12.01.05

Senator Cantwell’s Statement on World AIDS Day

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) today issued the following statement on World AIDS Day:

"Today is World AIDS Day, an important opportunity to focus our attention on the global HIV/AIDS epidemic. As we reflect today with those who are fighting this ravaging disease and their families, friends, and caregivers, let us also redouble our commitment to fighting this scourge every day of the year.

"The numbers are staggering. According to the UNAIDS/World Health Organization, there were 4.9 million new HIV infections in 2005. This year alone, more than 3 million people have died from the disease, including half a million children. Of the nearly one million Americans living with HIV/AIDS, 15,000 are Washingtonians. Meanwhile, about two-thirds—an estimated 25 million—of the world’s HIV/AIDS infected people live in Sub-Saharan Africa. Without access to the necessary medications, individuals living with HIV/AIDS in Sub-Saharan Africa have an average lifespan as low as 32 years, and more than 1,000 newborn babies are infected during childbirth or by their mothers’ milk every day.

"Although there is still no cure for the disease, treatment, education, and prevention programs can limit the number of future victims significantly while ameliorating the damage caused by HIV/AIDS. We are fortunate to have strong domestic programs and we must continue to support them. The Ryan White Care Act, for which I supported reauthorization and full funding, works through research, support services, and public education to address the growing HIV/AIDS epidemic in the United States and its disproportionate effect on racial minorities. And the AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP) eliminates waiting lists and ensures that life-saving medications are available to all who are living with this disease.

"But this crisis reaches well beyond our own nation’s borders, and so also should its solutions. In 2005, 250,000 to 300,000 deaths were avoided because more than one million people in middle- and low-income countries are receiving antiretroviral treatment. The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, a primary engine in the international fight against HIV/AIDS, estimates that in the next five years it will be able to provide 1.6 million HIV/AIDS infected individuals with antiretroviral therapies; 52 million individuals with voluntary counseling and testing services for HIV prevention; and medical services, education, and community care for one million orphans.

"The United States must continue supporting and funding programs both at home and abroad that address the growing HIV/AIDS epidemic. We owe this not only to the 40 million individuals living with HIV/AIDS today, but also to the more 30 million individuals who have died from this terrible disease and who we remember today."