Devex: Deborah Birx: PEPFAR’s local partner transition ‘critical’ to coronavirus response
“…As leader of the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, [White House Coronavirus Task Force Coordinator Deborah] Birx has pushed for federal agencies that implement international HIV programs to shift their funding from U.S.-based and international organizations to what she calls ‘Indigenous’ partners — those based in the countries where PEPFAR operates. At a time when most international organizations are limited by travel restrictions due to COVID-19, that effort to build a more local partner base is paying off in the pandemic response, Birx said Thursday. ‘Because of our inability in some cases for our international partners to be on the ground, our work to build local partnerships and fund our Indigenous partners has been really critical. Those are the individuals, along with our incredible embassy staff, that are sustaining these programs now, as many cannot travel,’ Birx said in remarks at the 23rd International AIDS Conference…” (Igoe, 7/10).

Devex: ‘Specificity matters’: What the COVID-19 response can learn from HIV/AIDS (Cheney, 7/10).

DW: COVID-19 Special: How can we protect people with HIV? (7/9).

Globe and Mail: COVID-19 pandemic disrupts crucial supply of life-saving HIV medicine for millions (York, 7/9).

Healio: Unsafe injection practices contribute to HIV outbreak among children in Pakistan (Dreisbach, 7/9).

Health-e News: #AidsVirtual2020: Health disparities and Covid-19 (Molelekwa, 7/9).

USA TODAY: Elton John says ‘racism and bigotry’ are hindering the fight against HIV/AIDS (Ali, 7/9).