22 USC 7651 - Findings

§ 7651. Findings
§ 7652. Policy and requirements
§ 7653. Annual reports on prevention of mother-to-child transmission of the HIV infection
§ 7654. Pilot program of assistance for children and families affected by HIV/AIDS
§ 7655. Pilot program on family survival partnerships

§ 7651. Findings

Congress makes the following findings:

(1) Approximately 2,000 children around the world are infected each day with HIV through mother-to-child transmission. Transmission can occur during pregnancy, labor, and delivery or through breast feeding. Over 90 percent of these cases are in developing nations with little or no access to public health facilities.

(2) Mother-to-child transmission is largely preventable with the proper application of pharmaceuticals, therapies, and other public health interventions.

(3) Certain antiretroviral drugs reduce mother-to-child transmission by nearly 50 percent. Universal availability of this drug could prevent up to 400,000 infections per year and dramatically reduce the number of AIDS-related deaths.

(4) At the United Nations Special Session on HIV/AIDS in June 2001, the United States committed to the specific goals with respect to the prevention of mother-to-child transmission, including the goals of reducing the proportion of infants infected with HIV by 20 percent by the year 2005 and by 50 percent by the year 2010, as specified in the Declaration of Commitment on HIV/AIDS adopted by the United Nations General Assembly at the Special Session.

(5) Several United States Government agencies including the United States Agency for International Development and the Centers for Disease Control are already supporting programs to prevent mother-to-child transmission in resource-poor nations and have the capacity to expand these programs rapidly by working closely with foreign governments and nongovernmental organizations.

(6) Efforts to prevent mother-to-child transmission can provide the basis for a broader response that includes care and treatment of mothers, fathers, and other family members who are infected with HIV or living with AIDS.

(7) HIV/AIDS has devastated the lives of countless children and families across the globe. Since the epidemic began, an estimated 13,200,000 children under the age of 15 have been orphaned by AIDS, that is they have lost their mother or both parents to the disease. The Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) estimates that this number will double by the year 2010.

(8) HIV/AIDS also targets young people between the ages of 15 to 24, particularly young women, many of whom carry the burden of caring for family members living with HIV/AIDS. An estimated 10,300,000 young people are now living with HIV/AIDS. One-half of all new infections are occurring among this age group.

(Pub. L. 108–25, title III, § 311, May 27, 2003, 117 Stat. 740.)

§ 7652. Policy and requirements

(a) Policy

(b) Requirements

The 5-year United States Government strategy required by section 7611 of this title shall—

(1) establish a target for the prevention and treatment of mother-to-child transmission of HIV that, by 2013, will reach at least 80 percent of pregnant women in those countries most affected by HIV/AIDS in which the United States has HIV/AIDS programs;

(2) establish a target that, by 2013, the proportion of children receiving care and treatment under this chapter is proportionate to their numbers within the population of HIV infected individuals in each country;

(3) integrate care and treatment with prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV programs to improve outcomes for HIV-affected women and families as soon as is feasible and support strategies that promote successful follow-up and continuity of care of mother and child;

(4) expand programs designed to care for children orphaned by, affected by, or vulnerable to HIV/AIDS;

(5) ensure that women in prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV programs are provided with, or referred to, appropriate maternal and child services; and

(6) develop a timeline for expanding access to more effective regimes to prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV, consistent with the national policies of countries in which programs are administered under this chapter and the goal of achieving universal use of such regimes as soon as possible.

(1) Establishment

The Global AIDS Coordinator shall establish a panel of experts to be known as the Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission Panel (referred to in this subsection as the “Panel”) to—

(A) provide an objective review of activities to prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV; and

(B) provide recommendations to the Global AIDS Coordinator and to the appropriate congressional committees for scale-up of mother-to-child transmission prevention services under this chapter in order to achieve the target established in subsection (b)(1).

