President-elect
Barack Obama said Monday he would continue outgoing
President Bush's international HIV/AIDS strategy and expand
domestic efforts to fight the virus.
President-elect
Barack Obama said Monday he would continue outgoing
President Bush's international HIV/AIDS strategy and expand
domestic efforts to fight the virus.
"We must also
recommit ourselves to addressing the AIDS crisis here
in the United States, with a strong national strategy of
education, prevention, and treatment, focusing on
those communities at greatest risk," Obama said in a
video address to the Saddleback Civil Forum on Global
Health. "This strategy must be based on the best available
science, and built on the foundation of a strong health care
system."
The Obama
administration plans to implement national strategies to
decrease the rate of HIV transmission, including
establishing a universal health care system, targeting
minority communities, and supporting the Ryan White
CARE Act. The plan also calls for comprehensive,
age-appropriate sexual education, in contrast to Bush
policies that withdrew funding from organizations that
did not teach abstinence-only education.
Globally, Obama
said the federal government will provide at least $50
billion by 2013 to fight AIDS around the world, at least
doubling the number of people who are treated for the
virus. He also promised to push for distribution
of less-expensive generic drugs and invest in other
nations' infrastructure problems that increase the rate of
transmission like water conditions, and debt reduction.
Obama said,
however, that the battle against the epidemic could not be
fought simply with more funding or with government
intervention. "We must do our part," he said. "This
year's slogan, 'Stop AIDS, Keep the Promise' is a
timely one. In the Apostle Paul's message to the
Corinthians, he asked, 'If the trumpet does not sound a
clear call, who will go to battle?'" (Michelle Garcia,
Advocate.com)
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