[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 71 (Wednesday, June 7, 2006)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5594-S5595]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           25TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE FIRST DOCUMENTED AIDS CASE

  Mr. FEINGOLD. Mr. President, it was 25 years ago this week that a 
little-noticed report from the Centers for Disease Control documented a 
peculiar cluster of deadly pneumonia cases in Los Angeles. That report 
was the first official mention of AIDS, although the disease had no 
name at the time. Since 1981, AIDS has become an international human 
catastrophe, killing more than 25 million people, orphaning more than 
15 million children, and infecting more than 65 million people. Today, 
there are 40 million people living with HIV.
  This issue affects us on both a global and a domestic scale. There 
are over 1.2 million people in the United States living with HIV/AIDS, 
and there are over 40,000 new infections each year. While the United 
States made great strides to contain the disease and reduce the number 
of deaths throughout the 1990s, it now appears that this trend is 
reversing. The death rate is beginning to destabilize, and the 
infection rate is growing at a staggering rate among certain 
populations, particularly people of color. African Americans have the 
highest AIDS case rates of any racial or ethnic group--more than nine 
times the rate for Whites.
  There is still much to be done in the United States to combat HIV/
AIDS, but the prevalence of HIV/AIDS in the rest of the world, 
particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, is truly devastating. In my role as 
ranking member of the Africa Subcommittee of the Senate Foreign 
Relations Committee, I have seen firsthand the devastation this disease 
has caused in Africa. Africa has accounted for nearly half of all 
global AIDS deaths, and it is estimated that by the year 2025 the total 
number of HIV infections in Africa could reach an astounding 100 
million. In some African countries, the disease has caused the average 
life expectancy to drop below 40. HIV/AIDS has ravaged countries, 
economies, and families.
  The most vulnerable in our global society are in many cases those who 
are most at risk from HIV/AIDS. Women and girls, who in Africa are 
often left physically, economically, and politically vulnerable, suffer 
disproportionately from HIV/AIDS. Nearly 60 percent of all people 
living with HIV in Africa are women; girls in sub-Saharan Africa aged 
15 to 19 are infected by HIV at rates as much as five to seven times 
higher than boys their age. Gender inequalities, cultural norms, 
transactional sex, and all forms of violence against women and girls 
increase their susceptibility to HIV/AIDS. Women and girls desperately 
need legal protection and economic empowerment so that they can make 
safe health choices. These are fundamentally connected issues.
  There is some cause for hope in our battle against this terrible 
disease; the United States has committed an unprecedented amount of 
money to the fight, and we are beginning to see some results. This is 
no cause for complacency, however. According to a recent U.N. report, 
while the spread of HIV/AIDS appears to be slowing down worldwide and 
some countries are reporting progress in bringing the pandemic under 
control, others are failing to reach key targets for prevention and 
treatment.
  Most troubling is the fact that the rate of new HIV infections 
dramatically outpaces current efforts to reach people with life-
sustaining antiretroviral therapy. According to Family Health 
International, for each new person who received antiretroviral therapy 
in 2005, another seven people became infected. We must bring increased 
focus to prevention efforts and do a better job of reaching out to 
those who are most vulnerable to this disease.
  It is also becoming increasingly clear that we cannot address HIV/
AIDS in isolation and that we need to deepen coordination between HIV/
AIDS initiatives and other development goals. HIV/AIDS does not just 
affect isolated individuals but families, communities, and entire 
economies. One problem that has become apparent as we commit increasing 
funds to address HIV/AIDS is that international AIDS programs are 
siphoning off trained local health care workers from national health 
care systems. The World Health Organization has reported that the total 
number of health care workers per 1,000 people in Africa is 2.3--less 
than one-tenth the density in the Americas. This ``brain drain'' issue 
must be addressed. We need to

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strengthen national health and social systems by integrating HIV/AIDS 
intervention into programs for primary health care, mother and child 
health, sexual and reproductive health, tuberculosis, nutrition, and 
education. Not only will it be more cost-efficient to work with 
existing systems, but it will also increase access for people who 
otherwise might not seek out counseling, testing, or treatment. As we 
look ahead to the next 5, 10 years and beyond, strong national health 
systems will be crucial for sustainability.
  The 25-year anniversary of this terrible disease is an opportunity to 
take stock of where we have been and to renew our commitment to 
overcoming the challenges that lie ahead in the fight against HIV/AIDS.

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