(2) Membership

The Panel shall be convened and chaired by the Global AIDS Coordinator, who shall serve as a nonvoting member. The Panel shall consist of not more than 15 members (excluding the Global AIDS Coordinator), to be appointed by the Global AIDS Coordinator not later than 1 year after July 30, 2008, including—

(A) 2 members from the Department of Health and Human Services with expertise relating to the prevention of mother-to-child transmission activities;

(B) 2 members from the United States Agency for International Development with expertise relating to the prevention of mother-to-child transmission activities;

(C) 2 representatives from among health ministers of national governments of foreign countries in which programs under this chapter are administered;

(D) 3 members representing organizations implementing prevention of mother-to-child transmission activities under this chapter;

(E) 2 health care researchers with expertise relating to global HIV/AIDS activities; and

(F) representatives from among patient advocate groups, health care professionals, persons living with HIV/AIDS, and non-governmental organizations with expertise relating to the prevention of mother-to-child transmission activities, giving priority to individuals in foreign countries in which programs under this chapter are administered.

(3) Duties of Panel

The Panel shall—

(A) assess the effectiveness of current activities in reaching the target described in subsection (b)(1);

(B) review scientific evidence related to the provision of mother-to-child transmission prevention services, including programmatic data and data from clinical trials;

(C) review and assess ways in which the Office of the United States Global AIDS Coordinator collaborates with international and multilateral entities on efforts to prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV in affected countries;

(D) identify barriers and challenges to increasing access to mother-to-child transmission prevention services and evaluate potential mechanisms to alleviate those barriers and challenges;

(E) identify the extent to which stigma has hindered pregnant women from obtaining HIV counseling and testing or returning for results, and provide recommendations to address such stigma and its effects;

(F) identify opportunities to improve linkages between mother-to-child transmission prevention services and care and treatment programs; and

(G) recommend specific activities to facilitate reaching the target described in subsection (b)(1).

(4) Report

(A) In general

(B) Availability

The Coordinator shall—

(i) consider any recommendations contained in the report submitted under subparagraph (A); and

(ii) include in the annual report required under section 2151b–2(f) of this title a description of the activities conducted in response to the recommendations made by the Panel and an explanation of any recommendations not implemented at the time of the report.

(5) Authorization of appropriations

(6) Termination

(Pub. L. 108–25, title III, § 312, May 27, 2003, 117 Stat. 741; Pub. L. 110–293, title III, §§ 307, 309, July 30, 2008, 122 Stat. 2963, 2964.)

§ 7653. Annual reports on prevention of mother-to-child transmission of the HIV infection

(a) In general

(b) Report elementsEach report shall include—

(1) a statement of whether or not all relevant executive branch agencies have met the goal described in section 7652(b)(1) of this title; and

(2) a description of efforts made by the relevant executive branch agencies to expand those activities, including—

(A) information on the number of sites supported for the prevention of mother-to-child transmission of the HIV infection;

(B) the specific activities supported;

(D) the number of women receiving preventative drug therapies.

(Pub. L. 108–25, title III, § 313, May 27, 2003, 117 Stat. 741; Pub. L. 110–293, title III, § 308, July 30, 2008, 122 Stat. 2964.)

§ 7654. Pilot program of assistance for children and families affected by HIV/AIDS

(a) In general

(b) Program requirements

The program should—

(1) build upon and be integrated into programs administered as of May 27, 2003, by the relevant executive branch agencies for children affected by HIV/AIDS;

(2) work in conjunction with indigenous community-based programs and activities, particularly those that offer proven services for children;

(3) reduce the stigma of HIV/AIDS to encourage vulnerable children infected with HIV or living with AIDS and their family members and caregivers to avail themselves of voluntary counseling and testing, and related programs, including treatments;

(4) ensure the importance of inheritance rights of women, particularly women in African countries, due to the exponential growth in the number of young widows, orphaned girls, and grandmothers becoming heads of households as a result of the HIV/AIDS pandemic;

(5) provide, in conjunction with other relevant executive branch agencies, the range of services for the care and treatment, including the provision of antiretrovirals and other necessary pharmaceuticals, of children, parents, and caregivers infected with HIV or living with AIDS;

(6) provide nutritional support and food security, and the improvement of overall family health;

(7) work with parents, caregivers, and community-based organizations to provide children with educational opportunities; and

(8) provide appropriate counseling and legal assistance for the appointment of guardians and the handling of other issues relating to the protection of children.

