[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 132 (Tuesday, October 18, 2005)]
[House]
[Pages H8857-H8864]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[[Page H8857]]
ASSISTANCE FOR ORPHANS AND OTHER VULNERABLE CHILDREN IN DEVELOPING
COUNTRIES ACT OF 2005
Mr. HYDE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill
(H.R. 1409) to amend the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to provide
assistance for orphans and other vulnerable children in developing
countries, and for other purposes, as amended.
The Clerk read as follows:
H.R. 1409
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Assistance for Orphans and
Other Vulnerable Children in Developing Countries Act of
2005''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress makes the following findings:
(1) As of July 2004, there were more than 143,000,000
children living in sub-Saharan Africa, Asia, Latin America,
and the Caribbean who were identified as orphans, having lost
one or both of their parents. Of this number, approximately
16,200,000 children were identified as double orphans, having
lost both parents--the vast majority of whom died of AIDS.
These children often are disadvantaged in numerous and
devastating ways and most households with orphans cannot meet
the basic needs of health care, food, clothing, and
educational expenses.
(2) It is estimated that 121,000,000 children worldwide do
not attend school and that the majority of such children are
young girls. According to the United Nations Children's Fund
(UNICEF), orphans are less likely to be in school and more
likely to be working full time.
(3) School food programs, including take-home rations, in
developing countries provide strong incentives for children
to remain in school and continue their education. School food
programs can reduce short-term hunger, improve cognitive
functions, and enhance learning, behavior, and achievement.
(4) Financial barriers, such as school fees and other costs
of education, prevent many orphans and other vulnerable
children in developing countries from attending school.
Providing children with free primary school education, while
simultaneously ensuring that adequate resources exist for
teacher training and infrastructure, would help more orphans
and other vulnerable children obtain a quality education.
(5) The trauma that results from the loss of a parent can
trigger behavior problems of aggression or emotional
withdrawal and negatively affect a child's performance in
school and the child's social relations. Children living in
families affected by HIV/AIDS or who have been orphaned by
AIDS often face stigmatization and discrimination. Providing
culturally appropriate psychosocial support to such children
can assist them in successfully accepting and adjusting to
their circumstances.
(6) Orphans and other vulnerable children in developing
countries routinely are denied their inheritance or encounter
difficulties in claiming the land and other property which
they have inherited. Even when the inheritance rights of
women and children are spelled out in law, such rights are
difficult to claim and are seldom enforced. In many countries
it is difficult or impossible for a widow, even if she has
young children, to claim property after the death of her
husband.
(7) The HIV/AIDS pandemic has had a devastating affect on
children and is deepening poverty in entire communities and
jeopardizing the health, safety, and survival of all children
in affected areas.
(8) The HIV/AIDS pandemic has increased the number of
orphans worldwide and has exacerbated the poor living
conditions of the world's poorest and most vulnerable
children. AIDS has created an unprecedented orphan crisis,
especially in sub-Saharan Africa, where children have been
hardest hit. An estimated 14,000,000 orphans have lost 1 or
both parents to AIDS. By 2010, it is estimated that over
25,000,000 children will have been orphaned by AIDS.
(9) Approximately 2,500,000 children under the age of 15
worldwide have HIV/AIDS. Every day another 2,000 children
under the age of 15 are infected with HIV. Without treatment,
most children born with HIV can expect to die by age two, but
with sustained drug treatment through childhood, the chances
of long-term survival and a productive adulthood improve
dramatically.
(10) Few international development programs specifically
target the treatment of children with HIV/AIDS in developing
countries. Reasons for this include the perceived low
priority of pediatric treatment, a lack of pediatric health
care professionals, lack of expertise and experience in
pediatric drug dosing and monitoring, the perceived
complexity of pediatric treatment, and mistaken beliefs
regarding the risks and benefits of pediatric treatment.
(11) Although a number of organizations seek to meet the
needs of orphans or other vulnerable children, extended
families and local communities continue to be the primary
providers of support for such children.
(12) The HIV/AIDS pandemic is placing huge burdens on
communities and is leaving many orphans with little support.
Alternatives to traditional orphanages, such as community-
based resource centers, continue to evolve in response to the
massive number of orphans that has resulted from the
pandemic.
(13) The AIDS orphans crisis in sub-Saharan Africa has
implications for political stability, human welfare, and
development that extend far beyond the region, affecting
governments and people worldwide, and this crisis requires an
accelerated response from the international community.
(14) Although section 403(b) of the United States
Leadership Against HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria Act of
2003 (22 U.S.C. 7673(b)) establishes the requirement that not
less than 10 percent of amounts appropriated for HIV/AIDS
assistance for each of fiscal years 2006 through 2008 shall
be expended for assistance for orphans and other vulnerable
children affected by HIV/AIDS, there is an urgent need to
provide assistance to such children prior to 2006.
(15) Numerous United States and indigenous private
voluntary organizations, including faith-based organizations,
provide assistance to orphans and other vulnerable children
in developing countries. Many of these organizations have
submitted applications for grants to the Administrator of the
United States Agency for International Development to provide
increased levels of assistance for orphans and other
vulnerable children in developing countries.
(16) Increasing the amount of assistance that is provided
by the Administrator of the United States Agency for
International Development through United States and
indigenous private voluntary organizations, including faith-
based organizations, will provide greater protection for
orphans and other vulnerable children in developing
countries.
(17) It is essential that the United States Government
adopt a comprehensive approach for the provision of
assistance to orphans and other vulnerable children in
developing countries. A comprehensive approach would ensure
that important services, such as basic care, psychosocial
support, school food programs, increased educational
opportunities and employment training and related services,
the protection and promotion of inheritance rights for such
children, and the treatment of orphans and other vulnerable
children with HIV/AIDS, are made more accessible.
(18) Assistance for orphans and other vulnerable children
can best be provided by a comprehensive approach of the
United States Government that--
(A) ensures that Federal agencies and the private sector
coordinate efforts to prevent and eliminate duplication of
efforts and waste in the provision of such assistance; and
(B) to the maximum extent possible, focuses on community-
based programs that allow orphans and other vulnerable
children to remain connected to the traditions and rituals of
their families and communities.
SEC. 3. ASSISTANCE FOR ORPHANS AND OTHER VULNERABLE CHILDREN
IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES.
Chapter 1 of part I of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961
(22 U.S.C. 2151 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the
following section:
``SEC. 135. ASSISTANCE FOR ORPHANS AND OTHER VULNERABLE
CHILDREN.
``(a) Findings.--Congress finds the following:
``(1) There are more than 143,000,000 orphans living sub-
Saharan Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Caribbean. Of
this number, approximately 16,200,000 children have lost both
parents.
``(2) The HIV/AIDS pandemic has created an unprecedented
orphan crisis, especially in sub-Saharan Africa, where
children have been hardest hit. The pandemic is deepening
poverty in entire communities, and is jeopardizing the
health, safety, and survival of all children in affected
countries. It is estimated that 14,000,000 children have lost
one or both parents to AIDS.
``(3) The orphans crisis in sub-Saharan Africa has
implications for human welfare, development, and political
stability that extend far beyond the region, affecting
governments and people worldwide.
``(4) Extended families and local communities are
struggling to meet the basic needs of orphans and vulnerable
children by providing food, health care including treatment
of children living with HIV/AIDS, education expenses, and
clothing.
``(5) Famines, natural disasters, chronic poverty, ongoing
conflicts, and civil wars in developing countries are
adversely affecting children in these countries, the vast
majority of whom currently do not receive humanitarian
assistance or other support from the United States.
