Washington D.C., Jun 8, 2007 / 08:51 am
The U.S. Catholic bishops and Catholic Relief Services are calling on all members of Congress to reinstate funding for the “ABC” model of AIDS prevention, which promotes abstinence and fidelity.
This comes after a House Subcommittee decided to alter the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) by eliminating in 2008 the modest level of designated funding that currently promotes abstinence and fidelity as ways to combat the spread of HIV.
“Without requiring this funding, Congress risks diluting our nation’s effort to prevent and treat the modern-day scourge of HIV/AIDS,” said Bishop Thomas Wenski, chairman of the U.S. bishops’ Committee on International Policy.
In a statement, the bishop said the U.S. bishops’ conference deeply regretted the action by the House Subcommittee “that seriously undermines U.S. leadership in the global fight against HIV/AIDS.”