Cuts, New AFRICOM Focus Could Affect HIV Prevention Programs

US Department of Defense-supported HIV programs in Africa are facing a new strategic, threat-oriented focus and tighter budgets, officials said Monday. The news comes as the military’s Africa Command (AFRICOM) hosts a five-day AIDS conference in Stuttgart, drawing HIV/AIDS program managers and workers from 31 African countries. The conference focus is on reducing HIV rates in African militaries.

“I’m very concerned,” said Eugene Zimulinda, an HIV prevention program manager in Rwanda. “It looks like a shift.”

The Rwandan military’s HIV infection rate has dropped from 10 percent to 4.1 percent over the last decade. “Truly, truly, we’re saving lives,” Zimulinda said.

“We’re going to focus more on the threats to national security,” said Navy Capt. Edward Bradfield, AFRICOM’s regional chief for western and central Africa. “The knife has started to cut, and it’s going to cut a lot deeper.”

Managers should be aware that HIV prevention programs directly linked with US security interests will get priority, Bradfield said.

For now, officials said, there is no intent to defund those efforts. However, Zimulinda and others worry this could change as the United States’ economic struggles continue.

AFRICOM’s still-evolving strategic mission aims to focus on protecting the US homeland and preventing terrorist safe havens, said David Knack, AFRICOM strategy specialist. “We’re the American military,” he said. “That’s our job.”

HIV prevention programs help counter regional instability, said Col. Robert Miller, AFRICOM command surgeon. “There’s a huge piece that deals with national security,” he said. “We are concerned about what the long-term impact will be on the quality of programs we provide. It’s going to be about trying to do more with less.”

The Friends of AIDS Foundation is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV virus. To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org.

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