[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 34 (Thursday, March 23, 2000)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E408-E409]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              AIDS IMPACT ON LATIN AMERICANS AND HISPANICS

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. CHARLES A. GONZALEZ

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, March 23, 2000

  Mr. GONZALEZ. Mr. Speaker, it is important to note that AIDS is a 
global issue. What happens overseas always affects what happens in

[[Page E409]]

the U.S. It is in America's national interest to ensure that we do all 
we can to assist all countries in addressing HIV/AIDS, not only because 
of the potential for a tremendous loss of life, but for economic, 
political and security reasons.
  Globally, about 2.6 million people worldwide will die of AIDS this 
year, the most of any years since the epidemic began, according to a 
report by the United Nations AIDS program. About 16.3 million people 
have already died of AIDS since 1981. In addition, about 5.6 million 
new infections with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) will occur 
this year, raising the number of people currently living with the 
disease to about 33.6 million, with more than 23 million of those 
individuals being in sub-Saharan Africa. More than 1.3 million 
individuals living with HIV and AIDS are in Latin America and some 
360,000 are in the Caribbean. It is estimated that some 920,000 
individuals living with HIV and AIDS are in North America.
  Some 300,000 Americans are infected with HIV and do not know it since 
they have never been tested for HIV infection. Sadly, my own city of 
San Antonio has experienced over 3,704 cases of people with AIDS; 53% 
of these people have died. This means that over 1,950 people in San 
Antonio have died from this disease. Of the reported cases of AIDS in 
San Antonio, 48% are in the Hispanic community, 39% are White and 11% 
are Black. The majority of San Antonio's population is of Hispanic 
origin and maintains close ties with Mexico and other countries in 
Central and South America. Many return to visit, to work and live, and 
then return to the United States. Many of my constituents are very 
interested in reuniting with their families, bring family members to 
the U.S. to visit or become U.S. citizens.
  AIDS has affected Hispanics in San Antonio more than in most other 
communities around the country. One thing we can all do is to continue 
to educate our friends and relatives about AIDS, not only as to its 
causes but also on its impact on our local, national and global 
community. We can also push for increased funding for research and 
treatment of this deadly disease.
  Our efforts targeting African Americans here in the United States, 
and our efforts to address AIDS in Africa and elsewhere are to be 
commended and expanded. We must do more for those most in need, and we 
must do more to prevent HIV from becoming a problem in those areas 
where it has not yet established itself. To do any less is to allow a 
disease that we can prevent. And we must begin now to look at how we 
address AIDS in Latin America so that we can prevent it from becoming 
the next epicenter of the epidemic. Public health practices have shown 
that it is much more effective to prevent an illness than to treat an 
illness. Clearly, what we do now in our efforts to address HIV will 
affect the quality of our lives tomorrow.
  We must fight the complacency that is threatening our efforts to 
address HIV and AIDS in the U.S. and worldwide. Yes, new drug 
combination therapies have prolonged the lives of many Americans who 
have access to them, who can afford them, and who can tolerate them. 
Unfortunately, not all have access or can afford them. Imagine how 
difficult it will be for those in countries outside the U.S. whose 
average health care expenditures are less than a few hundred dollars a 
year to pay for drugs which can cost up to $14,000 a year in the United 
States.
  Unfortunately, many of our leaders are still afraid to discuss HIV/
AIDS in public. This silence is also evident in many Latin American 
countries where AIDS is just starting to take hold. This silence only 
leads to continued denial that AIDS is affecting Latinos, and it will 
only lead to additional infections and deaths. By not publicly 
discussing HIV/AIDS, we send a message to our community that AIDS is 
not an issue of concern to us or that it is taboo. The number of cases, 
new infections, and deaths in our community have shown that our silence 
has been deadly.
  The Congressional Hispanic Caucus, of which I am a member, is proud 
of its role in securing additional funding and in providing leadership 
in this area. But we have a long way to go. We need the Hispanic 
community, especially our Hispanic leaders both here in the U.S. and in 
other countries, to expand their efforts. The Congressional Hispanic 
Caucus believes that health issues that disproportionately affect 
Latinos must be addressed openly and publicly. The Caucus understands 
the importance of public leadership in addressing HIV/AIDS as a means 
to educate the public of the impact that HIV/AIDS is having on the 
Latino community both here and internationally.
  I offer these comments to honor those from the Hispanic and other 
communities who have lost their lives to this dreaded disease and to 
remind the House, the country and the world that AIDS is indeed 
threatening the lives of a wide variety of people.

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