[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 113 (Thursday, July 26, 2012)]
[Senate]
[Page S5468]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   19TH INTERNATIONAL AIDS CONFERENCE

  Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I am proud that the 19th biennial 
International AIDS conference is being held in the Nation's Capital 
after 22 years of being held abroad.
  President Obama was instrumental in bringing the conference back to 
the United States by announcing in October 2009 that the United States 
would lift its entry restriction on people living with HIV.
  The United States has been the leader in combating the scourge of 
HIV/AIDS, and it is fitting that this significant meeting of the best 
and brightest scientists, philanthropists, activists, government 
leaders, and people living with HIV/AIDS is taking place in Washington, 
DC.
  It is made even more symbolic by the fact that Washington, DC, has 
the highest rate of AIDS than any city in the Nation.
  As we look to ``Turn the Tide Together,'' as the theme of the 
conference indicates, we must continue to support a number of long-term 
strategies both at home and around the world, building on the successes 
we have seen in the past few decades.
  Significant scientific breakthroughs have been made this year alone, 
and we can see investments we have made to fight HIV/AIDS beginning to 
pay off.
  The National Institutes of Health, for example, released a study last 
fall on the HPTN 052 clinical trial that showed that if newly infected 
individuals started antiretroviral treatment when their immune systems 
are relatively healthy, they are 96 percent less likely to transmit the 
virus to their uninfected partner.
  Others report that the cost of treating HIV is four times less than 
previously thought. And now more than ever, scientists believe that an 
effective HIV vaccine is within reach.
  These are amazing breakthroughs and could reflect the beginning of 
the end as we work toward an AIDS-free generation.
  This past year new infection rates and AIDS deaths decreased. Twenty 
percent more people had access to antiretroviral therapy worldwide in 
2011 than they did in 2010.
  These numbers don't appear out of thin air--they correlate to 
increased investments from the United States and the Global Fund. This 
is a time when we must continue funding our investments to fight HIV/
AIDS.
  But let's talk about how we have achieved these amazing results.
  President Bush was instrumental in establishing PEPFAR. The 
President's Emergency Plan For AIDS Relief was initially a $15 billion 
commitment over 5 years to fight the AIDS pandemic.
  Today, PEPFAR is one of the largest health initiatives ever 
established by a single country and remains critical to saving millions 
of lives.
  PEPFAR is a strongly bipartisan program, and since its inception, it 
has directly supported nearly 13 million people with access to care and 
services.
  As of 2011, the United States supported lifesaving antiretroviral 
treatment for more than 3.9 million men, women, and children worldwide.
  PEPFAR counseled 9.8 million pregnant women to test them for HIV/
AIDS, allowing more than 200,000 babies to be born AIDS-free.
  Another key ally in the fight against AIDS is the Global Fund.
  The Global Fund was established in 2002 as a public-private 
partnership, requiring the buy-in of grant recipient countries. These 
participants must commit to continuing the program and serving its 
people after the Global Fund grant expires.
  This novel approach has proved wildly successful. To date, the Global 
Fund has supported more than 1,000 programs in 151 countries and 
provided AIDS treatment to over 3 million people.
  The United States must continue to be a leading supporter of the 
Global Fund.
  The generosity of the American people has improved and saved lives, 
stemmed the spread of HIV/AIDS, and provided medicine, hospitals, and 
clinics to those who are infected.
  Together, PEPFAR and the Global Fund have built health care systems 
where none existed before and allowed individuals infected with HIV/
AIDS to dream of a future.
  These programs also ensure that the countries we are working in play 
a part in helping their own people survive and thrive.
  While we have made significant progress in combating HIV/AIDS, we 
cannot be complacent.
  Here in the Nation's Capital, the AIDS rate is higher than in some 
Sub-Saharan African countries, and infection rates are even growing in 
some demographics.
  In Illinois, 37,000 individuals are living with AIDS, with 80 percent 
of them residing in Chicago.
  Internationally, the gains that we have made could easily be lost; 
the increase of infections in Southeast Asia, Russia, and the Ukraine--
places that have historically had low infection rates is alarming.
  If we lose our focus or if international donors stop contributing to 
key programs, we lose out on the momentum built in recent years to 
combat this disease.
  That is why it is good that this administration continues to push for 
an AIDS-free generation.
  Secretary Clinton announced three new efforts during this week's 
conference: $15 million in implementation research to identify specific 
interventions, $20 million for a challenge fund to support country-led 
efforts to expand services, and $2 million through the Robert Carr 
Civil Society Network Fund to bolster civil society groups.
  Secretary Clinton also noted: ``Creating an AIDS-free generation 
takes more than the right tools, as important as they are. Ultimately, 
it's about people--the people who have the most to contribute to this 
goal and the most to gain from it.'' She is right.
  Creating an AIDS-free generation is about working together to help 
save and improve lives. It is about supporting the individuals and 
communities that have already made great inroads in addressing this 
epidemic.
  By reaffirming our leadership to initiatives such as PEPFAR and the 
Global Fund, which support these individuals and communities, we can 
continue to make a difference. Only then can we truly wish to usher in 
an AIDS-free generation.

                          ____________________