``(6) The United States Government administers various
assistance programs for orphans and other vulnerable children
in developing countries. In order to improve targeting and
programming of resources, the United States Agency for
International Development should develop methods to
adequately track the overall number of orphans and other
vulnerable children receiving assistance, the kinds of
programs for such children by sector and location, and any
other such related data and analysis.
``(7) The United States Agency for International
Development should improve its capabilities to deliver
assistance to orphans and other vulnerable children in
developing countries through partnerships with private
volunteer organizations, including community and faith-based
organizations.
``(8) The United States Agency for International
Development should be the primary
[[Page H8858]]
United States Government agency responsible for identifying
and assisting orphans and other vulnerable children in
developing countries.
``(9) Providing assistance to such children is an important
expression of the humanitarian concern and tradition of the
people of the United States.
``(b) Definitions.--In this section:
``(1) Aids.--The term `AIDS' has the meaning given the term
in section 104A(g)(1) of this Act.
``(2) Children.--The term `children' means persons who have
not attained 18 years of age.
``(3) Hiv/aids.--The term `HIV/AIDS' has the meaning given
the term in section 104A(g)(3) of this Act.
``(4) Orphan.--The term `orphan' means a child deprived by
death of one or both parents.
``(5) Psychosocial support.--The term `psychosocial
support' includes care that addresses the ongoing
psychological and social problems that affect individuals,
their partners, families, and caregivers in order to
alleviate suffering, strengthen social ties and integration,
provide emotional support, and promote coping strategies.
``(c) Assistance.--The President is authorized to provide
assistance, including providing such assistance through
international or nongovernmental organizations, for programs
in developing countries to provide basic care and services
for orphans and other vulnerable children. Such programs
should provide assistance--
``(1) to support families and communities to mobilize their
own resources through the establishment of community-based
organizations to provide basic care for orphans and other
vulnerable children;
``(2) for school food programs, including the purchase of
local or regional foodstuffs where appropriate;
``(3) to increase primary school enrollment through the
elimination of school fees, where appropriate, or other
barriers to education while ensuring that adequate resources
exist for teacher training and infrastructure;
``(4) to provide employment training and related services
for orphans and other vulnerable children who are of legal
working age;
``(5) to protect and promote the inheritance rights of
orphans, other vulnerable children, and widows;
``(6) to provide culturally appropriate psychosocial
support to orphans and other vulnerable children; and
``(7) to treat orphans and other vulnerable children with
HIV/AIDS through the provision of pharmaceuticals, the
recruitment and training of individuals to provide pediatric
treatment, and the purchase of pediatric-specific
technologies.
``(d) Monitoring and Evaluation.--
``(1) Establishment.--To maximize the sustainable
development impact of assistance authorized under this
section, and pursuant to the strategy required in section 4
of the Assistance for Orphans and Other Vulnerable Children
in Developing Countries Act of 2005, the President shall
establish a monitoring and evaluation system to measure the
effectiveness of United States assistance to orphans and
other vulnerable children.
``(2) Requirements.--The monitoring and evaluation system
shall--
``(A) establish performance goals for the assistance and
expresses such goals in an objective and quantifiable form,
to the extent feasible;
``(B) establish performance indicators to be used in
measuring or assessing the achievement of the performance
goals described in subparagraph (A); and
``(C) provide a basis for recommendations for adjustments
to the assistance to enhance the impact of assistance.
``(e) Special Advisor for Assistance to Orphans and
Vulnerable Children.--
``(1) Appointment.--
``(A) In general.--The Secretary of State, in consultation
with the Administrator of the United States Agency for
International Development, shall appoint a Special Advisor
for Assistance to Orphans and Vulnerable Children.
``(B) Delegation.--At the discretion of the Secretary of
State, the authority to appoint a Special Advisor under
subparagraph (A) may be delegated by the Secretary of State
to the Administrator of the United States Agency for
International Development.
``(2) Duties.--The duties of the Special Advisor for
Assistance to Orphans and Vulnerable Children shall include
the following:
``(A) Coordinate assistance to orphans and other vulnerable
children among the various offices, bureaus, and field
missions within the United States Agency for International
Development.
``(B) Advise the various offices, bureaus, and field
missions within the United States Agency for International
Development to ensure that programs approved for assistance
under this section are consistent with best practices, meet
the requirements of this Act, and conform to the strategy
outlined in section 4 of the Assistance for Orphans and Other
Vulnerable Children in Developing Countries Act of 2005.
``(C) Advise the various offices, bureaus, and field
missions within the United States Agency for International
Development in developing any component of their annual plan,
as it relates to assistance for orphans or other vulnerable
children in developing countries, to ensure that each
program, project, or activity relating to such assistance is
consistent with best practices, meets the requirements of
this Act, and conforms to the strategy outlined in section 4
of the Assistance for Orphans and Other Vulnerable Children
in Developing Countries Act of 2005.
``(D) Coordinate all United States assistance to orphans
and other vulnerable children among United States departments
and agencies, including the provision of assistance relating
to HIV/AIDS authorized under the United States Leadership
Against HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria Act of 2003
(Public Law 108-25), and the amendments made by such Act
(including section 102 of such Act, and the amendments made
by such section, relating to the coordination of HIV/AIDS
programs).
``(E) Establish priorities that promote the delivery of
assistance to the most vulnerable populations of orphans and
children, particularly in those countries with a high rate of
HIV infection among women.
``(F) Disseminate a collection of best practices to field
missions of the United States Agency for International
Development to guide the development and implementation of
programs to assist orphans and vulnerable children.
``(G) Administer the monitoring and evaluation system
established in subsection (d).
``(H) Prepare the annual report required by section 5 of
the Assistance for Orphans and Other Vulnerable Children in
Developing Countries Act of 2005.
``(f) Authorization of Appropriations.--
``(1) In general.--There is authorized to be appropriated
to the President to carry out this section such sums as may
be necessary for each of the fiscal years 2006 and 2007.
``(2) Availability of funds.--Amounts made available under
paragraph (1) are authorized to remain available until
expended.''.
SEC. 4. STRATEGY OF THE UNITED STATES.
(a) Requirement for Strategy.--Not later than 180 days
after the date of enactment of this Act, the President shall
develop, and transmit to the appropriate congressional
committees, a strategy for coordinating, implementing, and
monitoring assistance programs for orphans and vulnerable
children.
(b) Consultation.--The strategy described in subsection (a)
should be developed in consultation with the Special Advisor
for Assistance to Orphans and Vulnerable Children (appointed
pursuant to section 135(e)(1) of the Foreign Assistance Act
of 1961 (as added by section 3 of this Act)) and with
employees of the field missions of the United States Agency
for International Development to ensure that the strategy--
(1) will not impede the efficiency of implementing
assistance programs for orphans and vulnerable children; and
(2) addresses the specific needs of indigenous populations.
(c) Content.--The strategy required by subsection (a) shall
include--
(1) the identity of each agency or department of the
Federal Government that is providing assistance for orphans
and vulnerable children in foreign countries;
(2) a description of the efforts of the head of each such
agency or department to coordinate the provision of such
assistance with other agencies or departments of the Federal
Government or nongovernmental entities;
(3) a description of a coordinated strategy, including
coordination with other bilateral and multilateral donors, to
provide the assistance authorized in section 135 of the
Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, as added by section 3 of this
Act;
(4) an analysis of additional coordination mechanisms or
procedures that could be implemented to carry out the
purposes of such section;
(5) a description of a monitoring system that establishes
performance goals for the provision of such assistance and
expresses such goals in an objective and quantifiable form,
to the extent feasible; and
(6) a description of performance indicators to be used in
measuring or assessing the achievement of the performance
goals described in paragraph (5).
