DeWine Honored For Leadership Fighting Against HIV-Aids World-Wide

Press Release of Senator DeWine

DEWINE HONORED FOR LEADERSHIP FIGHTING AGAINST HIV/AIDS WORLD-WIDE

Wednesday, December 1, 2004

U.S. Senator Mike DeWine (R-OH) will receive the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation Commitment to Children Award for his work on fighting the spread of HIV/AIDS worldwide. HIV/AIDS has killed more than 20 million people across the globe and currently more than 45 million people are infected with HIV.

"It is an honor to receive this award from a foundation that works tirelessly to prevent the spread of AIDS. I've seen first-hand the devastating effects of AIDS in Guyana, Haiti and in African nations. My wife, Fran, and I have held babies in our arms who are dying of this dreaded disease, and have played with children who are orphaned by AIDS," said Senator DeWine. "We have an obligation to do something. You can't go to these AIDS-devastated countries without coming back needing to do something. The transmission of HIV/AIDS is preventable, avoidable and inexcusable to not do something to stop it."
Senator DeWine, a member of the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, has worked to increase funding HIV/AIDS treatment and prevention programs. In 2003, Senator DeWine passed two amendments providing $289 million and $100 million respectively in additional funding for the Global AIDS Fund. This money will save thousands of lives by expanding access to antiretroviral treatments and fostering prevention programs.

Also, Senator DeWine secured an additional $60 million for the President's Mother-to-Child Transmission Initiative, which helps HIV-positive pregnant women get access to treatment, saving the lives of countless unborn babies. There is a 25 percent chance that a pregnant woman infected with HIV will pass the virus along to her unborn child. For a one-time cost of as little as $4, a pregnant woman can get a treatment that will cut the risk of transmission from mother to infant by 50 percent.
"It is my mission to ensure that HIV-positive children and children with AIDS are no longer overlooked and that they begin receiving the treatment and care they deserve," said Senator DeWine.

The Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation is an organization that works to eradicate pediatric AIDS, provide treatment for people with HIV/AIDS, and accelerate the discovery of new treatments for other serious and life-threatening pediatric illnesses. The Commitment to Children Award honors individuals who have taken significant steps toward advancing the health of our Nation's children.