Devex: Amb. Birx on PEPFAR in the Trump era
“U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator Ambassador Deborah Birx played down the potential impact of the reinstated ‘global gag rule’ will have on PEPFAR programs. While the exact implications remain unclear, she told Devex that the agency’s focus on data has it well positioned to track and plan for whatever budget it gets. … ‘We’re lucky we have comprehensive data now so if there are budget cuts, we will be able to make them in the areas that won’t impact our ability to control this epidemic. And that’s our job,’ she said. … She repeatedly stressed to Devex that PEPFAR’s specific, granular data can track any potential issues and project needs. ‘We’ll be a group that can really answer,’ she said. ‘I think this White House is very responsive to data’…” (Saldinger, 3/14).