SEC. 5. ANNUAL REPORT.
(a) Report.--Not later than one year after the date on
which the President transmits to the appropriate
congressional committees the strategy required by section
4(a), and annually thereafter, the President shall transmit
to the appropriate congressional committees a report on the
implementation of this Act and the amendments made by this
Act.
(b) Contents.--The report shall contain the following
information for grants, cooperative agreements, contracts,
contributions, and other forms of assistance awarded or
entered into under section 135 of the Foreign Assistance Act
of 1961 (as added by section 3 of this Act):
(1) The amount of funding, the name of recipient
organizations, the location of programs and activities, the
status of progress of programs and activities, and the
estimated number of orphans and other vulnerable children who
received direct or indirect assistance under the programs and
activities.
(2) The results of the monitoring and evaluation system
with respect to assistance for orphans and other vulnerable
children.
(3) The percentage of assistance provided in support of
orphans or other vulnerable children affected by HIV/AIDS.
(4) Any other appropriate information relating to the needs
of orphans and other vulnerable children in developing
countries that
[[Page H8859]]
could be addressed through the provision of assistance
authorized in section 135 of the Foreign Assistance Act of
1961, as added by section 3 of this Act, or under any other
provision of law.
SEC. 6. APPROPRIATE CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEES DEFINED.
In this Act, the term ``appropriate congressional
committees'' means the Committee on Appropriations and the
Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate and the
Committee on Appropriations and the Committee on
International Relations of the House of Representatives.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Illinois (Mr. Hyde) and the gentleman from California (Mr. Lantos) each
will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Hyde).
General Leave
Mr. HYDE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may
have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks
and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Illinois?
There was no objection.
Mr. HYDE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, over 140 million children living in sub-Saharan Africa,
Asia, Latin America, and the Caribbean have lost a parent resulting
from conflict and disease, undercutting their already difficult
struggle to cope with basic needs such as health care, food, clothing,
and education.
The situation is even more dire for 16 million of these children who
have lost both parents, the vast majority of whom had their lives taken
by AIDS. Many of these surviving children themselves are living with
HIV/AIDS and are doing so alone.
The size and scope of the problems facing orphans and vulnerable
children in the developing world is daunting. The United States
provides significant levels of assistance through the good work of the
United States Agency For International Development and other U.S.
agencies to provide much-needed help to these children. However, these
children deserve the best effort of the United States, and the American
people expect the same. We can do better.
American aid to help these children is provided by a patchwork of
programs from various offices within USAID and across U.S. agencies
with little overall coordination. H.R. 1409 will increase the coherence
and cohesion, as well as the effectiveness, of our multifaceted
approach without disrupting the flow of aid to help these children
through existing mechanisms.
This legislation requires the Secretary of State to designate a
senior officer, likely within USAID, to be a special adviser for
assisting orphans and vulnerable children. This special adviser will
ensure that our various assistance streams within our government will
be complementary to each other, that aid strategies developed in
Washington and our field missions are informed with the best data,
analysis, and practices to help these children, and that someone in our
government is conducting regular monitoring and evaluation of our
efforts so we can continually improve the effectiveness of these
programs.
This legislation does not construct costly new bureaucratic
structures such as a new office, nor does it expand personnel
requirements to accomplish these tasks. There are already sufficient
numbers of people and programs. Rather, we expect that the new special
adviser will be drawn from existing ranks, someone who is already
familiar with and working on these issues and can be dual-hatted in
these responsibilities.
In the last Congress we passed a previous version of this bill to
help orphans and vulnerable children. Unfortunately, the Senate did not
follow our lead. This time the Senate is already working on a bill
identical to H.R. 1409, so we are hopeful that the passage of this bill
today in the House will result in its being enacted into law very soon.
Finally, I would like to acknowledge the tireless work of the
gentlewoman from California (Ms. Lee) and her staff for working to
maintain momentum for this important legislation and bringing it to a
vote today. I strongly urge my colleagues to vote in favor of H.R.
1409.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this legislation, and I
would first like to thank the chairman of the Committee on
International Relations, the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Hyde), for
his hard work and long-standing advocacy for orphans and vulnerable
children, particularly those affected by HIV/AIDS. I also want to
congratulate the outstanding efforts of the sponsor of this
legislation, my neighbor, friend and colleague from the San Francisco
Bay area, the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Lee).
Mr. Speaker, the world faces an insidious and horrifying threat to
human life in the form of HIV/AIDS. This deadly pandemic has left
millions of men and women in its wake, but they are not its only
victims.
Mr. Speaker, a child is orphaned by HIV/AIDS every 14 seconds. Let me
repeat this staggering statistic: every 14 seconds a child is orphaned
by HIV/AIDS.
Today, by passing this legislation, we take a step to help relieve
the world's orphans and vulnerable children of the suffering they
endure at such alarming rates. As of midyear 2004, there were over 15
million children worldwide who were identified as orphans, more than 12
million of whom live in Africa. We expect by the year 2010 this figure
will climb to 25 million children.
Mr. Speaker, that means that in 5 years there will be more HIV/AIDS
orphans than the combined population of 18 of our States. Alaska,
Delaware, Hawaii, Idaho, Kansas, Maine, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New
Hampshire, New Mexico, North Dakota, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah,
Vermont, West Virginia, and Wyoming have a combined population which
will equal the number of HIV/AIDS orphans. Our government has made a
global commitment to combating HIV/AIDS.
{time} 1230
Now we must provide international leadership and do our share to
highlight the suffering of children and bring hope to the world's
future generations.
This bill is limited in scope, but it does represent our political
will and our moral determination to wage battle against child misery in
the developing world. I recognize of course that our agencies on the
frontlines of this disease are already doing a great deal to aid poor
children. However, this effort needs to be coordinated and brought to
the attention of leaders in the Congress and around the world.
The legislation we are considering is important because it designates
a Special Adviser to coordinate and support all of our efforts to
protect orphaned and vulnerable children in poor, developing countries.
The legislation will promote accountability for U.S. dollars that are
given to programs to help orphans.
Mr. Speaker, our legislation will ensure that donor nations do not
constantly reinvent the wheel as aid is provided to orphans in the
developing world. The Special Adviser created by this legislation will
spread aggressively best practices in assisting orphans to aid agencies
and foreign governments around the world.
The orphans of HIV/AIDS around the globe are among the most
vulnerable people on our planet. If we care for them, we can overcome
this crisis and turn the tide against AIDS and the ravages of poverty.
I urge all of my colleagues to vote in support of this bill.
Mr. Speaker, I yield 7 minutes to the gentlewoman from California
(Ms. Lee), the author of this legislation.
Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, first let me thank the gentleman from Illinois,
our chairman, for his strong and consistent support and his consistent
commitment to orphans and vulnerable children throughout the world.
Also I want to thank the gentleman from California for helping us make
sure that we stayed on track to ensure that this was truly a bipartisan
bill, and I want to thank him for his leadership.
This bill is, as the gentleman from Illinois mentioned, a bipartisan-
bicameral compromise and has attracted the sponsorship of 130 Members
of Congress. We have been working on this bill with the gentleman from
Illinois and the gentleman from California (Mr. Lantos) and their
staffs for nearly 1\1/2\ years now. So I want to specifically
[[Page H8860]]
thank Matt McLean on the chairman's staff and also Pearl Alice Marsh on
the gentleman from California's staff for their help in putting this
bill together. Not to mention my staff, Christos Tsentas, who has
worked day and night. Without them this bill would not be possible.
