FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: |
CONTACT: |
Bill Barker (202) 419-3420
|
January 19, 2006 |
|
|
Advocates for Youth Raises Concern Over USAID Nominee
Ambassador Tobias' Abstinence-Only-Until-Marriage Policy Called Outrageous and Irresponsible By Former Top USAID Official
WASHINGTON, DC (January 19, 2006) Today, Secretary Condoleezza Rice will announce the nomination of Ambassador Randall Tobias, currently Coordinator of the Office of Global AIDS, for the position of Administrator to the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
"We need to take a hard look at Ambassador Tobias’ track record in implementing the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR)," said James Wagoner, President of Advocates for Youth. “Under his direction, HIV prevention programs have shifted from being based in public health science to being dictated by the abstinence-only-until-marriage ideology of the Bush administration.”
A recent Baltimore Sun story disclosed Ambassador Tobias’ campaign to shift even more dollars into abstinence-only programs while cutting back on support for condoms. Duff Gillespie, who was in charge of AIDS programs at USAID until 2002, was quoted saying Tobias’ policy was “outrageous and stupid… [and] from a public health policy point of view its irresponsible.”
"Ambassador Tobias has a track record of playing fast and loose with research on condoms and their role in AIDS prevention,” continued Wagoner. “Studies have shown that condoms play an integral role in the prevention of this deadly disease.”
Appearing on the Lehrer News Hour, however, Ambassador Tobias, stated that “condoms have never been effective anywhere in the world in curtailing broad based general epidemics in the broad population.” He bases this claim on a UNAIDS sponsored study, although he ignores the study’s ultimate conclusion, which states, “Whatever the difficulties of condom promotion, this approach must be used to best advantage. There are not so many weapons against AIDS that we can forgo any, nor is any so effective that it makes the others superfluous.”
Ambassador Tobias has also quoted selectively from a policy briefing paper of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, again failing to point out that the paper recommends that “increased investments in condom promotion, distribution, and strengthened logistics are required as current supplies are severely inadequate.”
"By conservative estimate, there are 11 million sexually active, non-married adolescents in the countries covered by PEPFAR,” said Wagoner. “The failure of Ambassador Tobias to address these young people’s needs with anything but ‘secondary abstinence’ places them at risk for HIV.”
"Many statements made by Ambassador Tobias serve to undermine public confidence in condoms, despite clear evidence that they are highly effective in protecting against HIV infection,” Wagoner added. “Ambassador Tobias had done some good things with PEPFAR funds, but when it comes to prevention he has caved to the ideologues.”
"As head of USAID, Ambassador Tobias will not only be responsible for AIDS funding, but also in charge of population and family planning programs,” concluded Wagoner. “How will his anti-science ideology impact programs vital to protecting the health of women and young people around the world?”
###
Advocates for Youth is a national, nonprofit organization that creates programs and supports policies that help young people make safe, responsible decisions about their sexual and reproductive health.
RETURN TO INDEX OF PRESS RELEASES >>
|
Send this page to a friend