This is an archive page. The links are no longer being updated.

News Release

STATEMENT BY TOMMY G. THOMPSON
Secretary of Health and Human Services
Regarding Dialogue with the Global Business Coalition on HIV/AIDS

As Secretary of Health and Human Services and Chairman of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, I was pleased to host a meeting of the Global Business Coalition on HIV/AIDS, a rapidly expanding alliance of international businesses dedicated to combating the AIDS epidemic through the business sector's unique skills and expertise.

The HIV/AIDS epidemic is sweeping the globe, devastating entire communities and leaving many children without parents. The United States has already taken unprecedented action to help curb the spread of HIV/AIDS, such as President Bush's $15 billion Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, and pledging $1.65 billion for the Global Fund -- nearly half of the Fund's pledges. But the scourge of HIV and AIDS is not a battle fought alone.

Our dialogue with the Global Business Coalition on HIV/AIDS represents an innovative and forward-thinking approach to confronting the burden of HIV/AIDS by utilizing the great creativity and scope of the world's global business community. I commend the Coalition for sharing ideas on how to build a stronger relationship between the private and public sectors, and in helping refocus HIV/AIDS as a core business issue, as well as a public health crisis.

As President Bush has said many times, America is a compassionate and generous nation comprised of ordinary people capable of performing extraordinary acts for those less fortunate. This is clearly evident by the amount of charitable giving in the private sector. In 2001, charitable giving in the United States totaled $212 billion.

My discussion with the Global Business Coalition revolved around the knowledge that by combining efforts of the government with those in the private sector, we can and will accomplish so much more by working together than working apart.

The fight against HIV/AIDS has no greater ally than the United States and we are committed to working with other countries, non-governmental organization and others to end this disease that is tearing apart families, communities and even countries. The millions of people we have lost to this disease -- and their loved ones -- deserve nothing less.

###

Note: All HHS press releases, fact sheets and other press materials are available at http://www.hhs.gov/news.

Last Revised: June 13, 2003