Let me also mention our advocates and NGOs, including the Global AIDS
Alliance, the Elizabeth Glaser Foundation, Save the Children, RESULTS,
the Global Action for Children campaign, and many others who helped
make this bill a reality.
As we move to pass this bill today, I also want to very briefly
acknowledge the work of former President Bill Clinton in focusing on
AIDS orphans. He was really one of the first to highlight the
importance of addressing the needs of children orphaned by AIDS in a
speech on World AIDS Day in 1998. The following year President Clinton
invited the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson-Lee), the gentlewoman
from Michigan (Ms. Kilpatrick), and myself to join Sandy Thurman, then
Director of the Office of National AIDS Policy at the White House. We
went on a Presidential Mission to sub-Saharan Africa in late March of
1999 to focus specifically on children orphaned by AIDS. We visited
Zambia, Uganda, and South Africa and met with a number of dynamic
leaders and individuals and saw just how devastating the AIDS crisis
had become and how deeply children were being affected.
So out of that visit, in 1999, the White House produced an action
report and began to take the first steps towards a broader U.S. role in
the global fight against AIDS. And, Mr. Speaker, I will include that
report in the Record.
BACKGROUND
On December 1, 1998, World AIDS Day, President Clinton
highlighted the growing global tragedy of children orphaned
by AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa. At that time, he directed
Sandra Thurman, Director of the Office of National AIDS
Policy, to lead a fact-finding mission to the region and to
report back to him with recommendations for productive
action. From March 27 through April 5, Director Thurman led a
Presidential Mission to Zambia, Uganda, and South Africa.
Director Thurman was accompanied by Representatives Jackson-
Lee, Kilpatrick, and Lee, and senior staff from the offices
of Senators Hatch, Helms, and Kennedy, and Representative
Pelosi. Also joining the Mission was a group of community
leaders from outside of government including Mayor David
Dinkins, Bishop Felton May, and William Harris. [Attachment
A: Trip Manifest]
The goals of the trip were to: investigate the extent of
the AIDS crisis in sub-Saharan Africa particularly as it
relates to children orphaned by AIDS; identify proven and
promising interventions; and, promote leadership both at home
and abroad.
Information for this report was gathered from meetings with
African presidents, government ministers, donors, experts,
providers, children, parents, and community leaders. In
addition, site visits were made to a wide variety of
community-based programs serving children and families
affected by AIDS. Both the meetings and the visits provided
an important perspective on the problem regarding actions
taken, lessons learned, and further progress needed.
[Attachment B: Groups Visited]
PLAN OF ACTION
The Background
Throughout the Mission's travel in Africa, it was clear
that President Clinton's ``Partnership with Africa'' is
making hope a reality, even at the village level. From
Kampala to Cape Town, people across Africa know of this
historic initiative. Unfortunately, AIDS threatens to
decimate the progress of this partnership and everything else
in its path. To protect and defend the legacy of growth and
opportunity we have built with Africa, and the children and
families who depend on it, an aggressive AIDS initiative,
involving concrete action both at home and abroad, is
essential.
Given the magnitude of the AIDS pandemic and its
devastating impact on child survival, economic development,
trade, regional stability, and civil society in Africa today,
and in India tomorrow, the President established a Global
AIDS Emergency Working Group. Included were the National
Security Council, Office of Management and Budget, Office of
the Vice President, USAID, and the Departments of Defense,
State, Treasury, Commerce, and HHS. The Office of National
AIDS Policy coordinated this effort, and together the Working
Group and the members of the Presidential Mission made
specific recommendations. These recommendations form the
basis of the Plan of Action now put forward by the
Administration.
The Goals
UNAIDS, in cooperation with its bi-lateral and multi-
lateral partners, has laid out a series of goals for the next
five years as described below. The Administration seeks to
further these goals through an initiative entitled ``Joining
Forces for LIFE: Leadership and Investment in Fighting an
Epidemic:''
The incidence of HIV infection will be reduced by 25% among
15-24 year olds by 2005. (Currently 2 million young adults
are infected each year in sub-Saharan Africa.)
At least 75% of HIV infected persons will have access to
basic care and support services at the home and community
levels, including drugs for common opportunistic infections
(TB, pneumonia, and diarrhea). (Currently, less than 1% of
HIV infected persons have such access.)
Orphans will have access to education and food on an equal
basis with their nonorphaned peers.
By 2001, domestic and external resources available for HIV/
AIDS efforts in Africa will have doubled to $300 million per
year. (Currently, approximately $150 million per year is
spent on HIV/AIDS prevention in sub-Saharan Africa.)
By 2005, 50% of HIV infected pregnant women will have
access to interventions to reduce mother-to-child HIV
transmission. (Currently, less than 1% of HIV infected
pregnant women have access to such services in sub-Saharan
Africa.)
The Initiative
I. Increasing the US Government investment in the global
battle against AIDS to begin to reflect the magnitude of this
rapidly escalating pandemic.
Making a difference in Africa and in other highly impacted
areas requires broader political commitment, enhanced
community mobilization, and, most urgently, increased
resources. In 1998, spending on AIDS in Africa totaled only
$165 million. Compared to the ever-escalating need and other
health programs, this amount is woefully inadequate. For
example, in 1998, over $500 million was spent for basic
childhood immunization programs in Africa. Based on our
experience in those countries that are starting to
demonstrate success, such as Uganda and Senegal, UNAIDS and
donors now agree that a minimum of $600 million is needed in
sub-Saharan Africa per year for HIV prevention alone ($2 per
adult per year).
While we acknowledge the leadership role that the US plays
globally and the urgent need to act, clearly an effort to
combat AIDS must be driven by many actors including host
countries, multi-lateral organizations, and bilateral donors,
to be successful. In FY1999, the US Government spent $74
million in USAID prevention and care in Africa and $38
million in HHS research and surveillance/prevention. But more
remains to be done in sub-Saharan Africa and in other
seriously affected parts of the world.
The Administration proposes to commit an additional $100
million in FY2000 to the global battle against AIDS. This
initiative will enable us to move forward on four critically
important and interconnected fronts including:
Containing the AIDS Pandemic ($48 million)--Implement a
variety of prevention and stigma reduction strategies,
especially for women and youth, including: HIV education,
engagement of political, religious, and other leaders;
voluntary counseling and testing; interventions to reduce
mother-to-child transmission (MTCT); and enhance training and
technical assistance efforts, including Department of Defense
efforts with African militaries.
Providing Home and Community-Based Care ($23 million)--
Deliver counseling, support, and palliative and basic medical
care including treatment for sexually transmitted diseases,
opportunistic infections (Ols), and tuberculosis (TB) through
community-based clinics and home-based care workers. Enhance
training and technical assistance efforts.
Caring for Children Orphaned by AIDS ($10 million)--Assist
families, extended families, and communities in caring for
their children through nutritional assistance, education,
training, health, and counseling support, in coordination
with micro-finance programs.
Strengthening Prevention and Treatment by Augmenting
Planning, Infrastructure, and Capacity Development ($19
million)--Strengthen host country ability to plan and
implement effective interventions. Strengthen the capacity
for effective partnerships and the ability of community-based
organizations to deliver essential services. Strengthen
surveillance systems to track the epidemic and target HIV/
AIDS programs.
