[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 146 (2000), Part 11]
[House]
[Pages 16486-16487]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                HIV/AIDS, THE WORLD'S DEADLIEST DISEASE

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Cummings) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. CUMMINGS. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to discuss one of the most 
challenging and life-threatening public health issues facing the global 
community, HIV infection and AIDS. I will also highlight significant 
actions our government and fellow Americans have taken to combat this 
threat.
  HIV/AIDS is now the world's deadliest disease with more than 40 
million persons infected worldwide. Not surprisingly, the pandemic 
affects the most vulnerable citizens of our global community. In fact, 
nearly 95 percent of infected persons live in the developing countries, 
with sub-Saharan Africa being the hardest hit of any other region in 
the world.
  The statistics are startling. New HIV infections in Africa have 
numbered more than 1.4 million each year since 1991. That is an average 
of more than 3,800 new HIV/AIDS infections per day. Nearly 6,000 will 
die within this same time frame. Mr. Speaker, 23.3 million adults and 
children are infected with the HIV virus in the region, which has about 
10 percent of the world's population, but nearly 70 percent of the 
worldwide total of infected people.
  Life expectancy in these nations has been reduced by the disease to 
between 22 and 40 years. Some sub-Saharan African countries could lose 
as much as a third of their adult population by 2010, and 16 African 
countries have an HIV infection rate of more than 10 percent. South 
Africa is 20 percent, Zimbabwe and Swaziland are at 25 percent; and in 
Botswana, which has the highest infection rate in the region, 36 
percent of adults are HIV infected.
  When I hear these daunting statistics, I am reminded of a quote by 
John F. Kennedy. He said, ``Mankind must put an end to war, or war will 
put an end to mankind.'' HIV/AIDS and its death toll have declared war 
on our humanity. We must fight back. All sectors and all spheres of 
society have to be involved as equal partners in fighting this assault. 
The health sector cannot meet this challenge on its own, nor can one 
government or nation. It is imperative that we have a collective global 
effort.

[[Page 16487]]

  Although I do believe we can do more, I am proud to say that the 
executive and legislative branches of our government, as well as the 
private sector, have taken significant steps in that direction. Earlier 
this month, the U.S. Export-Import Bank extended up to $1 billion in 
financing to 24 sub-Saharan African countries to buy anti-AIDS drugs. 
The financing will be combined with a $500 million commitment from the 
World Bank to help these countries purchase reduced-priced drugs, buy 
medical equipment, and develop specialized health services.
  More recently, the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Lee), along with 
the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Waters), the gentleman from 
Florida (Mr. Hastings), and the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Jackson), 
and the Congressional Black Caucus successfully offered an amendment 
adding $42 million to the Infectious Disease Account for international 
HIV/AIDS funding in the House-passed version of the fiscal year 2001 
Foreign Operations Appropriations Act. The amendment increased this 
important funding for HIV/AIDS to the President's original budget 
request of $244 million, which is $190 million over current-year 
funding.
  Additionally, during the 13th International Annual AIDS Conference in 
Durban, South Africa this month, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation 
announced a round of grants amounting to $100 million to prevent AIDS 
in mothers and children, assist AIDS orphans, and relieve suffering in 
dying patients. Of this funding, a $50 million grant will go to 
Botswana, the country in sub-Sahara with the highest HIV infection 
rate. That will be matched mostly through drug donations by the U.S. 
Merck Pharmaceutical Corporation.
  When the history of this war is written, it will record the 
collective efforts of societies. Future generations will judge us on 
the adequacy of our response. I commend the Ex-Im Bank, my colleagues 
in this House, and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation for their 
compassion and foresight in addressing this issue.

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