While rumors of the US taking a negotiating stand promoting "evidence-informed" as opposed to "evidence-based" research escalates at meetings about the greatest public heatlh crisis known to humankind, the conservative ideologues who back such language are "evidence-invisible."They have not even applied to participate in any of the public forums where their ideas could heard and debated.  

At the recently concluded hearing of Civil Society and governmental representatives, not one NGO spoke in favor the abstinence-only until marriage policies that others were complaining about. No one with a conservative perspective was there to explain why condoms are bad, to show the "evidence" that "informs" their ideology or to articulate clearly why public health data should not be the basis for decisions about the AIDS pandemic. No one uttered a word in this open forum that would lead you to believe anyone disagreed with the clear consensus of world wide NGOs and public health advocates that spoke passionately for the need to have real tools.

Where is the dissension coming from?  The Organization of Islamic States has asked for language educating and empowering girls be removed.  Pakistan, on behalf of the Islamic States asked that nothing be changed in this declaration since 2001, though it is clear that the disease has changed dramatically in the last five years.

As we reported last week, the US has apparently been in league with Syria in an Axis of Ideology that is bent on cutting the heart out the declaration and leaving the global moment in history with a morally bankrupt declaration.