[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 177 (Thursday, November 20, 2008)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2317]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[[Page E2317]]
             PAYING SPECIAL TRIBUTE TO AN HIV/AIDS ACTIVIST

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                         HON. CHARLES B. RANGEL

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, November 20, 2008

  Mr. RANGEL. Madam Speaker, I rise today to acknowledge Debra Fraser-
Howze, a constituent and HIV/AIDS activist, for her many years' of 
dedication and hard work to find ways to test, educate, and treat those 
that have HIV/AIDS.
  The November 11, 2008, CARIB News article, ``Debra Fraser-Howze: 
Making a Difference,'' points out her more than 20 years' commitment to 
helping the fight against HIV/AIDS in New York where she resides, 
across America, and around the world. Since the President's Emergency 
Plan for AIDS Relief, PEPFAR, passed, which will allocate $48 billion 
in Federal money towards fighting this epidemic in Africa, she is now 
pushing to have some of the money go towards battling HIV/AIDS in the 
Caribbean. There are 14 Caribbean nations that could get some of the 
money, including Jamaica where her mother is from. This is a great 
initiative that Debra Fraser-Howze has made. With her leadership, I am 
confident that she will be able to get funds from PEPFAR to go towards 
fighting this epidemic in the Caribbean.
  Again, I commend Debra Fraser-Howze for her determination to find 
cures, provide funding and to educate people about HIV/AIDS around the 
world.

                    [From CaribWoman, Nov. 11, 2008]

                Debra Fraser-Howze: Making a Difference

                         (By Causewell Vaughan)

       There's growing optimism for fighting AIDS in the Caribbean 
     region as billions of dollars become available to fund 
     programs aimed at preventing and containing the disease.
       With $48 billion in federal money being set aside to battle 
     the disease in Africa, the Caribbean is actively seeking to 
     qualify for a share.
       The funds will be allocated through a U.S. foreign aid 
     program known as the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS 
     Relief (PEPFAR). It is the largest commitment in history by 
     any nation to fight a single disease.
       ``It's going to open doors to a new stream of funding where 
     those doors were not open before,'' said Debra Fraser-Howze, 
     a long-time HIV/AIDS advocate.
       ``The Caribbean will have the same positioning as some of 
     those African nations with whom they share a similar AIDS 
     situation.''
       Fraser-Howze has been helping to lead the fight against 
     HIV/AIDS for more than two decades. She founded the National 
     Black Leadership Commission on AIDS in 1987 and subsequently 
     advised two presidents while she served on the Presidential 
     Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS.
       In 2003 she was appointed to the New York City Commission 
     on AIDS and last year to the New York State Governors 
     Advisory Council.
       Fraser-Howze is now vice president of External and 
     Government Affairs for OraSure Technologies, a medical 
     diagnostics company. While her responsibilities with the 
     company focus on domestic matters, she remains an active 
     advocate for anti-AIDS funding for the Caribbean.
       ``It's a personal issue with me,'' Fraser-Howze said, 
     ``because I know the numbers, and I see the rising rate of 
     infection.''
       That's why she's resolute about the funding, especially 
     since the Caribbean did not receive any of the initial PEPFAR 
     money, which became available in 2003. ``The Caribbean 
     islands to which Americans travel all the time need to get 
     the same focus as Africa,'' she said.
       There are 14 Caribbean nations that could get some of the 
     new money. They are Antigua and Barbuda, the Bahamas, 
     Barbados, Belize, Dominica, the Dominican Republic, Grenada, 
     Jamaica, Montserrat, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Vincent and the 
     Grenadines, St. Lucia, Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago. Any 
     PEPFAR money they receive will be for AIDS testing, 
     prevention, treatment and care.
       Fraser-Howze is quick to credit U.S. Rep. Donna 
     Christiansen of the U.S. Virgin Islands for taking the lead 
     in getting those nations included in the PEPFAR funding. 
     ``I've known her for more than 25 years, and I've worked with 
     her and her staff on this issue. We understand that it is 
     imperative that the Caribbean have a robust testing 
     initiative,'' Fraser-Howze said.
       But, she added, even with funding the battle against AIDS 
     is truly difficult in the Caribbean because the region's 
     culture is almost an ally of the disease. Fraser-Howze's 
     mother is from Jamaica so she has knowledge of the cultural 
     barriers to AIDS testing.
       ``Sex and drugs are very taboo topics in the Caribbean, and 
     there is a lot of homophobia because the disease is very much 
     focused on gay men,'' she said. ``That is why the key to 
     testing in the Caribbean is to have those barriers broken 
     down by the community itself.
       ``I've seen government send in different people and 
     different groups who are not culturally competent. The best 
     approach is for Caribbean nations to develop their own plan. 
     We want them to craft their own proposals to PEPFAR.''
       Fraser-Howze cited Barbados as already having ``a major 
     HIV/AIDS initiative.''
       She said she's ``extremely optimistic'' the Caribbean will 
     get PEPFAR money and, she added, ``I'm humbled at playing 
     some small role in opening up this opportunity.''

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