[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 184 (Tuesday, December 4, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2471]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    IN RECOGNITION OF WORLD AIDS DAY

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                          HON. DANNY K. DAVIS

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, December 4, 2007

  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Madam Speaker, in recognition of the first of 
December as World Aids Day, I want to take a moment to highlight the 
gravity of the HIV/AIDS situation, particularly for the African 
American community. We have heard statistic after statistic; HIV/AIDS 
is a formidable problem across the country in all communities. Indeed, 
an article in the New York Times this week noted that new HIV/AIDS case 
estimates are actually 50 percent higher than health experts had 
believed. This is unacceptable. America has within it the resources to 
address this issue; our political leadership must take action to do so.
  The Centers for Disease Control, or CDC, reported that approximately 
1,000,000 Americans were living with HIV/AIDS at the end of 2003, 
roughly 25 percent of whom were undiagnosed and unaware of their HIV 
infection. Furthermore, this infection has started to increase among 
children at a drastic rate. Through 2005, there have been an estimated 
9,000 AIDS cases reported for children under the age of 13. HIV/AIDS is 
becoming a problem earlier and earlier for more and more Americans.
  It is very clear that HIV/AIDS is indeed an emergency situation in 
the African American community. According to the CDC, African Americans 
make up 13 percent of the Nation's population but account for 49 
percent of the estimated AIDS cases diagnosed since the epidemic began. 
In addition, African American children make up approximately 63 percent 
of the estimated HIV/AIDS cases through 2005. Not only are African 
Americans more likely to get AIDS, they are more likely to die from it, 
with more than half of all AIDS-related deaths being among African 
Americans. Through science, research, and medical advancements, there 
are better treatments, prevention efforts, and a decline in AIDS 
diagnoses and deaths, except for African Americans.
  HIV/AIDS is plaguing and destroying African American communities. 
Yet, I wonder how many of my colleagues or how many Americans, 
including African Americans, know how devastating and destructive this 
disease is on one population in our country. It leads to the questions: 
Why is more not being done? Why has this not been considered a national 
public health emergency? With more African American males in prison, 
more African American females living and dying with HIV/AIDS, what is 
to happen to the African American children and families?
  I commend all of those individuals in my community who have pledged 
to do what they can. I, myself, have been publicly tested 3 times to 
help convince individuals to be tested, to do the things that are 
necessary. However, my fellow colleagues and I and all Americans need 
to do much more about this problem. We all must get behind the World 
AIDS Day slogan: ``Stop AIDS: Keep the Promise.'' We must increase 
funding for treatment and prevention, not reduce it by 19 percent as 
this administration has done. We must invest in medical research and 
needle exchange programs--prevention and treatment. The more engaged we 
are and the stronger determination we have will lead to the decrease in 
AIDS cases across the United States in all communities.

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