[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 130 (Friday, August 1, 2008)]
[Senate]
[Page S8031]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           TRIBUTE TO THE UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA AT BIRMINGHAM

 Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. President, today I recognize the University 
of Alabama at Birmingham, UAB, a place known for its outstanding, 
world-renowned HIV/AIDS research and treatment. Dr. Michael Saag 
directs the Center for AIDS Research at UAB, which was established in 
1988 by the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases to 
stimulate research and scientific advancement concerning AIDS and HIV. 
This program was initiated in 1998 and currently includes 20 centers 
funded through a consortium of six National Institutes of Health. Under 
Dr. Saag's exceptional leadership, the UAB Center for AIDS Research has 
grown dramatically as shown by its increase in total research funding, 
from $2.9 million dollars in 1988 to over $90 million currently.
  UAB has a remarkable program in Zambia, the Center for Infectious 
Disease Research, headed up by Dr. Jeff Stringer. The UAB Zambia 
program, which receives funding through the President's Emergency 
Program for AIDS Relief, PEPFAR, is treating over 170,000 patients, 
with up to 100,000 patients on ARV treatment.
  Dr. Stringer and his remarkable team have also worked vigorously with 
the Zambian Government to deliver ``prevention of mother-to-child HIV 
transmission'' services to over 500,000 women in Zambia, preventing 
tens of thousands of infants from being born with HIV. The UAB HIV 
prevention and treatment service units support 175 public health 
facilities in four of the nine provinces of Zambia. Prevention of 
mother-to-child transmission services are offered in 154 clinics and 
hospitals.
  HIV care and treatment services are offered in 46 sites, and include 
a comprehensive cervical cancer screening program that has screened 
over 5,000 women in its first year. Research has shown a direct 
connection between HIV and cervical cancer among women, and 
groundbreaking work in the field has demonstrated the importance of 
screening HIV-infected women for cervical cancer, especially in 
resource-poor countries of the world. Dr. Groesbeck Parham and his 
group from UAB/ CIDRZ, using PEPFAR resources, have led the way in 
creating mechanisms to screen large numbers of women in Zambia, saving 
thousands of lives.
  The UAB Zambia program also provides HIV testing to TB patients, and 
TB screening for all HIV patients in a comprehensive, integrated TB/HIV 
initiative.
  I applaud the fine work UAB is doing, and I know that their service 
has saved thousands of lives. This is a prime example of the clear, 
positive results we have seen come about through PEPFAR, and one major 
reason I worked to ensure that new PEPFAR legislation preserves the 
focus on treatment that has undoubtedly contributed to its success.
  I am proud of the role UAB has played on an international level in 
striving to provide top-notch treatment, as well as research to 
continuously improve on that treatment for Alabama, the nation, and the 
world, over the past 20 years.

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