Political Quotes

“Mr. President, yesterday marked the 30th anniversary of HIV/AIDS in the United States. Thirty years ago, on June 5, 1981, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, CDC, published the first scientific report about five previously healthy men with what is now known as human immunodeficiency syndrome, HIV, and acquired immune deficiency syndrome, AIDS. Since that report, the face of HIV/AIDS has changed into a global epidemic with over 33.3 million people living with HIV. In the United States, over 1.1 million people are living with HIV and almost 600,000 people have died from the disease. For three decades this preventable disease has devastated families and communities. But there has also been a global response from the research community, government, health workers, and patient advocates to fight this disease and save lives. This battle has yielded notable victories. In the U.S., prevention has saved over 350,000 lives and new infections have decreased by more than two-thirds since the height of the epidemic. Advancements have been made in HIV testing, which is at an all time high with 11.4 million more people being tested in 2009 compared to 2006. Biomedical innovations have created powerful drugs that can transform AIDS from a death sentence into a chronic disease. The advancement in HIV/AIDS treatment is embodied by the experience of Keith Green.…”