This US Government assistance would be provided through
USAID ($55 million), HHS ($35 million), and DoD ($10
million). The focus of this funding is HIV prevention, and
AIDS care and treatment. In those areas, this initiative
represents nearly a doubling of funding in Africa from
current levels ($81 million in FY99, which excludes
research). The Administration recognizes the fight against
AIDS must be sustained to keep pace with this burgeoning
epidemic, and is committed to a multi-year effort in this
critical area.
II. Building partnerships with other key stakeholders to
maximize our impact on the rapidly expanding pandemic
Increasing US investment in the global battle against AIDS
is critical, but is not sufficient to achieve the outcomes
needed. The commitment of in-country political leaders and of
various segments of civil society are key to success.
Moreover, resources provided by the US Government need to
help leverage, and to be coordinated with those of other
donors, the private sector, and national governments to
ensure synergy and to
[[Page H8861]]
maximize impact. Building partnerships with key stakeholders
in support of effective action at the community level is our
greatest hope for progress.
This initiative will pursue a variety of strategic
opportunities for challenging other partners to join in an
enhanced effort, including:
Leadership Meeting--On September 7, 1999, First Lady
Hillary Rodham Clinton will convene a meeting of key US
officials, The World Bank, UNAIDS, as well as heads of
foundations, corporate CEOs, and others to discuss how best
to enhance AIDS prevention and treatment efforts in Africa
and around the world. The meeting will focus not only on
leveraging additional resources, but also on establishing
priorities, identifying effective public/private
partnerships, and identifying targets for action to combat
the crisis of HIV/AIDS.
African Leaders Summit--We propose hosting a high-level
meeting with Africa government and community leaders within
the next ten months. This meeting will highlight the critical
role of leadership in arresting the epidemic and will work to
encourage increased leadership efforts. Topics will include
the economic impact of HIV/AIDS, examination of models of
success in reducing the transmission of HIV, and addressing
the need for increased investment in health programs.
Additional topics will include AIDS care and treatment and
support for children orphaned by AIDS.
UN Conference on Children Orphaned by AIDS--On December 1,
1999 (World AIDS Day), the United Nations in conjunction with
the National Black Leadership Commission on AIDS, The White
House Office of National AIDS Policy, The Magic Johnson
Foundation and a variety of NGOs, will organize a conference
to focus attention on the growing number of children orphaned
by AIDS worldwide. Special emphasis will be placed on
assessing the needs of orphaned children in sub-Saharan
Africa and the Americas. Participants will include noted
experts on the priority issues identified by UNAIDS, UNICEF,
and other UN agencies.
Business--The Department of Commerce will facilitate a
meeting of business leaders active in Africa to encourage
them to increase their efforts to rise to the AIDS challenge.
Given the impact that AIDS is having on businesses as well as
the overall economic-impact on African countries, such a
meeting will seek enhanced business commitment and
involvement in AIDS programs.
The Commerce Department will work with American Chambers of
Commerce abroad and other business organizations to publicize
the successful AIDS efforts of US firms in Africa and to
support others taking similar action. In addition, the
Department will direct work to promote closer coordination in
Africa between Commercial Service Offices, other USG
agencies, the business community, and African NGOs in a
united effort to promote corporate partnership in AIDS
programs.
Labor--The Secretary of Labor will facilitate a meeting of
US and African labor leaders, which will be co-chaired by the
AFL-CIO. The success of the AFL-CIO and its Solidarity Center
in South Africa (supported by USAID) in working with the
South African Trade Union Federations to include AIDS as a
key labor outreach and policy issue provides a model for
similar action elsewhere. Outcomes include assisting labor
organizations in educating their members and securing
commitments to develop workplace-based AIDS education and
prevention programs, including outreach to youth.
Religious Leaders Summit--The US government will facilitate
a meeting of African, American, and other religious leaders
to discuss the important role of communities of faith in the
fight against AIDS. In Uganda and Senegal, the involvement of
religious communities and leaders had a dramatic impact on
the ability of these two countries to reduce HIV incidence
and to maintain it at low levels over time. The outcome of
such a meeting would be to increase attention to the need for
involving religious communities, to mobilize these
organizations and leaders in the fight against AIDS, and to
identify ways to support their efforts.
Diplomatic Initiatives--The Department of State, National
Security Council, and ONAP will work with US and African
ambassadors to increase attention to AIDS within the
diplomatic community. The NSC, the Department of State, and
USAID will work with G-8 and other donors, and challenge them
to match the increased investment put forward in this
initiative.
ATTACHMENT A--Trip Manifest
Presidential mission to AFRICA--March 27-April 5, 1999
Members of Congress: Representative Carolyn Kilpatrick,
Foreign Operations Subcommittee, Appropriations, and
Congressional Black Caucus; Representative Barbara Lee,
Africa Subcommittee, International Relations, and
Congressional Black Caucus; and Representative Sheila Jackson
Lee, Founder and Chair, Congressional Children's Caucus, and
Congressional Black Caucus.
Congressional Staff: Bruce Artim, Health Staff, Senator
Hatch; Mary Lynn Qurnell, Legislative Assistant, Senator
Helms; Stephanie Robinson, General Counsel, Senator Kennedy;
and Carolyn Bartholomew, Legislative Director, Representative
Pelosi, Minority Staff, Foreign Operations Subcommittee,
Appropriations.
Non-Governmental Participants: William Harris, President,
Children's Education and Research Institute; Bishop Felton
May, General Board of Global Ministries, United Methodist
Church; David Dinkins, Chair, Black Leadership Commission on
AIDS; Dr. Jacob Gayle, UNAIDS Technical Advisor and Liaison
to The World Bank; Rory Kennedy, Documentary filmmaker, Moxie
Films; and Nick Doob, Documentary filmmaker, Moxie Films.
Administration Officials: Sandra L. Thurman, Director,
Office of National AIDS Policy; Michael Iskowitz, Consultant,
USAID; Dr. Paul DeLay, Director, HIV/AIDS Programs, USAID;
Maria Sotiropoulos, Protocol Officer, State Department; and
Phil Drouin, Desk Officer, Bureau of African Affairs, State
Department.
ATTACHMENT B--Groups Visited: Community Organizations and Government
Officials
Zambia
Bwanfanon, CHIN, Christian Council of Zambia, Evangelical
Fellowship of Zambia, Family Health Trust, Fountain of Hope,
McKinney Islamic Center, Mulenga Compound, National AIDS
Network, Ndeke House, Project Concern International, Society
of Women Against HIV/AIDS, St. Anthony's Compound, and Twapia
Widows Group.
President Jacob Titus Chiluba; Dr. Nkandu Luao, Minister of
Health; Peter McDermott, UNICEF Country Representative;
Vincent Malambo, Minister of Legal Affairs; Edith Z. Nawakwi,
Minister of Finance and Economic Development; Abel Chambeshi,
Minister of Youth, Sports and Child Health; Keli Walubita,
Minister of Foreign Affairs; Dawson Lupunga, Minister of
Community Development; Dr. Moses Sichone, HIV/AIDS
Coordinator, GRZ; GRZ public-private orphan task force; and
Ambassador Arlene Render.
Uganda
AIDS Development Foundation, AIDS Information Center, The
AIDS Support Organization (TASO), Foundation for
International Community Assistance (FINCA), Joint Clinical
Research Centre, Makerere University, National Community of
Women Living with AIDS, Save the Children (UK), Uganda AIDS
Commission, Uganda Cancer Institute, Uganda Virus Research
Institute, and United Women's Effort to Save Orphans.
