Durbin Statement on World AIDS Day

Statement

U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) issued the following statement today, commemorating World AIDS Day and pledging his continued support of the Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, known as PEPFAR.

"Today there are over 33 million people worldwide living with HIV. Every year, more than 2 million die and 2.7 million more will become infected with HIV. It is through programs like PEPFAR that we're beginning to see a change.

The United States must continue to be a leader in the global fight against HIV/AIDS. As the world's wealthiest and most powerful nation, our actions encourage other donor nations to step up and devote additional resources to fight the global AIDS pandemic.

I commend President Bush for his leadership on this issue and hope that PEPFAR can become a model for the rest of our development efforts.

America has been wrongly defined by our critics since 9/11. We need to define our values as a caring nation, dedicated to helping improve the lives of others overseas. Doing so is an important statement of our generosity and who we are as a nation."

Earlier this year, Durbin was a leader in the efforts to pass the Tom Lantos and Henry J. Hyde U.S. Global Leadership Against HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria Act, known more commonly as PEPFAR. The bill authorized nearly $50 billion, over five years, in funding to combat AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria in the developing world. The legislation also included Senator Durbin's African Health Capacity Investment Act - a comprehensive and bipartisan bill to help sub-Saharan African nations confront the alarming shortage of health workers.

http://durbin.senate.gov/showRelease.cfm?releaseId=305341

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