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Proposal Details

Proposal ID	934
Proposal	2018 Platform Amendment HIV-AIDS
Presenter	Platform Committee Sponsored by Lavender Caucus
Floor Manager	Andrea Merida
Phase	Cancelled
Discussion	09/03/2018 - 09/30/2018
Voting	10/01/2018 - 10/07/2018
Presens Quorum	0.6666
Consens Quorum	A Majority of Yes and No Votes

Background

Since 2004 the section in the Green Party Platform addressing HIV/AIDS has not been updated except for one sentence being deleted. The Lavender Caucus believes that this proposal updates the current approved platform (2016) and keeps the intent of the original authors intact.

Proposal

Amend Chapter II, Social Justice Section F. Health Care , Sub-section 2 by replacing the current language (see below) with:
The Green Party calls for comprehensive, humane, and competent care of all people with HIV/AIDS.

The AIDS epidemic has not had adequate public health management at all government levels. Drug corporations have a strong profit motive to encourage for medical management of those with HIV by using medication that keeps the virus from being detected in the blood. This means there are guaranteed sales of very expensive drugs. Rather than invest in research for a cure, like they have done with Hepatitis C the drug companies invest in drugs that manage a chronic illness.

The Green Party believes that this failure to invest in research for a cure is because mainstream society has the belief that contracting HIV is self-inflicted by “sinful” or “illegal” behavior. As of this writing statistically of those who are HIV positive there are higher numbers of homosexual men, and men who have sex with men, followed closely by drug addicts using injectable drugs. While HIV drug treatment regimens have saved lives, some people suffer from debilitating side effects where quality of life is poor. There is also the economic side effect due to the high cost of
these life-saving medications.

We recommend the following actions:

1. increased public education in transmission prevention which includes funding for the purchase and distribution of condoms, gloves, dams, and needles and syringes.

2. increased funding for age appropriate comprehensive sex education that includes use of barriers for prevention of fluid/blood transmission. We support students having easy access to condoms, gloves, and dams in schools.

3. increased funding for research focusing on a cure in addition to chronic disease management.

4. creation of a repository for the latest peer reviewed theories, studies, and findings, and to facilitate sharing among research laboratories, schools and universities, medical centers, and public health facilities that would be accessible for common good rather than kept proprietary for profit.

5. funding for methods of peer education for sex workers and addicts, and to supply them with condoms, dams, gloves, and needles.

6. educating incarcerated individuals in HIV transmission prevention and supplying them with condoms, dams, gloves, needles & syringes. Additionally, remove barriers to access of medicines for incarcerated individuals with HIV/AIDS, & Hepatitis C.

7. increased funding for educating the public about addiction and funding for treatment facilities for addicts, and for transitional housing to help with society re-entry.

8. education and funding for addiction harm reduction practices, including available needle exchange programs, for those individuals with substance use problems who are not yet ready to enter treatment programs.

9. immediate increases in for programs that ensure all individuals with HIV/AIDS who want housing or treatment are able to obtain such promptly. No individuals with HIV should ever spend a single night on the streets, or be turned away from treatment due to their economic status. We advocate for creating daily HIV medication distribution centers for individuals who are unable to manage the complex daily medication regimen without assistance.

10. increased funding for free, anonymous testing of people for the presence of HIV/AIDS. No mandated testing.

11. full funding to ensure broad access to PrEP programs, which have been proven by researchers to minimize transmission of HIV and reduce public health costs by preventing the need for expensive, lifelong HIV treatment regimens. The Green Party calls for our governments to make every effort to negotiate fair and reasonable prices for associated drugs, rather than allowing manufacturers to extract excessive profits from these life-saving tools.

12. outreach, funding and treatment will be developed to address the particular circumstances and needs of the various communities affected by HIV/AIDS including, but not limited to, Women and Gender Non-Conforming persons as well as Persons of Color.

Current Language:

2. AIDS / HIV
The Green Party calls for comprehensive, humane, and competent care of all people with AIDS/HIV.
An all-out campaign must be waged against AIDS/ HIV and other blood-borne diseases such as hepatitis. The AIDS epidemic has not been adequately addressed at the local, state, federal, or international levels. All people in all countries, including those with AIDS/HIV, have a right to medical care, protection from discrimination, and confidentiality. Drug corporations have a strong profit motivation to make this disease a manageable one (like diabetes) with guaranteed sales of very expensive drugs, in the billions of dollars every year. Drug companies have not emphasized research that targets a cure. While new drugs have dramatically saved lives, many have side effects so debilitating that the quality of life is poor, if not intolerable during the extended lifetime of the patient. But even these need to be produced generically to stop the devastation resulting from corporate refusal to provide these drugs to the millions dying throughout the world who cannot afford these basic lifesaving drugs. Drug researchers should have a cure for AIDS as their ultimate goal.
We recommend the following actions:
a. Increased funding for AIDS education and patient care.
b. Increased funding for comprehensive sex education that includes AIDS education.
c. Increased funding for research focusing on a cure, methods of prevention, and on bolstering the immune system.
d. Improved technology, facilities, laboratories, researchers, staff and personnel to cure AIDS/HIV. A "Manhattan Project" for a cure is required.
e. Complete sharing of information among researchers, funding agencies (including corporations), and the public on AIDS/HIV before awarding the next research grant.
f. More research into better methods of prevention of HIV infection. While we support condom use, better condoms are also required. We support more vaccine research as well as research on prevention methods such as microbicides. People must be provided the means and support to protect themselves from all sexually transmitted diseases.
g. Equal access to AIDS education, treatment and medications for all affected. Accordingly, funding and accountability should be increased.
h. Allowing all prisoners affected with AIDS/HIV in all countries to have the same access as free citizens to education, treatment, preventive measures (including condom use), and medical care.
I. A uniform international definition of AIDS.
j. Protecting the confidentiality of all people diagnosed with AIDS/HIV or tested for HIV.
k. More careful and timely approval of effective AIDS drugs by the FDA.
l. Production of affordable and available versions of patented medicines in all countries.
m. Targeting the young for age-appropriate education about AIDS/HIV and appropriate methods of prevention. We support sex education and the distribution of condoms in schools.
n. Prevention awareness and access to condoms to prevent the spread of AIDS. We condemn HIV-related discrimination.
o. Make drug treatment and other programs available for all addicts who seek help.
p. Expand clinical trials for treatments and vaccines.
q. Speed-up the FDA drug approval process.
r. Providing housing for homeless and poor people with AIDS/HIV.
s. Providing treatment for homeless people with AIDS/ HIV.
t. Support for needle exchange programs and for programs to help drug addicts.
u. No mandatory screening for AIDS/HIV; anonymous screening must be available.

Resources

Approval of this proposal will amend the 2018 GPUS Platform.

References

CONTACTS:
Platform Committee - Bruce Hinkforth, co-chair, bhinkforth@milwpc.com, 262-569-1370; Linda Cree, co-chair, creelinda@hotmail.com, 906-942-7076
Lavender Caucus - Gini Lester – Lavender Caucus Contact – lvlginnl@gmail.com

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