President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, First Lady Janet
Museveni, Dr. Crispus Kiyonga, Minister of Health; Hajat
Janat Mukwaya, Minister of Gender, Labor and Development; Dr.
Elizabeth Madraa, AIDS/STD Control Program, Ministry of
Health; Rafina Ochago, Commissioner for Child Care and
Protection, Ministry of Gender, Labor and Development; and
Ambassador Nancy J. Powell.
South Africa
Bethesda House, CINDI Coalition (Children in Distress), Don
McKenzie TB Hospital, Edendale Hospital, Edith Benson Babies
Home, Ethembeni Centre, Grey's Hospital, Highway Hospice,
Hope Worldwide-Jabavu Clinic, King Edward Hospital, Lilly of
the Valley, Makaphuthu Children's Home, Project Gateway, and
Streetwise Shelter.
Nkosa Zana Zuma, Minister of Health; GJ Fraser-Moleketi,
Minister of Welfare and Population Development; Dr. Ben S.
Ngubane, Premier, KZN; Dr. Zweli Mkhize, Minister of Health,
KZN; Siphiwe Gwala, Mayor, KZN; and Ambassador James Joseph.
Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, I also want to make special note of the work of
Bono and his organization Debt, AIDS, Trade, Africa for their work in
really driving the agenda of HIV and AIDS and for bringing the
attention to the needs of African people. He will be here,
incidentally, today in the Capitol, and I know he will appreciate the
importance of passing this bill.
And also, finally, I must thank my predecessor, Ron Dellums, who for
many years was a lone voice in the wilderness who also developed the
concept of the AIDS Marshall Plan and the Global Fund for AIDS.
Quite simply, this bill, H.R. 1409, will better coordinate and
address the growing problem of orphans and vulnerable children in the
developing world. As we heard earlier, an estimated 143 million
children were living as orphans throughout sub-Saharan Africa, Asia,
Latin America, and the Caribbean. This is extremely hard to even
comprehend.
The rapid growth of HIV and AIDS especially in Africa has
dramatically impacted the number of children who are newly becoming
orphans. According to UNAIDS, today there are over 15 million children
living as orphans due to HIV and AIDS, again, the vast majority in sub-
Saharan Africa. By 2010 there will be 25 million children. Today every
14 seconds another child is orphaned by AIDS. With parents dying at an
alarming rate, children are left without food, shelter, education, or
protection. We actually saw children raising children, 10-year olds
raising their siblings.
The global orphan crisis is a profound humanitarian disaster that
will be felt for decades to come. This bill seeks to address the
growing global problem of orphans and vulnerable children by providing
assistance to support basic care through community, school food
[[Page H8862]]
programs, increased primary school enrollment, employment training,
protection of inheritance rights, psychosocial support, and treatment
for children living with HIV and AIDS.
Together these activities will be overseen by a Special Adviser for
Orphans and Vulnerable Children within USAID, which is a new position
that my bill establishes. The Special Adviser will be responsible for
coordinating, advising, and monitoring the provision of assistance for
orphans and ensuring proper accountability for this program.
The amendments that we put into this bill have been made after
careful negotiation with the other body and the gentleman from Illinois
and the gentleman from California, our House leadership, and I thank
them for helping us with these negotiations. These amendments would
clarify the role of the Special Adviser in focussing specifically on
orphans and vulnerable children. The amendments would also give USAID
some flexibility to aggregate data in its report to Congress rather
than providing detailed information on each individual grant and
program.
Many of us, as I said earlier, have seen firsthand the desperation
that orphans and vulnerable children are facing. There are many, in
Africa especially, who have risen to the occasion. Father D'Agostino,
for example, of Nyumbani orphanage. Many of us know Father D'Agostino,
and he is doing unbelievable work in primarily Kenya. He has got the
care and devotion of a staff and all of its volunteers who are really
basically saving lives of children and helping develop their futures.
He needs resources.
Also Mama Jean. I have got to mention her. Mother of Peace Orphanage
Community in Zimbabwe. It is an orphanage I have become quite familiar
with because it benefits adjacent rural communities, and I am proud to
say that my own church in Oakland, California, the Allen Temple Baptist
Church, is one of the sponsors of this orphanage.
Mr. Speaker, let me just say that these two programs are incredible
programs and it is really a testament to how much good can be done on a
shoestring budget by a committed group of people.
Bwafwano Home-Based Care Organization, run by Beatrice Chola, I met
her when I traveled to Zambia last year with the gentlewoman from the
Virgin Islands (Mrs. Christensen) and the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms.
Jackson-Lee). She is working as a nurse in the Chipata health center of
Lusaka. Beatrice started this clinic, this orphanage, back in 1996 when
she saw that the health center was overrun by HIV and AIDS and TB-
infected patients.
So today, Mr. Speaker, to our chairman, to the gentleman from
California, and to all of those who have made this bill possible, I
want to thank them on behalf of the millions of children who are going
to be helped, whose lives will be saved, and who will lead the quality
of life that they so deserve. They need our help. We are stepping up to
the plate.
Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from
Minnesota (Ms. McCollum), a member of the Committee on International
Relations, who has been a fighter for children's rights and a fighter
to defeat the ravages of AIDS.
Ms. McCOLLUM of Minnesota. Mr. Speaker, I strongly support this
important legislation to address the needs of children orphaned and
vulnerable as a result of the AIDS pandemic. The gentlewoman from
California (Ms. Lee) and her staff, as well as the gentleman from
Illinois (Mr. Hyde), the gentleman from California (Mr. Lantos), and
the gentleman from Iowa (Mr. Leach) are to be commended for their
commitment to setting forth a policy that creates a framework to meet
the needs of AIDS orphans. This bill deserves the full support of this
House.
At this moment millions of boys and girls, children, across the
continent of Africa are struggling to survive, struggling to find food
and shelter and to care for siblings. They too often live in fear of
sexual exploitation or are forced to use sex in exchange for food,
safety, and survival. By 2010 an estimated 25 million children across
Africa alone will be orphaned as a result of AIDS. Millions more will
be caring for sick parents as well as for brothers and sisters.
Mr. Speaker, today's Seattle Post-Intelligencer details how the small
southern African nation of Malawi is facing an AIDS disaster which is
now fueling a famine. In this nation of nearly 12 million people,
nearly 1 million more people are infected with HIV, many too sick to
farm their fields. Five million Malawians are at risk of starvation. In
Malawi there are also 700,000 AIDS orphans struggling to survive a
famine, and this does not include the vulnerable children.
When a country is starving, who feeds the children? Who feeds, cares
for, educates, and protects the children, the AIDS orphans? Mr.
Speaker, AIDS is killing an entire nation, and the children left behind
must be protected and cared for and educated and, most importantly,
valued.
This bill is an important first step. U.S. leadership is needed for
these children who deserve our help.
Mr. Speaker, for the Record I submit the Seattle Post-Intelligencer
article.
[From the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Oct. 18, 2005]
Malawi Village Underscores Impact of AIDS
(By Clare Nullis, Associated Press Writer)
Napasha, Malawi.--It's so quiet you can hear scrawny hens
pecking at the dust. A few ragged children peer timidly from
the shadow of their mud huts but show no interest in playing.
Beyond them lie barren cornfields, abandoned to the
blistering heat.
The despair is unmistakable in Napasha, a village in the
southern African nation of Malawi where an AIDS epidemic has
compounded the vicious cycle of poverty, hunger and disease.
``Our fields are idle because there is nobody to work
them,'' says Toby Solomon, a local commissioner.
