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Congresswoman Barbara Lee’s Statement on World Aids Day
Oakland, CA -- Congresswoman Barbara Lee, the Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus Task Force on Global HIV/AIDS and the senior Democratic Woman on the House International Relations Committee, released the following statement today on World AIDS Day:
“Today on World AIDS Day, we stand together in solidarity to remember the tens of millions around the world who have died since the beginning of this horrible pandemic. And here in Alameda County, we remember the nearly 4000 men, women and children who suffered and died needlessly.
“Yet at the same time we reflect on the work that must still be done on behalf of the estimated 39.4 million people throughout the world who continue to live with HIV/AIDS. That means we must continue accelerating access to treatment and care by breaking down barriers to generic drugs, linking treatment for tuberculosis and malaria, supporting the development of critical health infrastructures, and assisting in the training of health professionals.
“But perhaps even more importantly, we must also work to protect those who are most vulnerable to becoming infected with HIV. While in the Bay Area, the disease continues to affect gay men disproportionately, we have known for years that the trend of HIV infection has been increasing among people of color and women especially.
“In Alameda County, African-American women represent over 66% of all cumulative cases of HIV/AIDS reported to date among all women. That is a staggeringly disproportionate figure when African-Americans as a whole represent only about 14.9% of the population in Alameda County according to the 2000 census.
“We still face significant challenges among the African-American community in talking frankly and openly about issues like sex, gender, homosexuality, and HIV/AIDS.
“Unfortunately those challenges are compounded by a President and a Vice-President that do not even care enough to acknowledge that African American women are the new face of HIV/AIDS, and who believe that religion not science should dictate public policy. It is this kind of calculated indifference and neglect that has led the Federal government to reject any increase in funding for the Minority AIDS Initiative during the last four years, despite repeated pleas for more funding from many of my colleagues and me.
“While we continue to fight in Washington D.C. to demand the necessary funding, we must also continue to work to break the silence among the African American community in the Bay Area and across the nation.”
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“Today on World AIDS Day, we stand together in solidarity to remember the tens of millions around the world who have died since the beginning of this horrible pandemic. And here in Alameda County, we remember the nearly 4000 men, women and children who suffered and died needlessly.
“Yet at the same time we reflect on the work that must still be done on behalf of the estimated 39.4 million people throughout the world who continue to live with HIV/AIDS. That means we must continue accelerating access to treatment and care by breaking down barriers to generic drugs, linking treatment for tuberculosis and malaria, supporting the development of critical health infrastructures, and assisting in the training of health professionals.
“But perhaps even more importantly, we must also work to protect those who are most vulnerable to becoming infected with HIV. While in the Bay Area, the disease continues to affect gay men disproportionately, we have known for years that the trend of HIV infection has been increasing among people of color and women especially.
“In Alameda County, African-American women represent over 66% of all cumulative cases of HIV/AIDS reported to date among all women. That is a staggeringly disproportionate figure when African-Americans as a whole represent only about 14.9% of the population in Alameda County according to the 2000 census.
“We still face significant challenges among the African-American community in talking frankly and openly about issues like sex, gender, homosexuality, and HIV/AIDS.
“Unfortunately those challenges are compounded by a President and a Vice-President that do not even care enough to acknowledge that African American women are the new face of HIV/AIDS, and who believe that religion not science should dictate public policy. It is this kind of calculated indifference and neglect that has led the Federal government to reject any increase in funding for the Minority AIDS Initiative during the last four years, despite repeated pleas for more funding from many of my colleagues and me.
“While we continue to fight in Washington D.C. to demand the necessary funding, we must also continue to work to break the silence among the African American community in the Bay Area and across the nation.”
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