Published: Sunday, July 25, 2010
AIDS
Prevention good, access essential
The annual World AIDS Conference in Vienna last week was full of announcements about long awaited AIDS prevention strategies ("Gel can help prevent HIV in women," July 20, 2010.)
It is one thing to have the science and technology to prevent HIV and prolong life through pills and gels, but the next step is to ensure that everyone has access to these lifesaving measures. This truly is not possible unless the promised funding for HIV/AIDS is delivered by the U.S. and other donor countries through the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.
In 2008, I witnessed the historic vote in Washington, D.C., that specified $2 billion a year in funding to the Global Fund over the course of five years. Astonishingly, the Obama administration wants to provide only half of what was promised by Congress. Every dollar has a human life attached to it. How could we be slowing our efforts in this continuing epidemic during this time of great scientific innovation and promise?
President Obama will be taking the stage at the upcoming United Nations summit and it is my hope that he does an about face and pledges $6 billion for the Global Fund for the next three years. That sounds like a big number, but it is only one-tenth of one percent of the money that's being spent on stimulus and bailing out our banks. Lives are at stake.
Teresa Rugg
RESULTS Regional Coordinator
Snohomish
It is one thing to have the science and technology to prevent HIV and prolong life through pills and gels, but the next step is to ensure that everyone has access to these lifesaving measures. This truly is not possible unless the promised funding for HIV/AIDS is delivered by the U.S. and other donor countries through the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.
In 2008, I witnessed the historic vote in Washington, D.C., that specified $2 billion a year in funding to the Global Fund over the course of five years. Astonishingly, the Obama administration wants to provide only half of what was promised by Congress. Every dollar has a human life attached to it. How could we be slowing our efforts in this continuing epidemic during this time of great scientific innovation and promise?
President Obama will be taking the stage at the upcoming United Nations summit and it is my hope that he does an about face and pledges $6 billion for the Global Fund for the next three years. That sounds like a big number, but it is only one-tenth of one percent of the money that's being spent on stimulus and bailing out our banks. Lives are at stake.
Teresa Rugg
RESULTS Regional Coordinator
Snohomish
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