Dear B.A.R.:

Re: Michael Lauro's opinion piece last week, not many people know that Nancy Pelosi has introduced the Early Treatment for HIV Act, an important bill that would extend Medicaid benefits to people with HIV throughout the US without having to wait for an AIDS diagnosis.

Still, Ms. Pelosi has definitely taken a back seat on global AIDS. Lately she has begun to support programs that would supply AIDS drugs to pregnant mothers and their families--but that's not the same as widescale treatment for all who need it.

Meanwhile, courageous AIDS activists in developing countries are organizing massive demonstrations, suing their governments, and holding hunger strikes to demand AIDS treatment, while people all around them are dying. Zackie Achmat, a gay man and prominent AIDS activist with the Treatment Action Campaign of South Africa, has refused to take AIDS drugs until they are available for everyone in his country. Wan Yan Hai, a Chinese AIDS activist, recently went to jail for boldly demanding AIDS care for a million HIV-infected farmers. His arrest prompted an outcry among AIDS activists all over the world; they successfully pressured the Chinese government to free him.

These recent, heroic acts recall early San Francisco activists like Terry Sutton, who refused drug company Astra's offer of the drug foscarnet for his CMV until it was available for everyone through compassionate release. He went blind waiting, but the company eventually gave in to his demands shortly before his death.

Antiviral treatment, which now can cost less than $300 per year per person, is too expensive for many individuals in developing nations but no longer too costly for the international community to afford. There are thousands of hospitals and clinics in these countries that are fully equipped--except that they don't have AIDS drugs.

San Franciscans should let Nancy Pelosi know that they care about AIDS treatment for people in developing countries. Three billion dollars for the Global Fund (the price of a few days of an Iraqi War) is not too much to ask to save so many. Call Nancy Pelosi at 415-556 4862 and ask her to support $3 Billion for the global fund.

Dan Cusick
San Francisco

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Dear BAR,

I was interested to read Michael Lauro's compelling piece on the AIDS crisis engulfing the globe. Mr. Lauro asked Nancy Pelosi to use her leadership position to change the course of history-- because the road we are on is indeed very dark. 80 million people could become infected with HIV by 2010 and 95 percent of those currently infected have no access to medications; only 10 percent have access to palliative care or treatment for opportunistic infections.

While the good news is that we know how to treat people with AIDS in poor countries --Doctors Without Borders and others have proven that programs in resource-poor regions are as successful as treatment programs in San Francisco, we know how much programs will cost (about a movie ticket and popcorn for each American), and the Global Fund for AIDS, TB and Malaria is operating and ready to finance good programs. The horrible news is that Bush administration apathy is currently winning and the Global Fund is now practically broke because the U.S. won't give our fair share. The lack of polictical will to even try to combat global AIDS is what the New York Times called "murder by complacency."

This week Senator Durbin's ammendment bringing $100 million more for the Fund this year-- far less than what is needed-- could galvanize politicians to start investing seriously in fighting AIDS. Instead of small change, congressional leaders like Nancy Pelosi must ensure that we provide the Global Fund with billions this year, next year and every year until the pandemic is defeated.

Allison Dinsmore
Philadelphia, PA