Appendix C: Core Expertise of U.S. Government Agencies With Existing International HIV/AIDS Programs

The following list provides a brief description of the U.S. Government agencies and departments that arecurrently responding to the international HIV/AIDS pandemic.

Department of Commerce
The HIV/AIDS initiative of the Department of Commerce (DOC) serves as a conduit to the private sector, particularly to U.S. companies already engaged in HIV/AIDS activities or those not yet actively involved but interested in partnering to combat HIV/AIDS. DOC’s initiative promotes cross-sector collaboration; provides information on opportunities to foster partnerships, leverage resources, and transfer technologies to African countries; and creates a dialogue with African countries to reduce trade barriers to health care products and delivery systems.

Department of Defense
The Department of Defense (DOD) currently supports military-to-military HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention education in Africa and has supported the development of policies for dealing with HIV/AIDS in a military setting and the construction of facilities used for HIV/AIDS activities funded by other U.S. Government agencies. The Department’s HIV vaccine research program has been transferred to HHS.

Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
HHS, through its Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), its National Institutes of Health (NIH), and its Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), supports prevention, care, and treatment programs in developing countries and conducts HIV/AIDS research.

• CDC’s Global AIDS Program provides technical assistance to countries in the areas of primary prevention, surveillance and infrastructure development, and care, support, and treatment.

• NIH supports a comprehensive program of basic, clinical, and behavioral research on HIV infection and its associated opportunistic infections and malignancies that will lead to a better understanding of the basic biology of HIV, the development of effective therapies to treat it, and the design of better interventions to prevent new infections, including vaccines and microbicides. NIH supports an international research portfolio encompassing more than 50 countries and is the lead agency for biomedical research on AIDS.

• HRSA provides training and technical assistance, including twinning, nurse training, and palliative care programs in collaboration with CDC in the HHS Global AIDS Program countries.

• In addition, the Food and Drug Administration serves as an important advisory resource on drug quality, safety, and efficacy, and conducts related HIV/AIDS activities.

Department of Labor
The Department of Labor (DOL) supports projects that target the workplace for prevention education and strengthen the response to HIV/AIDS by providing technical assistance to governments, employees, and labor leaders. DOL also funds an international assistance program to reduce workplace stigma and discrimination against people living with HIV/AIDS. It also has an extensive international technical assistance program focused on child labor that works with the International Labor Organization, UNICEF, NGOs, and FBOs to implement programs targeting HIV-affected children forced to work and children involved in prostitution.

Department of State
The Office of the U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator is located within the Department of State. The Coordinator has primary responsibility for the oversight and coordination of all resources and international activities of the U.S. Government to combat the HIV/AIDS pandemic, including the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief. In addition the Department of State supports a wide range of HIV/AIDS activities and small-scale programs through its embassies in 162 countries. Most of these activities and small programs focus on prevention. Chiefs of Mission and other American officials engage in policy discussions with leaders to generate additional attention and resources for the epidemic. Small projects usually are closely targeted at the specific needs of the host country, developed in coordination with local nongovernmental organizations and municipalities, and spearheaded by the U.S. Ambassador. Embassies also use the tools of public diplomacy to reach out through print and electronic media, to facilitate exchange programs, etc. In many countries, the Ambassador’s Self-Help Program provides small-scale assistance to projects that entail extensive community involvement.

Peace Corps
The Peace Corps has more than 3,000 volunteers working on HIV/AIDS projects, including 1,000 volunteers committed as a result of the Emergency Plan. The goal of the Peace Corps HIV/AIDS program is to build community-level capacity to address the pandemic’s social, economic, and health impacts, particularly in rural areas. All volunteers serving in Africa, regardless of sector, are trained to serve as advocates and educators for HIV/AIDS prevention. In addition, the Peace Corps offers a short-term program called the Crisis Corps that mobilizes former Peace Corp Volunteers to help countries address critical needs, including HIV/AIDS.

U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)
USAID has been the lead U.S. Government agency fighting the global AIDS pandemic since 1986. Currently, USAID has bilateral programs in 50 countries and reaches an additional 48 countries through regional programs. USAID provides assistance through an “expanded response” operational plan, which focuses on countries where the magnitude and severity of the disease is high with strategies designed to respond to a particular country’s epidemic. In addition to its prevention, treatment, and care programs, USAID also has expertise in the management of pharmaceutical logistics; supports operational and biomedical research; and strengthens health systems so countries are better able to respond to HIV/AIDS. USAID’s HIV/AIDS programs are coordinated with other development programs, including food aid, housing, education, rule of law, as well as with health care activities in tuberculosis, malaria, and maternal health.

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