[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 147 (Thursday, December 4, 2014)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1745]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                IN RECOGNITION OF THE POPULATION COUNCIL

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. CAROLYN B. MALONEY

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, December 4, 2014

  Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay 
tribute to the Population Council (Council), an extraordinary 
organization that has continued to conduct thorough and critical 
research on health and development issues throughout the world. Their 
work is thoughtful, empowering, and has helped governments, 
organizations, and community groups in over 50 countries to formulate 
policy, identify best practices, and allocate resources. Thanks to the 
work of the Population Council, millions of youth, families, and 
communities are benefitting from evidence-based interventions and 
programs, including education initiatives, family planning, financial 
literacy, and HIV/AIDS transmission prevention.
  Founded in 1952 by John D. Rockefeller III, the Population Council 
was originally created to better understand population concerns. 
Throughout the 1950's and 1960's, the Council prioritized issues 
related to family planning, contraception and maternal healthcare 
initiatives both in the United States and abroad. In the following 
decades, the Council continued its vital health research, and published 
groundbreaking discoveries that have since saved countless lives and 
become accepted doctrine in the medical field. One example of the 
Council's pioneering work was the discovery in 1977 that smoking 
cigarettes while using oral contraceptives increased women's risk of 
heart attack, stroke, and death. Notably, since the Council first began 
researching and developing reversible contraception, over 120 million 
women worldwide have used a Council-developed contraceptive.
  In the 1980's, the Council began what has now become decades of 
research on the biology, treatment, support, education, and prevention 
of HIV/AIDS. In 1996, the Council launched ``Horizons'', a research 
program on HIV/AIDS interventions funded by the Joint United Nations 
Programme on HIV/AIDS. This crucial initiative identified best 
practices associated with preventing and mitigating HIV and AIDS in 
developing countries. The Council has been instrumental developing 
home-based, self-testing oral HIV kits, integrating HIV and 
reproductive services at health clinics, and increasing male 
circumcision as a means to decrease the rate of female-to-male HIV 
infection. These practices, treatments, and outreach initiatives have 
been recognized by governing entities as the key to ending HIV/AIDS.
  In recent years, the Council has invested substantial energy, time, 
and resources to understand the conditions faced by over 500 million 
adolescent girls in the developing world. Using evidence-based 
research, the Council has worked to develop and evaluate strategies to 
help young women lead more healthy and productive lives. Through its 
thoughtful and extensive research, the Council has demonstrated that 
when girls are given mentoring, life skills, social support, financial 
literacy, and education opportunities, their lives improve.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask that my colleagues join me in recognizing the 
Population Council for their innovative and revolutionary work in 
improving the health and well-being of children, families, communities 
and countries worldwide. The Council's work has irrevocably altered 
healthcare and education systems for the better.

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