Mehret Mandefro's blog

The XVII International AIDS Conference set a precedent. The United States AIDS epidemic was contextualized within the larger global epidemic unlike ever before. The new statistics revealing the disparities regarding HIV incidence rates were presented alongside protesters who reminded us that the U.S. has no national AIDS strategy. The authoritative report released by the Black AIDS Institute, Left Behind (Black America: A neglected priority in the global AIDS epidemic) added fuel to the fire. The United States health disparities were squarely placed on the international stage for all to judge.

The world watched, listened and made some recommendations. At a regional dialogue, where thirty women of the Global North and South met to discuss solidarity, more than one woman from the Global South mentioned the unique opportunity the United States has to learn from the PEPFAR recipients.

These comments resonated deeply with me. The thought of the United States actually learning from the countries it is trying to help reflects a massive opportunity to build transnational solidarity. PEPFAR recipient countries have been engaged in scaling-up national AIDS programs in difficult circumstances that have much to teach about how you implement a national AIDS strategy.

The question is: will we listen? And more importantly, who will be at the table deciding?  read more »