Press Releases
Brendan Daly/Nadeam Elshami
202-226-7616
11/30/2007
Pelosi Statement On World AIDS Day
“World AIDS Day gives us an opportunity each year to assess
the progress we have made together in the fight against HIV/AIDS and to consider
what more we can do to help alleviate poverty and disease at home and in the
developing world.
“This year’s World AIDS Day theme is ‘Keep the Promise –
Leadership.’ It is a reminder that we
all must do more. Across the developing
world, HIV/AIDS is devastating productive members of these societies,
discouraging economic development and orphaning millions of children.
“Last week, UNAIDS and the World Health Organization
released more accurate figures that reduce the number of people estimated to be
living with HIV and new HIV infections.
While the report is welcome news, the numbers are still staggering: 2.5
million new HIV infections each year, and a worldwide total of 33 million
people infected with HIV. The need for
stronger
“I am proud that one of the first actions taken by the new
Congress was to provide $4.5 billion for global AIDS initiatives, representing
a $1.3 billion increase over the previous year.
We followed up this year by passing an additional $6 billion commitment
for global AIDS – the highest levels of funding ever appropriated by the
“We have an opportunity to do even more. Congress will soon consider legislation to
reauthorize the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). This is an opportunity to show that
“Recently reported increases in both new HIV infections and
new AIDS cases in the
“On World AIDS Day, let us renew our commitment to stop this
deadly disease and to a future where AIDS is no longer a threat.”