[Stay tuned Monday for a new paper on empirical impacts]
Criminalization of same-sex relationships, drug use, sex work, and HIV exposure remain wide-spread despite clear evidence and global norms against. New UN targets: reduce the orange and yellow bars to 10%. Lots to do.
But there are many protective laws that also need adopting. Strong gender-based violence laws have been adopted by 114 countries, but more work to do on adoption & implementation.
Having strong, independent human rights institutions is key to allow PLHIV and KPs to report rights violations and seek redress... 39% of countries do, 61% dont have.
Non-discrimination laws, too, are more widely needed--just 23% of countries prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity, and HIV status.
Law & policy change is possible... good news that countries like Angola and India have decriminalized same-sex relationships, New Zealand decriminalized sex work, Colombia decriminalized HIV exposure, and Portugal decriminalized drug use.
The continuing work of the @HIVLawCom continues to spotlight these issues--powerful to see #HumanRights moving into concrete, if aspirational, goals in the new #HLM2021AIDS draft text. Law reform is key.
Interesting on ethics in #PandemicTreaty. But I'm baffled by @G_Owen_Schaefer @ZekeEmanuel et al take on Intellectual Property. Seems to misunderstand what’s happened in actual pandemics; if dont open monopolies, their other (good) countermasure ideas won't work... a thread. 1/12
They suggest IP is needed for “sustainability” principle & waiving IP = ethical problm b/c “policy makers would then face a tension between short-term human wellbeing, equity, and solidarity, & the long-term sustainability of incentives to respond to future pandemics"True? 2/12
It does not hold up. Why?
First big issue: their reasoning relies on the idea we need to solve problem of vaccine, drug, diagnostic makers lack of incentives. But in real life, these companies had plenty during COVID-19 in the form of 1)direct public investment and 2) profit
3/12
Our NEW @Global_Policy article out as #PandemicAccord negotiators meet: "Vaccine Politics: law & inequality in COVID" shows COVAX failed b/c of a model misaligned with politics.Not $.Not tech.
Same approach,better funded ≠ equity next pandemic
🧵thread onlinelibrary.wiley.com/share/author/S…
I write w/@Renu_Singh_ about why the dominant law&policy paradigm proved incapable of securing equity.
Political analysis necessary to design effective pandemic response.
Greater use of law, inter-state negot, and intl agreements can engage intl & domestic political forces 2/16
Well before a vaccine had been developed there was an unprecedented moment where heads of state and global leaders pledged they would ensure equitable access to a not-yet-created medical countermeasure. But of course... 3/16
HIV treatment as cautionary tale for economists. 1. no excuse. By 2005-7 Oster speaking/writing against treatment, antiretrovirals avail for 8 years.Finally reaching 1 mill ppl in Africa. Deaths long ago dropped in US/Europe (L) finally falling in E/SAfrica. She argues to stop...
2. Entire basis for cost-effectiveness calculations based on 2 false ideas. The first was confusing price for cost and not understanding it was subject to govt action. Price=a choice. Generics reverse-engineered & govts used power to import. Cost fell 99% to >$200.
3. Second false idea: Treatment and prevention are either/or choice. Its just wrong. a)ARVS stop HIV transmission b)Treatment brings hope, encourages testing, opens a key gate for prevention. The "do education instead" idea was not viable, and that had been well shown by 2005...
Is it “not clear that 'coloniality' is the cause” of COVID19 vaccine inequality? Maybe not for many (helpful article in that sense), let's discuss.
THREAD🧵#decolonizing starting w political economy: $trillions for North's corporate, R&D, university "capacity" has an origin.../1
First: colonialism was a system of resource extraction, slave trade, and global commerce that enriched the global North and has had long-running harm for Southern economies… inequality in resources is not naturally occurring/2
Empiricaly clear e.g. Nunn "the world’s current income differences could be explained by the divergent effects of European contact globallty, which resulted in a massive transfer of disease, food, ideas, and people.../3 science.org/doi/10.1126/sc…
Article out: Legal environ & #pandemic response. After 5yr global #HIV push on testing&treatment, countries that criminalized gay relat, sexwork, drugs had less success. Rights-protective laws, better outcomes
Biomedical & structural interconnected
A🧵/1 gh.bmj.com/content/6/8/e0…
Measuring legal approaches in world: @HIVPolicyLab data show some countries highly criminalize, some less so (only 20% criminalize all). Meanwhile rights-protective legal approaches: 23% have strong non-discrim, 39% ind. human rights inst., 79% enforceable GBV laws. /2
Dear @JoeBiden@KamalaHarris@SecBlinken@SecBecerra time for you to act. Sharing tech is good public health, it's good diplomacy. NIH-Moderna vax already paid for. It could show the power and relevance of government, US in particular. How about you...
1. Democratize vaccine production. I know you've already said USDFC is investing, take the last steps... and also foreignpolicy.com/2021/03/01/to-…
2. Use the authority you have. Not sure why you're NOT using the carrot and stick to get this done, but it's a bad look. Moderna has NO interest in these markets, has not even registered to sell there. You can use the Defense Production Act and... lpeproject.org/blog/how-to-va…