Statement on World AIDS Day: December 1, 2007
Statement
Statement on World AIDS Day: December 1, 2007
Today, Rep. Betty McCollum (MN-04) issued the following statement recognizing December 1, World AIDS Day:
"Every year, we devote the first day of December to reflecting on the challenges and successes of the global fight against AIDS.
There are 33 million people living with AIDS around the world today. A quarter-century after the discovery of HIV, UNAIDS estimates that it has claimed more than 25 million lives. The tragic impact of AIDS is felt everywhere from Sub-Saharan Africa, where 2 million perish from it every year, to our nation's capital, where a recent report found that one in 50 residents is living with this disease.
World AIDS Day looks to a more hopeful future. It is finally becoming possible to imagine a world where AIDS no longer devastates our communities. This vision can only become a reality, however, if we continue to expand our serious commitment to combating the epidemic at home and abroad.
I am deeply proud that the United States has established itself as a global leader in the AIDS fight. The new Congress has thus far committed more than $10 billionthe largest amount everto AIDS prevention and relief around the world. Next year, Democratic leaders in Congress will make reauthorization of the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) a major priority, providing a key opportunity to strengthen our efforts to confront this deadly disease.
To truly honor the courage of all those now living with AIDS, and the spirits of all those who have lost their lives to it, we must keep and expand our promise to lead. Today, AIDS is beatableif we, both the United States and the entire global community, are willing to commit our unwavering collective will to overcoming it."
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