[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 173 (Thursday, October 26, 2017)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6857-S6858]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   SENATE RESOLUTION 310--RECOGNIZING THE IMPORTANCE OF A CONTINUED 
             COMMITMENT TO ENDING PEDIATRIC AIDS WORLDWIDE

  Mr. CASEY (for himself, Mr. Rubio, Mr. Blumenthal, Mr. Durbin, Mr. 
Boozman, Mr. Van Hollen, Mr. Franken, Ms. Klobuchar, Mr. Hatch, Mr. 
Markey, Mr. Isakson, Mr. Nelson, Mr. King, and Mr. Coons) submitted the 
following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign 
Relations:

                              S. Res. 310

       Whereas in 2016 approximately half of the 36,700,000 people 
     living with human immunodeficiency virus (referred to in this 
     preamble as ``HIV'') worldwide are women and 2,100,000 are 
     children;
       Whereas HIV is a leading cause of death worldwide among 
     women of childbearing age;
       Whereas nearly 90 percent of HIV-positive expectant mothers 
     in need of HIV-related services worldwide live in sub-Saharan 
     Africa;
       Whereas women around the world rely on essential pre- and 
     post-natal care to provide screening for diseases such as 
     HIV, and to provide care for the health of women and infants;

[[Page S6858]]

       Whereas the usage of antiretroviral drugs as prophylaxis 
     can reduce the likelihood of mother-to-child transmission of 
     HIV to less than 5 percent;
       Whereas in 2005 only 14 percent of women received services 
     for the prevention of mother-to-child transmission (referred 
     to in this preamble as ``PMTCT'');
       Whereas in 2016, 76 percent of women received PMTCT 
     services;
       Whereas, since 2001, the number of children born HIV-
     positive has decreased by more than half;
       Whereas, despite increased efforts by the United States and 
     countries around the world, over 400 children were born HIV-
     positive each day in 2016;
       Whereas 90 percent of children with HIV live in sub-Saharan 
     Africa;
       Whereas in 2016 only 43 percent of children with HIV 
     received antiretroviral therapy, far below the percentage of 
     adults receiving antiretroviral therapy;
       Whereas, without treatment, half of children with HIV will 
     die by their second birthday, and 80 percent by their fifth 
     birthday;
       Whereas, in 2016, 120,000 children died of causes related 
     to acquired immune deficiency syndrome (referred to in this 
     preamble as ``AIDS'');
       Whereas, in 2016, 22 percent of new HIV infections occurred 
     in young women aged 15 to 24;
       Whereas, in sub-Saharan Africa, young women account for 75 
     percent of new annual HIV infections among adolescents;
       Whereas AIDS is a leading cause of death among adolescents 
     globally;
       Whereas research efforts at the National Institutes of 
     Health have led to extraordinary breakthroughs for children 
     infected with and at risk for HIV;
       Whereas in 2002 the United States began investing in PMTCT 
     services by establishing the United States International 
     Mother and Child HIV Prevention Initiative;
       Whereas, since 2002, the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, 
     Tuberculosis and Malaria has supported programs that provided 
     4,200,000 HIV-positive mothers with antiretroviral drug 
     prophylaxis for PMTCT;
       Whereas in fiscal year 2016, the United States President's 
     Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (referred to in this preamble 
     as ``PEPFAR'') supported HIV testing and counseling for more 
     than 11,500,000 pregnant women, and provided antiretroviral 
     drug prophylaxis for PMTCT, allowing nearly 2,000,000 babies 
     to be born free of HIV;
       Whereas in 2014 PEPFAR announced the Accelerating 
     Children's Treatment Initiative, a 2-year effort that would 
     double the number of HIV-positive children receiving 
     treatment in 10 high burden countries;
       Whereas the PEPFAR DREAMS initiative is working to reduce 
     new HIV infections in girls and young women in 10 sub-Saharan 
     countries;
       Whereas every mother should have the opportunity to fight 
     for the life of her child; and
       Whereas every child and adolescent should have access to 
     medicine to lead a long and healthy life: Now, therefore, be 
     it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) recognizes that the prevention of mother-to-child 
     transmission of human immunodeficiency virus (referred to in 
     this resolving clause as ``HIV'') is critical to stopping the 
     spread of HIV worldwide;
       (2) applauds the leadership of the United States for 
     efforts to eliminate new pediatric HIV infections and to 
     expand pediatric treatment through programs and research;
       (3) recognizes that for more than 13 years, the fight to 
     eliminate pediatric HIV worldwide has been a priority in the 
     response of the United States to global acquired immune 
     deficiency syndrome (referred to in this resolving clause as 
     ``AIDS''), and calls on the leadership of the United States 
     in this area to continue;
       (4) supports providing adolescents with the evidence-based 
     approaches necessary to prevent new HIV infections;
       (5) supports providing women and children with HIV 
     counseling and testing services where practicable, and 
     scaling up access to services and medicines that prevent 
     mother-to-child transmission of HIV and ensure HIV-positive 
     mothers survive and thrive;
       (6) supports expanding treatment for HIV for children and 
     adolescents, including providing greater access to more 
     efficacious antiretroviral drug regimens, age appropriate 
     services, and support for the caregivers of children and 
     adolescents; and
       (7) recommits the United States--
       (A) to lead the world to end AIDS;
       (B) to eliminate new pediatric HIV infections worldwide; 
     and
       (C) to support women, children, adolescents, and families 
     infected and affected by HIV.

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