Powell to Convene ‘Brainstorming’ Forum to Explore Role of Public-Private Partnerships in Fight Against HIV/AIDS

Secretary of State Colin Powell will convene a "brainstorming session" on Monday with other Bush administration officials, public health experts and corporate leaders to discuss how to foster public-private partnerships to fight HIV/AIDS, USA Today reports. State Department officials say that the "Open Forum" will be used to investigate "new types of collaborations," such as pairing U.S. hospitals with hospitals in developing countries to improve patient care. The idea of using public-private partnerships to combat HIV/AIDS has increased in popularity over the past few years because politicians and public health experts have started "grappl[ing]" with the expense of addressing HIV/AIDS on a worldwide scale (Sternberg, USA Today, 6/21). While Powell cannot legally solicit donations to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, "the implied message [of the forum] is clear," the Wall Street Journal reports (Calmes, Wall Street Journal, 6/21). Thomas Coates, director of the AIDS Research Institute at the University of California-San Francisco, said he hoped corporations and foundations would finance pilot programs that could eventually be used to "justify large-scale, government-funded programs." Commerce Secretary Don Evans and Scott Evertz, director of the White House Office of National AIDS Policy, are expected to take part in the meeting (USA Today, 6/21). Representatives from Ford Motor Co., Deloitte & Touch and McKinsey & Co. also are expected to attend (Calms, Wall Street Journal, 6/21). HHS Secretary Tommy Thompson and Labor Secretary Elaine Chao had planned to attend but have since backed out due to scheduling conflicts (USA Today, 6/21).