[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 593 Introduced in House (IH)]

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115th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 593

    Recognizing the importance of a continued commitment to ending 
                     pediatric HIV/AIDS worldwide.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            October 26, 2017

  Ms. Lee (for herself, Ms. Ros-Lehtinen, Ms. Norton, Mr. Evans, Mr. 
    Cohen, Ms. Barragan, Ms. McCollum, Mr. Nadler, Mr. Khanna, Mr. 
McGovern, Ms. Maxine Waters of California, Ms. Esty of Connecticut, Ms. 
   Bordallo, Mr. Lewis of Georgia, Mr. Costello of Pennsylvania, Mr. 
Serrano, Mr. Rodney Davis of Illinois, Mr. Quigley, and Ms. Judy Chu of 
 California) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to 
 the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committee on 
Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the 
  Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall 
           within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
    Recognizing the importance of a continued commitment to ending 
                     pediatric HIV/AIDS worldwide.

Whereas approximately half of the 36,700,000 people living with the human 
        immunodeficiency virus (HIV), the pathogen that causes the acquired 
        immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS), worldwide are women and 2,100,000 are 
        children in 2016;
Whereas HIV is a leading cause of death among women of childbearing age 
        worldwide;
Whereas nearly 90 percent of HIV-positive expectant mothers in need of HIV 
        services worldwide live in sub-Saharan Africa;
Whereas women around the world rely on essential pre- and post-natal care to 
        provide screening for diseases such as HIV, and care for their health 
        and the health of their infants;
Whereas when antiretroviral drugs are used as prophylaxis, mother-to-child 
        transmission of HIV can be reduced to less than 5 percent;
Whereas in 2005 only 14 percent of women were receiving prevention of mother-to-
        child transmission services and that number in 2016 was 76 percent;
Whereas since 2001 the number of children born HIV positive has been more than 
        cut in half;
Whereas despite increased global and United States efforts over 400 children 
        were born HIV positive each day in 2016;
Whereas 90 percent of children living with HIV are in sub-Saharan Africa;
Whereas in 2016 only 43 percent of children with HIV were receiving 
        antiretroviral therapy, far below the percentage of adults;
Whereas without treatment half of all children with HIV will die by their second 
        birthday, and 80 percent by their fifth birthday;
Whereas 120,000 children died of AIDS-related causes in 2016;
Whereas 22 percent of new infections are in young women aged 15 to 24 in 2016;
Whereas in sub-Saharan Africa, girls account for 75 percent of new annual HIV 
        infections among adolescents;
Whereas AIDS is a leading cause of death among adolescents globally;
Whereas research efforts at the National Institutes of Health have led to 
        extraordinary breakthroughs for children infected with and at risk for 
        HIV;
Whereas the United States began investing in prevention of mother-to-child 
        transmission (PMTCT) services in 2002 with the announcement of the 
        United States International Mother and Child HIV Prevention Initiative;
Whereas in fiscal year 2016, the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief 
        (PEPFAR) supported HIV testing and counseling for more than 11,500,000 
        pregnant women and since the program's inception the provision of 
        antiretroviral drug prophylaxis to prevent mother-to-child transmission 
        has allowed nearly 2,000,000 babies to be born HIV free;
Whereas since 2002 the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria 
        supported programs that provided 4,200,000 HIV-positive mothers with 
        antiretroviral drug prophylaxis to prevent the transmission of HIV to 
        their children;
Whereas in 2014 PEPFAR announced the Accelerating Children's Treatment 
        Initiative (ACT) that will double the number of HIV positive children on 
        treatment over 2 years in 10 high-burden countries;
Whereas the PEPFAR DREAMS initiative is working to reduce new HIV infections in 
        adolescent and young women in 10 sub-Saharan countries;
Whereas every mother should have the opportunity to fight for the life of her 
        child; and
Whereas every child and adolescent should have access to medicines to lead a 
        long and healthy life: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) recognizes that the prevention of mother-to-child 
        transmission of HIV is critical to stopping the spread of HIV 
        worldwide;
            (2) applauds the United States leadership on efforts to 
        eliminate new pediatric HIV infections and to scale-up 
        pediatric treatment through programs and research;
            (3) recognizes that the fight to eliminate pediatric HIV 
        worldwide has been a priority area for the United States in 
        their global AIDS response for more than 13 years and calls on 
        this leadership to continue;
            (4) supports providing adolescents and young women with the 
        evidence-based approaches necessary to prevent new HIV 
        infections;
            (5) supports providing women and children with HIV 
        counseling and testing services where possible, and scaling up 
        access to services and medicines that prevent mother-to-child 
        transmission of HIV and ensure HIV positive mothers survive and 
        thrive;
            (6) supports scaling up of treatment for HIV for children 
        and adolescents including greater access to more efficacious 
        antiretroviral drug regimens, age appropriate services, and 
        support for their caregivers; and
            (7) recommits the United States to lead the world to the 
        end of AIDS, to eliminate new pediatric HIV infections 
        worldwide, and support women, children, adolescents and 
        families infected and affected by HIV.
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