[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 147 (2001), Part 16]
[House]
[Page 22598]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                      THE HIV AIDS CRISIS IN HAITI

  (Mrs. MEEK of Florida asked and was given permission to address the 
House for 1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Mrs. MEEK of Florida. Mr. Speaker, according to the World Bank, more 
than half a million people are living with HIV/AIDS in the Caribbean 
region, and the prevalence among adults 15 to 49 has reached 2 percent.
  In Haiti, the situation is dramatically worse. Estimates reach as 
high as 12 percent of the urban population, and 5 percent for the rural 
population. We must speak very strongly for Haiti. We must speak very 
strongly against this HIV epidemic or pandemic that is going across our 
world.
  The epidemic has spread beyond the high-risk population to the 
general population. Mr. Speaker, a regional strategic plan is in place 
to reduce the spread and impact of the epidemic in Haiti and throughout 
the Caribbean, but Haiti desperately needs the financial support of the 
United States, the World Bank, and the international community to 
implement it.
  I have yet to understand why the United States is holding up its aid 
to Haiti. Mr. Speaker, Haiti has made considerable progress 
politically. It has now met virtually all of the conditions established 
by the United States.
  I appeal to the Congress to press for relief for Haiti.

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