Political Quotes

“on Saturday, December 1, communities around the world will acknowledge World AIDS Day. This year's World AIDS campaign will address masculine behaviors and attitudes that contribute to the spread of HIV. The new campaign aims to involve men, particularly young men, more fully in the effort against AIDS. June 5, 1981, marked the first reported case of AIDS. Since then, 5.3 million people worldwide continue to be infected, with roughly 3 million AIDS-related deaths annually. HIV/AIDS has caused over 25 million fatalities, and 40 million are living with the disease worldwide. Eighteen million are women and 3 million are children. To combat this growing global threat, I along with 62 of my colleagues have most recently called on President Bush to set aside $1 billion in emergency fiscal year 2002 funding to fight the global AIDS pandemic, TB, and malaria. This funding is essential so that additional investments from both public and private sources can be leveraged to meet the cost of effectively combating the global AIDS pandemic. Money is unquestionably a key component to our global battle to eradicate AIDS; however, equally critical is individual behavior. In spite of the progress we have made in our battle against AIDS, there is still approximately 40,000 new HIV infections a year in the United States, the exact number reported 10 years ago. We must encourage men to adopt positive behaviors and to play a greater role in caring for their partners and families.”