Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton today said the world has made incredible gains in prevention and treatment of HIV at the commemoration of the 30th Anniversary of HIV/AIDS.
“As we commemorate the 30th Anniversary of the first reported cases of HIV/AIDS in the United States, we take time to remember those who have been affected by this devastating disease and recommit ourselves to eradicating this terrible scourge.”-Ms. Clinton
According to Ms. Clinton, when HIV/AIDS was first identified in the 1980s, the world was shocked by how fast the epidemic spread as we struggled to find a solution. She stressed with the remarkable work of researchers over the past decades, the world has made remarkable gains to curb the surge.
Ms. Clinton said the United States and the international community stood up and took on the terrible scourge.
“Thanks to these efforts, millions of lives have been saved and millions more have been transformed.”Ms. Clinton
According to Ms. Clinton, the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) and President Obama’s Global Health Initiative (GHI) underscore America’s commitment to the partnership to strengthen health systems and save lives.
“Currently, PEPFAR supports treatment for over 3.2 million people – the vast majority of whom live in Africa. In 2010, PEPFAR directly supported access to testing and counseling services for 33 million people with HIV.”-Ms. Clinton
Ms. Clinton added, the US-supported programs reached over 8 million pregnant women and provided 600,000 mothers with drugs to prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV, leading to more than 114,000 infants to be born HIV-free.
Ms. Clinton elaboarated that PEPFAR is a key element of US foreign policy. She said the President had made clear and unwavering commitment to address the surge.
“We have also made an unprecedented multi-year pledge to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. We are proud of our leadership in the fight against global AIDS, but we cannot do it alone.”-Ms. Clinton
Ms. Clinton urged donor nations to increase their commitments, particularly through the Global Fund. She higlighted that the US is working with severely affected countries to find more ways for the international community to support country led efforts.
She said the world must continue to fight for those who have been impacted by this epidemic. She said too many people are getting sick and dying every day.
“We must redouble our efforts on behalf of the millions of people with HIV/AIDS, their loved ones, their families and their friends.”-Ms. Clinton