[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 44, Number 48 (Monday, December 8, 2008)]
[Pages 1469-1470]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks on World AIDS Day

December 1, 2008

    Good morning. Today is World AIDS Day, a day we reaffirm our 
commitment to fight HIV/AIDS at home and abroad. Thirty-three million 
people around the world are living with HIV, including more than 1 
million Americans. Once again this year, to observe World AIDS Day, 
there is a red ribbon on the North Portico of the White House. The 
ribbon is a symbol of our resolve to confront HIV/AIDS and to affirm the 
matchless value of every life.
    One of the most important initiatives of my administration has been 
the Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, known as PEPFAR. It's the largest 
international health initiative dedicated to a single disease. When we 
launched PEPFAR, our goal was to support treatment for 2 million people 
in 5 years. Today I'm pleased to announce that we have exceeded that 
goal early.

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    American people, through PEPFAR, are supporting lifesaving treatment 
for more than 2 million people around the world. And when PEPFAR began, 
only 50,000 people living with HIV in all of sub-Sahara Africa were 
receiving antiretroviral treatment.
    Around the world, we've also supported care for more than 10 million 
people affected by HIV, including more than 4 million orphans and 
vulnerable children. More than 237,000 babies have been born HIV-free, 
thanks to the support of the American people for programs to prevent 
mothers from passing the virus on to their children.
    PEPFAR is bringing hope and healing to people around the world. On 
our trips to Africa, Laura and I have witnessed firsthand the gratitude 
of the African people.
    We look forward to discussing our efforts to combat global HIV/AIDS 
with Rick Warren at the Saddleback Civil Forum on Global Health this 
morning. In the meantime, we thank our fellow citizens for being so 
compassionate and so caring and so decent.
    God bless.

Note: The President spoke at 10:07 a.m. on the North Lawn at the White 
House. In his remarks, he referred to Richard D. ``Rick'' Warren, 
pastor, Saddleback Church, Lake Forest, CA. The Office of the Press 
Secretary also released a Spanish language transcript of these remarks.