Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Science Management Working Group (SMRG) meeting in Building 31 to discuss the clinical center issues and the proposition to open it to the extramural community in exchange for the inflationary increases being paid for out of the total NIH budget instead of just the IRP budget. Still pending what the decision will be. That night had dinner at Assaggi in Bethesda with Mark Harrington, Gregg Gonsalves and David Barr to discuss the underfunding of PEPFAR and what to do about it. In this regard, big issue looming among the international and national AIDS advocacy community about the POTUS GHI that includes PEPFAR, but funds PEPFAR at almost level instead of the expected increases by the community. POTUS wants to expand GHI beyond just PEPFAR and include, child health, maternal health, women’s health, NTDs, etc. Thus, PEPFAR is somewhat competing with others for a limited pot of money. Many African health officials such as Peter Mugyenyi are openly complaining about this and getting agitated. Obama is looking in the eyes of the activists as anti-AIDS, which he is not. However, it is clear that AIDS is not his highest priority. Earlier in the day I appeared on the Diane Rehm show on just this topic of shortfunding of PEPFAR. On with me was Stephen Lewis (former UN envoy at large for HIV and Peter Mugyenyi and Eric Goosby. Lewis as usual was sanctimonious.