Political Quotes

“I am pleased to again join my colleague Senator Boxer in introducing important tuberculosis control legislation today on the floor of the Senate. Today we are introducing The International Tuberculosis Control Act--this important legislation is designed to address the growing international problem of tuberculosis, (TB). We are introducing this legislation to coincide with World Tuberculosis Day, this Sunday, March 24. World TB Day is an occasion for countries around the world to raise awareness about the threat to the world's health caused by tuberculosis. As many of us know TB is a global health crisis. Over two million people will die from TB this year, and it is the leading killer of young women and of people with AIDS worldwide. Further, TB anywhere is a threat everywhere in our highly mobile world. The Center for Disease Control CDC reports that in the year 2000, nearly 50 percent of all TB cases in the US occurred in foreign-born persons. We will not be safe from TB until we control the disease globally. TB and HIV form a deadly co-epidemic. TB is responsible for more than 40 percent of all AIDS deaths worldwide. An HIV-positive person is 30 times more likely to develop active tuberculosis and become infectious to others. Many countries in sub-Saharan Africa have seen TB rates increase 4-fold due to the HIV-TB co-epidemic, decimating a whole generation of adults in many communities.”