Diary Prequel Package — page 259

Congratulations on getting NIH-supported HIV research the airing it deserves at the highest levels of government. We are all looking forward to Secretary Clinton's speech at the NIH next week. We are trying to use the USG momentum to leverage new commitments from the UK for World AIDS Day. So far DfID and other government actors are interested in a "step up" initiative that we have also been pitching to USG, South Africa, and Germany to pay for implementation of accelerated treatment. Today we had a bit of a minor set back: the Secretary for Development Andrew Mitchell just heard from Bill Gates at a Tory event "Friends of International Development" that HPTN 052 will not yield great effects and the role of ART in limiting incidence is more limited than what is being portrayed. It was unfortunate. It would help greatly if the policy makers in government could hear the science themselves. If the All-Party Parliamentary Group on AIDS invited you to give a briefing, and we arranged for high-level meetings, could you attend? Would an invitation by civil society and MSF suffice? And, hardest question of all-- do you have any free days where you could be in London in November? Thank you, Sharonann -- Sharonann Lynch HIV/AIDS Policy Advisor Access to Essential Medicines Campaign Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) Tel: +1.646.824.3066 Email: sharonann.lynch@msf.org Also see below e-mail from Nov. 3 from Michael Iskowitz describing what the community actually is hearing about. It is amazing how things leak sinceI have told no one what I am doing regarding USAID, PEPFAR and the WH. Finally, tonight (11/02/11) went to Book Signing party at Hay-Adams Hotel for Chris Matthews on his new book "Jack Kennedy - Elusive Hero". Another example of the A group of Washington. It is clear that at age 70, being on the public/political/media scene for >30 years, I am extremely well-known and even friends with so many public figures, who merely on the basis of my being on TV/Radio/newspapers, etc. and the fact that we run into each other at so many of these functions have gotten to know me well. Just a sampling of people at event: Andrea Mitchell; Alan Greenspan; Sens. Chris Dodd, John Kerry; Rep. Ed Markey, Jim Moran; Howard Feinman; Murrey Jacobson; Luke Russert; Gloria Borger; Joe Scarborough; etc. Had animated conversation with my friend Ed Markey regarding the disgraceful conduct of the Banking Industry and Wall Street. The "Occupy Wall Street" movement is gaining momentum. The Republican scramble for the nomination is hot and heavy