Congressional Briefing Examines Best Practices in Preventing Mother-to-Child HIV Transmission in Developing World
Reps. Juanita Millender-McDonald (D-Calif.), James McDermott (D-Wash.), Jim Leach (R-Iowa) and Connie Morella (R-Md.) yesterday in Washington, D.C., sponsored a briefing on best practices in preventing mother-to-child HIV transmission in the developing world for their colleagues and Capitol Hill staffers. The briefing featured key note addresses by Dr. Anthony Fauci, head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, and Dr. Anne Peterson, assistant administrator for global health at USAID. Two panel discussions featuring representatives from various HIV/AIDS advocacy groups, pharmaceutical companies and non-governmental organizations were also held. The participants included Kate Carr, president and CEO of the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation; Rick Moser, vice president of international policy at Abbott Laboratories; John Wecker, an HIV specialist at Boehringer-Ingelheim; Dr. Elaine Abrams of Columbia University-Harlem Hospital; Dr. John Galbraith, executive director of the Catholic Medical Mission Board; Dr. Janet Kayita of the Family Health International AIDS Institute and Ambassador Edith Grace Ssempala of Uganda. The panelists highlighted ongoing international efforts to combat mother-to-child transmission and called on the U.S. government and other donors to increase funding for vertical transmission prevention and expand MTCT programs to include treatment for HIV-positive women and their families (Heather Schomann, Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, 9/26).
A kaisernetwork.org HealthCast of the briefing will be available online after 12 p.m. ET today.