Subsistence farmers dominate Malawi's struggling economy.
But an estimated 900,000 of 12 million people are infected
with the HIV virus, a national rate of just over 14 percent.
In the southern province of Nsanje, which includes Napasha,
the rate is as high as 35 percent, according to Solomon.
``We don't have machinery for farming, we only have
manpower,'' Solomon says. ``If we are sick, or spend our time
looking after family members who are sick, we have no time to
spend working in the fields.''
Numbers aren't easy to come by in Napasha, a cluster of
simple mud buildings with no electricity or sanitation and
just one communal water pump. But the 400 or so households
here include about a hundred children who have lost one or
both parents to AIDS.
The epidemic has aggravated a food crisis stemming in part
from a drought that is withering corn crops. President Bingu
wa Mutharika declared all of the southern African nation a
``disaster area'' Saturday and appealed for international
help. He warned that 5 million people, almost half the
population, are threatened with hunger.
Monica Kasitomu, a tiny graying woman who thinks she is
around 70, is struggling to feed three young grandchildren
who lost both their parents to AIDS. She says she depends on
the corn meal and oil she receives from the United Nations.
``I'm getting too old to care for my grandchildren,'' she
frets. ``When I die, I don't know what will happen to them,''
she says, tears in her eyes.
One roadside sign near Napasha urges people to use condoms.
``AIDS is real. It's not witchcraft,'' it says.
Many people here, as in much of Malawi, believe AIDS is
caused by witchcraft and consider condoms taboo. The
government and foreign relief agencies have launched
campaigns to try to educate people about the disease, but
results have been slow to filter down.
AIDS kills about 90,000 people in Malawi every year, and
about half of the country's hospital beds are occupied by
people with AIDS-related complications. Napasha, which is far
from any health facilities, has at least eight households
with terminally ill AIDS victims.
One is Melania Nakhove, a tall and graceful woman who looks
older than her 50 years. She lost her husband to AIDS in 2002
and then discovered that she too was infected with the virus.
She used to have a job but gave it up when she became too ill
to work. Her house--like most others in the village--is bare.
Her monthly ration of cornmeal lies drying on the floor of
her living room, adorned only with a 2002 calendar and an
AIDS awareness poster.
Nakhove counts herself lucky to receive both food aid and
anti-retroviral medicines thanks to a government program
funded by foreign donations.
Of an estimated 140,000 Malawis who need the life-
prolonging drugs, only 19,000 were receiving them in June,
according to the World Health Organization. The government
aims to put 80,000 on treatment by the end of the year, but
that is subject to foreign funding.
At the Saint Montfort feeding center in southern town of
Nchal, nurse Getrude Mkwapu estimates half the children
admitted to the intensive feeding ward are HIV-positive,
complicating efforts to treat their malnutrition.
[[Page H8863]]
James, just 14 months old, is one of them. The skeletal
boy, who looks no older than four months, wails incessantly
as his grandmother, Weza Jugen, tries to coax him to drink a
cup of milk.
``I don't know what I can do,'' Jugen said. ``All I can try
to do is to give him milk and porridge.''
James, whose mother died last month, is one of 700,000
orphans in Malawi.
``The epidemic is giving people a sense of no hope,'' says
Solomon. ``No hope for life.''
Mr. HYDE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from
California (Mr. Lantos) and ask unanimous consent that he be allowed to
control that time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Shimkus). Is there objection to the
request of the gentleman from Illinois?
There was no objection.
Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Illinois for his
usual gracious accommodation.
Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms.
Jackson-Lee), a fighter for children's rights.
(Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas asked and was given permission to revise
and extend her remarks.)
Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I thank both the gentleman
from Illinois (Mr. Hyde) and the gentleman from California (Mr. Lantos)
for their graciousness in this debate, something that I know the
gentlewoman from California (Ms. Lee) has waited on and fought for for
such a long time. My hat is off to the gentlewoman from California (Ms.
Lee), and the good news is that at the end of my name there is L-e-e.
But I celebrate her leadership today and join in reminding the world
that this may sound like a celebration but it is only the beginning.
I rise to enthusiastically support H.R. 1409, Assistance for Orphans
and Other Vulnerable Children in Developing Countries Act of 2005.
Though, Mr. Speaker, that we rise today and speak about the scourge
of AIDS, the vitality and importance of this legislation looms even
more important as we look at the backdrop of now the rising numbers of
those who have lost their lives in the terrible tragedy of the
earthquake in Pakistan and, of course, as I am facing two disasters,
the terrible tragedy of Hurricane Katrina and Rita where we know that
the largest numbers of those impacted are children. In the instance of
Pakistan, we know that children may be the highest numbers of those who
have lost their lives, now numbers rising above 40,000. We know in
Hurricane Katrina and Rita that we also will feel a terrible impact on
our children.
{time} 1245
So this bill that is now focused specifically on the issues dealing
with HIV/AIDS speaks volumes that we were able to pass legislation
based upon the mission that the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Lee),
myself, and the gentlewoman from Michigan (Ms. Kilpatrick) joined as
the first Presidential mission led by Sandy Thurman of the White House
under President Bill Clinton.
As I said, the steps were measured but the effort was persistent and
determined, and so this bill will authorize assistance to provide basic
care through the community, school food programs, increased primary
school enrollment, employment training, protection of inheritance
rights, psychosocial support, and treatment for people living with HIV
and AIDS.
I will tell my colleagues as I listened to the gentlewoman from
California (Ms. Lee), she is right. As we walked into various living
facilities, huts, throughout the nations that we visited, we stopped in
to visit and see a 4-year-old bending over a dying body, we visited
with a grandmother who was now taking care of a number of the children
of her dead children, both husbands and wives. We knew that this had to
be confronted in a very drastic, severe, persistent, and large way.
This bill is a large way of responding to it.
We all know that according to a report developed by the United
Nations Joint Programme on HIV/AIDS, UNICEF, and the United States
Agency for International Development, as of July 2004 there were more
than 143 million orphans living in sub-Saharan Africa, Asia, Latin
America and the Caribbean, 143 million, which is more than almost half
of the population of the United States of America.
We realize that these children are vulnerable, with no hope, no life.
We also realize that those who are dying in their care need greater
care than a 4-year-old, a 5-year-old, a 6-year-old might be able to
give. We know that infants are poor and malnourished and are more
likely to contract respiratory infections, diarrhea, and measles and
other preventable diseases. We also know that those who were taking
care of had tuberculosis and HIV, and so we recognize that this bill is
long in coming, but it is so much needed.
Just imagine these poor children with no hope; and so, today, America
rises to the occasion of the America that we all have loved and
recognize for what she has always been, the defender of the most
vulnerable around the world. Some have called her Mother America. In
this instance, we embrace those from around the world, and we join with
H.R. 1409, and I ask my colleagues to support it. I congratulate my
colleagues, and I look forward to working with the gentleman from
Illinois (Chairman Hyde) and the gentleman from California (Mr. Lantos)
as we move this forward for a better world.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 1409, the ``Assistance
for Orphans and Other Vulnerable Children in Developing Countries Act
of 2005.'' This bipartisan bill seeks to address the growing problem of
orphans and vulnerable children in developing countries, which has been
exacerbated by the HIV/AIDS pandemic. The bill establishes the position
of Special Advisor for Assistance to Orphans and Vulnerable Children
within the United States Agency for International Development with
responsibilities including coordination, advising, and the monitoring
of assistance.
