From time to time my office distributes press releases and written statements on state and national issues, debate in the Senate, and legislation that I am working on. For your convenience, I post these documents on my site for your review.
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Senate Adopts Sessions’ Amendment
to Fight Spread of HIV at Overseas Medical Facilities
Transmission of infectious disease during medical treatment is more common in developing nations, where doctors and nurses may have limited understanding of the risks of spreading diseases such as HIV. Such nations lack many of the formal safety precautions and guidelines that are required at medical facilities in the United States.
Sessions’ amendment, offered during Senate consideration of the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, would promote universal precautions in health care facilities, educate the public to recognize and avoid risks of HIV exposure during medical treatment, investigate suspected HIV infections originating in health care settings, and develop methods to identify and stop unexplained transmission of infectious diseases.
“This amendment will build on previous efforts to educate patients about the risk of contracting HIV and other infectious diseases while receiving medical treatment,” Sessions said. “The health care system in the United States has essentially eliminated the threat of contracting HIV during medical treatment, but that is not the case in many developing countries, where medical transmission is far more common. It is critical that both patients and medical personnel know and recognize the risks in order to limit the spread of this awful disease.”
The amendment, which was approved by voice vote, builds on Sessions’ previous work directed at limiting the spread of HIV.
In 2003, Sessions supported legislation to establish programs to promote safety during immunization injections. That program, called the Global Alliance for Vaccine and Immunizations, has invested $160 million in efforts to protect patients from contracting HIV during medical treatments. The United States Agency for International Development reports that the program has prevented as many as 300,000 deaths since its inception.
The underlying PEPFAR legislation is expected to clear the Senate later tonight.
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