a Task Force on which I was included (see other records) to develop a plan to “treat infected Africans and provide some infrastructure, prevention, etc. The group involved USAID, CDC, NIH, White House, State Department and others. After the election, obviously, this dissolved. However, with the new George W. Bush administration, Secr. of State Colin Powell and Secr of DHHS, Tommy G. Thompson became very interested. Starting from the end of March I began intensive briefings of Secretary. Thompson and members of his staff, particularly Terrell Halaska (Deputy Chief of Staff, DHHS) and William Steiger (Special Assistant for International Affairs at DHHS) trying to convince them of the need for USA involvement in the rapidly growing international interest in developing a forum for treating Africans with HIV. Also, I had several interactions with Anne Phelps of the Domestic Policy Council at the White House. During all of this, I had turned down the offer to be Director of NIH. I was asked by Ed. Moy (Director of Presidential Personnel at the White House) and by Secr. Thompson. My reason was that I wanted to concentrate of Global Health problems, particularly HIV/AIDS in developing nations such as sub-Saharan Africa. They regretted my not taking the job, but were enthusiastic and quite flattering about my work on AIDS and encouraged to take a leadership role in pushing the AIDS (as well as TB and malaria) global agenda. This was especially true of Secr. Thompson with whom I was rapidly developing an excellent relationship.