NPR Reports that the PEPFAR office at the State Department will this week be issuing an AIDS drug procurement and distribution contract worth up to $7 billion. This is the largest AIDS-related government program of any sort (and likely one of the largest public health programs ever). While the competing consortia for the contract haven't been identified yet, at least two reportedly will include major US defense contractors. Defense corporations certainly bring supply chain management expertise, but also a host of other political and cultural complications to a major humanitarian effort.

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