Additionally, the bill will authorize assistance programs to provide:
Basic care through the community; school food programs; increased
primary school enrollment; employment training; protection of
inheritance rights; psychosocial support; and treatment for children
living with HIV/AIDs.
As of July 2004, there were more than 143 million children living in
sub-Saharan Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Caribbean who were
identified as orphans, having lost one or both of their parents. Of
this number, approximately 16 million children were identified as
double orphans, having lost both parents--the vast majority of whom
died from AIDS. These children often are disadvantaged in numerous and
devastating ways and most households with orphans cannot meet the basic
needs of health care, food, clothing, and educational expenses.
The HIV/AIDS pandemic has increased the number of orphans worldwide
and has exacerbated the poor living conditions of the world's poorest
and most vulnerable children. AIDS has created an unprecedented orphan
crisis, especially in sub-Saharan Africa, where children have been
hardest hit. An estimated 14 million orphans have lost 1 or both
parents to AIDS. By 2010, it is estimated that over 25 million children
will have been orphaned by AIDS.
Working to combat poverty and to protect the vulnerable is an issue
that members of both parties can agree on. According to the United
Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), orphans are less likely to be in
school and more likely to be working full time. Providing children with
free primary school education, while simultaneously ensuring that
adequate resources exist for teacher training and infrastructure would
help more orphans and other vulnerable children obtain a quality
education. It is critical for the future of these developing nations
that the orphaned and vulnerable populations have access to basic needs
like food, health care, and education.
General Facts on Children
According to a report developed by the United Nations Joint Programme
on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), UNICEF, and the United States Agency for
International Development, as of July 2004 there were more than
143,000,000 orphans living in sub-Saharan Africa, Asia, Latin America,
and the Caribbean.
Assessments carried out by the International Labor Organization (ILO)
to investigate the situation of children who are working found that
orphans are much more likely than non-orphans to be working in
commercial agriculture, the domestic service industry, and the
commercial sex industry, as street vendors, or in industries that
violate internationally recognized rights of children.
Infants who are poor and malnourished are more likely to contract
respiratory infections, diarrhea, measles, and other preventable
diseases, and are less likely to receive needed health care.
According to UNAIDS and UNICEF, by the end of 2001 there were an
estimated 14,000,000 children under the age of 15 who had lost one or
both parents to AIDS.
[[Page H8864]]
As the number of HIV cases increases in sub-Saharan Africa and the
Caribbean, as well as in Eastern Europe and Asia, the death rate from
AIDS among adults in those regions is expected to increase. By 2010 the
total number of children in those regions who will lose one or both
parents to AIDS is expected to be approximately 30,000,000.
One-third of children born from an HIV-infected mother develop HIV/
AIDS. Few of these children have access to HIV/AIDS medications.
Globally, more than 12,000,000 young people ages 15 to 24 are living
with HIV/AIDS, and each day another 6,000 young people became infected
with HIV. New estimates indicate that more than 70 percent of new HIV
cases among this age group in sub-Saharan Africa are young women and
girls.
Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to yield 2\1/2\ minutes to
the gentlewoman from the Virgin Islands (Mrs. Christensen), our
distinguished colleague and a physician herself.
Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from California
(Mr. Lantos) for yielding me time.
I also rise in strong support of H.R. 1409, to amend the Foreign
Assistance Act of 1961 to provide assistance for orphans and other
vulnerable children in developing countries. I want to commend the
gentlewoman from California (Ms. Lee) as well for her commitment to
this issue and for sponsoring this bill and for her hard work in
getting it to the floor today, and to thank Chairman Hyde and Ranking
Member Lantos for their support.
Mr. Speaker, as the Navhind Times wrote earlier this month, ``There
are more than 100 million children worldwide who are living hand-to-
mouth, bereft from family and homes and are particularly vulnerable to
abuse.'' We have all seen the tragedy of children soldiers, the street
children of South America, and children refugees.
As of July 2004, there were more than 143 million children living in
sub-Saharan Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Caribbean who were
identified as orphans, having lost one or both parents. Of this number,
approximately 16.2 million children were identified as double orphans,
having lost both parents, the vast majority of whom died of AIDS.
Numerous United States and indigenous private voluntary
organizations, including faith-based organizations, in these countries
provide assistance to orphans and other vulnerable children.
One such program is the Rx for Child Survival Campaign, a multimedia
campaign aimed at raising the awareness of child hunger, disease and
the impact of AIDS on their lives. Many of these organizations have
applied for grants to the administrator of the U.S. Agency for
International Development to provide increased levels of assistance for
orphans and other vulnerable children in these developing countries.
Mr. Speaker, the plight of the world's children represents both a
humanitarian and a security crisis, and it is getting worse with each
succeeding year. It is essential that the United States Government
adopt a comprehensive approach for the provision of assistance to
orphans and other vulnerable children around the world.
By acting now, Congress can ensure that important services, such as
basic care, psychosocial support, school food programs, increased
educational opportunities and employment training, the protection and
promotion of their inheritance rights, the treatment of orphans and
other vulnerable children of HIV and AIDS and other illnesses have more
accessible treatment and support efforts that ensure orphans continue
to live with their extended families whenever possible, rather than
being placed in orphanages.
I urge my colleagues to support the passage of H.R. 1409.
Mr. HOLT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 1409, the
Assistance for Orphans and Other Vulnerable Children in Developing
Countries Act of 2005. This bipartisan bill will provide assistance to
the neediest children in the world's poorest countries, and I urge my
colleagues to support it.
AIDS has been so devastating to the developing world, especially sub-
Saharan Africa, partly because so many of those killed by AIDS are
adults of child-bearing age. These men and women are often the pillars
of their communities and families. Most diseases spare at least one
parent, but AIDS often kills both mothers and fathers. Sixteen million
children in the developing world are ``double orphans''--both of their
parents are dead--mostly because of AIDS. Unfortunately, their numbers
are increasing as AIDS continues to ravage the world. Indeed, in four
African countries, one in five children will have lost at least one
parent to AIDS by 2010. It is vital that we help these children.
Extended families care for more than 90 percent of orphans in the
developing world. Unfortunately, these families often lack the
resources to meet the most basic needs of the orphans. These children
are less likely than their peers to be enrolled in school. Many
orphaned girls in particular are forced into the workforce at an early
age. They are more likely than others to go hungry. Because of the
stress of losing their parents and coping with the ensuing problems,
they are much more likely to suffer from psychological problems.
Many face discrimination both as the children of AIDS victims and as
orphans. Orphans and their mothers often have difficulty inheriting the
land or other property due to them.
This bill authorizes the President to assist programs in developing
nations that benefit orphans and other vulnerable children. USAID will
work with an array of groups, including international and non-
governmental organizations, to provide needed services to orphans.
These services include education, school food, protection of
inheritance rights and psychosocial care. When possible, community-
based groups will directly provide this care.
H.R. 1409 includes provisions that monitor and evaluate the
effectiveness of the programs funded, so resources will be channeled to
the groups that do the best work and need the most assistance. It also
creates the office of the Special Advisor for Assistance to Vulnerable
Populations, appointed by the Secretary of State, who will oversee the
implementation of this bill in USAID programs and coordinate U.S.
assistance to orphans and other vulnerable children.
Mr. Speaker, this bipartisan bill will ease the suffering of the
millions of children who have been orphaned in the developing world,
and it is worthy of this House's support.
Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. HYDE. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Shimkus). The question is on the motion
offered by the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Hyde) that the House
suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 1409, as amended.
The question was taken.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds of
those present have voted in the affirmative.
Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be
postponed.
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