December 1st was the 25th Anniversary of World AIDS
Day. There is much to be grateful for over the last 25 years. It is no longer a
death sentence. But realities such as quality of life, mortality and morbidity
measures mean very little if you are living with HIV and have no idea. The CDC
estimates there are nearly 20% of those with the disease who have no idea. Get
yourself tested!
If you have no place to go for your HIV test, I would invite you to come see me
at UCF's Wellness and Health Promotion Services office. I will be more than
happy to test you. It's a simple oral swab; no needles! The best part is, it's
free!!
So when you're making out that "New Year's Resolution list; why not put
"be responsible for and care more about my sexual wellness?"
To those that continue to live with and who are impacted by HIV and AIDS, be
strong, live each day with purpose and intention. I need your voices in this
army.
The next couple of articles speak to "Zero New HIV Infections" campaign. The first one is an article from Dr. Ronald Valdiserri, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Health, Infectious Diseases, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in which he directly speaks to the challenges in achieving "zero new HIV infections."
The final entry, AMERICAN LEADERSHIP TO REACH AN AIDS-FREE GENERATION, reflects on President Obama's continued commitment to the National HIV/AIDS strategy originally created by President Bush and handed off to President Obama.
THE CHALLENGE OF ACHIEVING AN AIDS-FREE GENERATION
World AIDS Day will be celebrated on December 1.
The
World AIDS Campaign sponsors this day, which promotes an international
commitment to fighting AIDS through policy, practice, and resource allocation.
Dr. Ronald Valdiserri, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Health, Infectious
Diseases, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, is a nationally
recognized public health physician who has worked tirelessly to promote sound
public health approaches to HIV/AIDS.
AMERICAN
LEADERSHIP TO REACH AN AIDS-FREE GENERATION
December 1, 2011 • By Gayle Smith, Special Assistant
to the President and Senior Director for Development and Democracy and Eric
Goosby, Ambassador, U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator
Today President Obama was part of a very special
World AIDS Day event. It is a day for solemn observance, to remember all those
who have been lost to this disease over 30 years, and those still living with
HIV today.
Yet today’s event was a joyous occasion as well, as
it celebrated all those who have done – and are doing – so much to respond to
HIV/AIDS. Despite all the challenges, the history of this virus is also one of
remarkable people coming together to make a difference.
The PEPFAR program – a program created by one
president and handed off to another – has benefited from widespread support,
and today’s event demonstrated American unity in this fight. The ONE Campaign
and Product (RED), who have done so much to get people involved, were our
hosts. President Obama was joined by President George W. Bush and President
Clinton, each of whom played key roles in the AIDS fight while in office and
continue their efforts today. Bono and Alicia Keys represented the artistic
community that has been so important in the response, while Kay Warren
represented the commitment of people of faith. Senator Marco Rubio and
Representative Barbara Lee represented both the critical role of Congress in
this effort and the power of bipartisanship of our work. The African leadership
that has played such a vital role was exemplified by Dr. Patricia
Nkansah-Asamoah of Ghana and Florence Ngobeni of South Africa. And last
but by no means least, many of the advocates and practitioners from the AIDS
and global health communities were in attendance, making clear the fact that
every individual’s contribution makes a difference.
As President Obama said
in his remarks and his World
AIDS Day Proclamation, scientific advances have provided us with a unique
opportunity for dramatic gains in the global response to HIV/AIDS. The concept
of ‘combination prevention,’ through which we rely on multiple prevention
interventions tailored to needs in the countries where we work, is at the
center of this effort. The President outlined plans to expand our combination
prevention work, including prevention of mother-to-child transmission,
voluntary medical male circumcision, and condoms.
Among the most exciting new scientific discoveries
is that antiretroviral treatment can reduce HIV transmission by as much as 96
percent. The U.S. now supports treatment for nearly 4 million people through
PEPFAR – and the President electrified the audience by announcing an historic
increase in PEPFAR’s treatment goal, to support for 6 million people by the end
of 2013. The impact of this commitment will be extraordinary, for those on
treatment and for the many more who will benefit from its preventive effect.
As President Obama made clear, the fight against
global AIDS is a shared responsibility, not one the U.S. can meet alone. This
week he asked the leaders of the donor and partner nations that are standing up
in this fight, to join this effort and redouble their own efforts. As we
move forward, we will work with a growing number of partners as the global
community joins the U.S. in a heightened focus on this fight.
The American people can be very proud of the
leadership our nation has shown through 30 years of AIDS. On World AIDS Day
2011, it is clear that that legacy of leadership continues.
Gayle Smith is the Special Assistant to
the President and Senior Director for Development and Democracy at the White
House. Ambassador Goosby is the U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator.
