[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 152 (Friday, November 30, 2012)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1858]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         MARKING WORLD AIDS DAY

                                  _____
                                 

                           HON. NITA M. LOWEY

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                       Friday, November 30, 2012

  Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Speaker, December 1, World AIDS Day, is an 
opportunity for people in the United States and around the world to 
unite in the fight against HIV and AIDS, to show their support for 
those living with the virus, and to commemorate the many who have died 
from this terrible disease.
  The first World AIDS Day was held in 1988, just weeks after my first 
election to Congress. I am proud of the work the Congress has done 
since that time to combat the scourge of HIV and AIDS throughout the 
world. Through the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), 
the work of the U.S. Agency for International Development, and our 
support to multilateral organizations, such as UNAIDS and the Global 
Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, the United States has led 
the way in modernizing the global response to HIV and AIDS. Our efforts 
not only save lives, but also promote economic growth and increased 
stability throughout the world. Recognizing that we cannot beat this 
epidemic with treatment alone, I am pleased that recent global efforts 
are increasingly focused on prevention as well as sustainability, 
efficiency, and program effectiveness.
  Today, there is more hope than ever that we can achieve an AIDS-free 
generation. A new UNAIDS report demonstrates the clear progress we have 
made in our fight. Access to antiretroviral therapy has increased by an 
incredible 63 percent in the last 24 months alone, and AIDS-related 
deaths fell by more than 25 percent globally between 2005 and 2011. The 
rate of new HIV infections has been reduced by more than 50 percent in 
the last decade across 25 low- and middle-income countries--more than 
half of which are in Africa. This could not have happened without U.S. 
leadership. PEPFAR has directly supported HIV testing and counseling 
for more than 49 million people in fiscal year 2012, providing a 
critical entry point to prevention, treatment, and care.
  However, despite the encouraging progress, estimates are that 6.8 
million infected people still need access to treatment, and the total 
number of new HIV infections remains high, at 2.5 million persons 
worldwide in 2011. This is simply unacceptable. So while our efforts 
are impressive, they are clearly not enough. The spread of HIV and AIDS 
continues to disproportionately affect many of the most vulnerable 
populations, especially women and girls, and I will not rest until we 
bring an end to AIDS here at home and around the world. Our commitment 
to ending this pandemic must be smart, strategic, and unwavering. AIDS 
knows no boundaries, and neither must our generosity and determination 
to overcome it. And so, on this 25th World AIDS Day, I urge my 
colleagues to continue our commitment to fighting this disease.

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