The Global Access to HIV/AIDS Prevention, Awareness, Education and Treatment Act (HR 2069), specifically authorizes $750 million for an international AIDS trust fund;  $485 million in assistance administered by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) for education, treatment, and prevention efforts by non-governmental organizations; and $50 million for a pilot program to help developing nations purchase drugs and anti-viral therapies

“The world is facing a crisis that has already claimed the lives of tens of millions of people.  Millions more will be lost unless we show moral leadership and act. With the passage of the Global HIV/AIDS bill, we are on the right path to aggressively provide relief to those who are already suffering from this terrible disease and to help prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS.  This I hope it is only the start,” Schakowsky said. 

“It is estimated that at least $15 billion is needed each year alone to provide a minimum package of prevention, care, infrastructure development and capacity building to combat HIV/AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa.  This is a modest, but encouraging step toward meeting that goal,” she added.

Schakowsky concluded, “In the aftermath of September 11, our national and international priorities have shifted.   However, in the long-term, AIDS could prove a greater threat to our security and to that of the international community.  We must not neglect the HIV/AIDS crisis that is claiming the life of a child every single minute.”

Schakowsky is working with her colleagues in Congress to combat the worldwide HIV/AIDS crisis to promote access to affordable drugs and to ensure that U.S. monetary and trade policies reflect a commitment to helping Sub Saharan African nations and other countries who are faced with this pandemic that is killing millions of people each year.