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Washington, D.C. - Congressman Brad Sherman today helped pass H.R. 5501, the Tom Lantos and Henry J. Hyde United States Global Leadership against HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria Reauthorization Act. The act furthers America’s commitment to assisting men, women, and children in the least developed countries with HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment and care and increases the funds authorized to combat tuberculosis and malaria.
"The memory of Chairman Lantos inspired us to make sure this vital program receives the necessary funding to meet the critical health needs of developing countries," said Sherman.
"Today, we are going far beyond our original commitment by authorizing $50 billion dollars in funding over the next five years to fight these terrible diseases."
Five years ago, when this legislation was first passed, Congress authorized $15 billion in funding over five years. As a result of funding, an estimated 150,000 infants have avoided infections and nearly 1.5 million people have received life-saving drugs.
The bill also authorizes the U.S. Department of Treasury to assist the finance and health ministries of developing countries struggling with these diseases by helping them create public finance systems to fund the health battle against these deadly diseases. "The best way to push back against these epidemics in developing countries," Sherman said, "is to not only provide resources, but to teach these countries how to help themselves."
Congressman Sherman, a senior member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, strongly supported this bill as it made its way through the Committee and to its passage today by the House.
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