(d) Authorization of appropriations

(1) In general

(2) Availability of funds

(Pub. L. 108–25, title III, § 314, May 27, 2003, 117 Stat. 742.)

§ 7655. Pilot program on family survival partnerships

(a) Purpose

(b) Grants

(1) In general

(2) Use of fundsAmounts provided under a grant awarded under paragraph (1) shall be used—

(A) to award subgrants to eligible entities to enable such entities to carry out activities described in subsection (c);

(B) for administrative support and subgrant management;

(D) for the monitoring and evaluation of grant activities;

(E) for training and technical assistance for subgrantees; and

(F) to promote sustainability.

(1) In general

(2) EligibilityTo be eligible to receive a subgrant under paragraph (1), an entity shall—

(A) be a local health organization, an international organization, or a partnership of such organizations; and

(B) demonstrate to the awarding organization that such entity—

(i) is currently administering a proven intervention to prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV in countries with or at risk for severe HIV epidemic with particular attention to resource constrained countries, as determined by the President;

(ii) has demonstrated support for the proposed program from relevant government entities; and

(iii) is able to provide HIV care, including antiretroviral treatment when medically indicated, to HIV positive women, men, and children with the support of the project funding.

(3) Local health and international organizationsFor purposes of paragraph (2)(A)—

(A) the term “local health organization” means a public sector health system, nongovernmental organization, institution of higher education, community-based organization, or nonprofit health system that provides directly, or has a clear link with a provider for the indirect provision of, primary health care services; and

(B) the term “international organization” means—

(i) a nonprofit international entity;

(ii) an international charitable institution;

(iii) a private voluntary international entity; or

(iv) a multilateral institution.

(4) Priority requirement

(5) Selection of subgrant recipientsIn awarding subgrants under this subsection, the organization should—

(A) consider applicants from a range of health care settings, program approaches, and geographic locations; and

(B) if appropriate, award not less than 1 grant to an applicant to fund a national system of health care delivery to HIV positive families.

(6) Use of subgrant fundsAn eligible entity awarded a subgrant under this subsection shall use subgrant funds to expand activities to prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV by providing medical treatment and care and support services to parents and their children, which may include—

(A) providing treatment and therapy, when medically indicated, to HIV-infected women, their children, and families;

(B) the hiring and training of local personnel, including physicians, nurses, other health care providers, counselors, social workers, outreach personnel, laboratory technicians, data managers, and administrative support personnel;

(C) paying laboratory costs, including costs related to necessary equipment and diagnostic testing and monitoring (including rapid testing), complete blood counts, standard chemistries, and liver function testing for infants, children, and parents, and costs related to the purchase of necessary laboratory equipment;

(D) purchasing pharmaceuticals for HIV-related conditions, including antiretroviral therapies;

(E) funding support services, including adherence and psychosocial support services;

(F) operational support activities; and

(G) conducting community outreach and capacity building activities, including activities to raise the awareness of individuals of the program carried out by the subgrantee, other communications activities in support of the program, local advisory board functions, and transportation necessary to ensure program participation.

(d) ReportsThe President shall require that each organization awarded a grant under subsection (b)(1) to submit an annual report that includes—

(1) the progress of programs funded under this section;

(2) the benchmarks of success of programs funded under this section; and

(3) recommendations of how best to proceed with the programs funded under this section upon the expiration of funding under subsection (e).

(e) Funding

(f) Limitation on administrative expenses

(Pub. L. 108–25, title III, § 315, May 27, 2003, 117 Stat. 743.)