This Youth AIDS Day Focuses on Chains That Hold People Down

As part of their call for Universal Treatment Access by 2010, the Student Global AIDS Campaign calls on Congress to address the lack of healthcare workers in Africa.

Image courtesy: fightglobalaids.org

(SALEM) - For Youth AIDS Day, members of the Student Global AIDS Campaign (SGAC) at Willamette University are visiting the offices of Senator Ron Wyden and Representative Darlene Hooley dressed as health care workers with their hands tied, to symbolize International Monetary Fund (IMF) policies that impede countries from being able to invest in healthcare infrastructure.

In 2005 at the G8 Summit, world leaders promised Universal Treatment Access for those living with the virus by 2010. AIDS activists contend that if this goal is to be realized, countries must be able to train and retain doctors, nurses and community health care workers.

Nelya Drofyak, a member of SGAC and student at Willamette University said, “It is our responsibility as educated, privileged students to care about what is going on in our world.”

Activists are calling on their congressional representatives to support a bill sponsored by Senator Durbin (D-IL) that would direct funding to the health care worker shortage in Africa.

The bill, the African Health Capacity Investment Act of 2007, represents an important response in strengthening health capacity in sub-Saharan Africa, but needs additional funds to comprehensively address the situation.

The activists are calling for $8 billion dollar over the next 5 years, with $650 million for the fiscal year 2008.

Additionally, the students are asking that language be included to address the damaging policies of the IMF. They are asking their representatives in Congress to include language within the bill that instructs the United States’ representatives to the International Monetary Fund to veto on any loan agreement that does not remove sector budget ceilings from health and education spending.

“AIDS is the crisis of our generation and we are committed to fighting it in every way we can and addressing the health care worker crisis is an integral part of the fight,” said Elliott Williams, a student at Willamette University.