WASHINGTON,
D.C. – U.S. Representative Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) is one of the featured
panelists at a three day conference in Chicago on the AIDS crisis in the
Midwest. The AIDS in the Heartland conference will begin on Wednesday,
May 30, and Schakowsky is scheduled to participate on a federal panel with
other elected officials on Friday, June 1.
The
AIDS in the Heartland conference is designed to focus nationwide attention
on HIV/AIDS in the Midwest and to generate increased resources to address
the epidemic in the region. June 5 marks the 20th year of the
first five reported cases to the Centers for Disease Control of what later
became known as AIDS.
“The
toll HIV/AIDS has had on human life has been staggering. Improved drug
therapies have lulled the public into a false sense of security about the
disease. People no longer think AIDS is an emergency. Yet, more people
are infected with HIV/AIDS today than at any time in our history,” Schakowsky
said.
More
than 28,000 people are living with HIV/AIDS in Illinois, and Chicago ranks
sixth amongst U.S. cities in its number of diagnosed AIDS cases. Nationwide,
more than 40,000 people are infected each year, with around 1,500 of them
occurring in Illinois.
“Cities
in the Midwest like Chicago are in dire need of federal support as they
try to combat the HIV/AIDS epidemic and provide medical, housing and other
support for individuals living with the virus. I am joining with my Midwestern
colleagues in Congress to express the critical need for increased funding
for HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment, and support programs,” said Schakowsky.
“President
Bush failed to add even one additional penny to the Ryan White CARE Act
despite increasing needs and the skyrocketing costs of treatment. The CARE
Act ensures that those living with HIV/AIDS have access to life-enhancing
treatments, affordable housing, and employment opportunities. It
is a program that works and deserves our continued support,” added Schakowsky.
She
concluded, “I urge President Bush to reconsider his ill advised public
health policy and to instead support increasing funding for the CARE Act
by $307 million. It is a lifeline for millions living with AIDS.
The President should also make it a top priority to fully fund other critical
programs including HIV prevention and education programs, substance abuse
and mental health treatment programs, minority HIV/AIDS initiatives and
affordable housing.”
The
AIDS in the Heartland conference will also feature the release of the second
edition of the Chicago Department of Public Health’s compelling book and
companion photo documentary, The Faces of AIDS: Personal Stories from the
Heartland. These stories of people living with HIV/AIDS offer poignant
insight into what it's like living with the disease 20 years after it first
emerged. |