Political Quotes

“once again the United States has an opportunity, and the responsibility, to lead the world in confronting one of the most compelling humanitarian and moral challenges facing us today. I speak of the HIV/AIDS pandemic, a crisis unparalleled in modern times and one that threatens the entire world, embracing developed and developing countries alike. The statistics are chilling: over 22 million people have already died of AIDS throughout the world. More than 3 million died last year alone. That is over 8,000 deaths each day, or nearly one death every 6 minutes. What is most alarming is that the number of infections and deaths is growing and the pandemic is quickly spreading from sub- Saharan Africa to India, China and Russia. An incredible 36 million people are already infected with HIV; and 15,000 new infections occur every day. To illustrate the magnitude of the crisis, it is estimated that by the year 2010, over 80 million people may have died from AIDS. By comparison, that is more than all the military and civilian deaths resulting from World War II. If the disease is left unchecked, we have no idea what the statistics will be in 2015 or 2020, less than 20 years from today. The most dramatic increase in infection rates is in the developing world, where education, awareness and access to health care is most seriously lacking. As is too often the case, it is the children who suffer most.”