[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 144 (Monday, December 1, 2014)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1675-E1676]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    IN COMMEMORATION OF THE 26TH ANNUAL WORLD AIDS DAY AND OF AIDS 
                            AWARENESS MONTH

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. ALCEE L. HASTINGS

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                        Monday, December 1, 2014

  Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the 
26th Annual World AIDS Day, which also marks the beginning of AIDS 
Awareness Month. This year's theme is ``Focus, Partner, Achieve: An 
AIDS-free Generation,'' which embodies the core strategy for reversing 
the AIDS epidemic domestically and internationally.
  Since its establishment by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 
1988, World AIDS Day

[[Page E1676]]

has served as a call to action and a living memorial to all those whose 
lives have been lost to the disease across the globe. According to WHO, 
an estimated 39 million people have died since the first cases were 
reported in 1981 and 1.5 million people died of AIDS-related causes in 
2013.
  In the United States, more than 1.2 million people are currently 
living with HIV, with almost one in seven (14 percent) unaware of their 
infection. We also know that the burden of HIV infection continues to 
fall greatest on men who have sex with men (MSM), African Americans, 
Hispanics/Latinos, and young people, who account for the majority of 
the approximately 50,000 new HIV infections each year.
  Furthermore, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) 
report that only 25 percent of Americans living with HIV are virally 
suppressed and successfully making it through the HIV care continuum. 
This means that about 825,000 people living with HIV are not receiving 
the full benefits of treatment, and may be unknowingly passing the 
virus on to others.
  Treatment remains the most promising tool we have to creating an 
AIDS-free generation. Because of continued advancements in 
antiretroviral drugs and efforts to link individuals to care, more 
people living with HIV are able to manage the disease and lead active, 
productive lives. If we can increase the number of individuals living 
with HIV who are on treatment, then we can achieve global AIDS control. 
One year ago, S. 1545, the PEPFAR Stewardship and Oversight Act of 
2013, was signed into law and stands as a symbol of our nation's 
enduring commitment to ending AIDS worldwide.
  At the 2014 International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2014) in Melbourne, 
Australia, AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) and other civil society 
organizations introduced the ``20x20 Campaign,'' which aims to have 20 
million people on antiretroviral therapy by 2020. In addition, UNAIDS 
proposed the ``90-90-90'' treatment goals, which are to have 90 percent 
of people infected with HIV know their status, 90 percent of people 
infected with HIV on treatment, and 90 percent of those on treatment 
with an undetectable viral load all by 2020.
  Ultimately, however, the future is in our hands. We know how to stop 
the transmission of HIV and help people living with AIDS stay as 
healthy as possible. It starts with raising public awareness, knowing 
your status, and challenging the stigma that prevents so many within 
our communities from accessing the care they need.
  Finally, I would also like to take this opportunity to remember the 
dozens of scientists, researchers, and activists who perished when 
Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 was shot down over eastern Ukraine on July 
17, 2014. They were en route to AIDS 2014. Among them was world-
renowned scientist Dr. Joep Lange, his partner Jacqueline van Tongeren, 
and WHO spokesman Glenn Thomas. Theirs was truly a tragic loss for the 
global AIDS response.
  Mr. Speaker, as we look to the start of the 114th Congress, it is 
imperative that we remain committed to continuing the fight against 
HIV/AIDS, and address the ongoing effects of sequestration on HIV care 
in the United States. I urge my colleagues to join me in recognizing 
World AIDS Day and AIDS Awareness Month, as well as supporting vital 
HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment, and care programs, including the Ryan 
White Program and Affordable Care Act (ACA).

                          ____________________