Celebrate World AIDS Day
By Grace Thompson on 12/01/2010 @ 10:00 AM
In her remarks today, for the fifteenth annual World AIDS Day, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said, “On World AIDS Day, we take time to remember those who have been lost to this devastating disease, and recommit ourselves to saving as many lives as we can, now and in the future. This December 1, World AIDS Day is also an opportunity to reflect on what we have achieved. We have saved millions of lives from AIDS over the past decade. By investing in what we know works, we can save millions more in the future.”
The US has taken great action to help treat those infected with HIV and AIDS. The “President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief” (PEPFAR) was launched in 2003. At this point, fewer than 50,000 people in sub-Saharan Africa were receiving life-saving antiretroviral drugs. Now, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that thanks to the efforts of many programs including PEPFAR, “approximately 5.2 million people in low- and middle-income countries are receiving these drugs.”
In the United States, testing and treatment for HIV is critical. The CDC estimates that 1.1 million people in the United States are living with HIV. 1 in 5 of them doesn’t know he or she is infected. “On World AIDS Day, we pay tribute to the millions of people living with HIV/AIDS in the United States and around the world, and the millions of people who have been tested for HIV. We recognize that HIV testing and linkage to care can save lives and are working to build on those successes to allow more people to live longer and healthier lives.” The CDC is working to expand research and treatment for those living with HIV/AIDS.
What can you do on World AIDS Day to call attention to the lives that have been lost, to care for those who are infected now, and to prevent others from being infected tomorrow?
“The struggle is far from over, but the United States is committed to remaining a global leader in the fight against HIV/AIDS -- today, tomorrow, and every day until the disease is eradicated. That is our obligation and our promise to the millions of souls around the planet living with HIV/AIDS.” – Secretary Hillary Clinton, 12/1/10
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