Newsletter - July 25, 2007

Letter

Newsletter - July 25, 2007

Dear Friends:

On Tuesday morning, I welcomed 24 women from 21 countries - including the U.S., China, India, Vietnam, Nigeria, Kenya, Uzbekistan, Egypt, Swaziland, and many more - who gathered before a packed audience here in our nation's capital to speak about their incredible leadership in the global fight against AIDS.

HIV/AIDS disproportionately affects women. In sub-Saharan Africa, women and girls account for 60% of all infections and 76% of infections among those aged 15-24. Gender discrimination in education, economics, sexual decision-making and many other areas conspire to deny women the knowledge and tools they need to prevent or treat infection. Even in the United States, HIV infection was the leading cause of death in 2004 for black women between the ages of 25 and 34.

To confront this crisis, we must listen to those most impacted by this epidemic. Each of the women present at Tuesday's briefing has taken strong action to lead her own community toward solutions to this deadly disease.

* Esse Akonjom spoke about her work as the founder and Executive Director of Positive Development Foundation, an organization that coordinates HIV/AIDS support groups in Nigeria and for which she has received special recognition from President Bush.

* Lucia Mbofana of Zimbabwe's Girl Child Network described her efforts to educate young women threatened by AIDS and prevent the abuse and gender-based violence that are so often connected with HIV infection.

* Wesam Hassan, an Egyptian medical student, explained that she began volunteering in the fight against AIDS to go beyond the classroom and meet real people struggling with the disease. She has since started a group called Global Youth Partners to bring life-saving education to young people at risk of infection.

Every woman had a story like these. They not only shared their experiences but offered important insights on how to more effectively combat AIDS. They called for dramatically increasing education efforts, confronting taboos, and reaching out to every member of a community to expand knowledge, improve health, and save lives. As a legislator who believes America can and should do much more in the global fight against HIV/AIDS, I will be certain to take their advice.

» Click here to listen to excerpts from the briefing recorded by Voice of America.

Sincerely,
Betty McCollum Signature
Congresswoman Betty McCollum
Serving Minnesota's Fourth Congressional District

Source