For Immediate Release                                       Contact: Amanda Molk, 202-225-5256
April 2, 2003

Napolitano Amendment to Reduce HIV/AIDS Orphans in Africa Passes

Congresswoman Grace Napolitano (D-CA38) today won passage of an amendment to the U.S. Leadership Against HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria Act (H.R. 1298). The amendment is intended to help limit the number of children orphaned by AIDS in Africa. “Preventing mother to child transmission of HIV/AIDS is an important goal, but it is not enough. We must focus treatment on the entire family to ensure that the children we save from HIV/AIDS do not become orphans because their parents have succumbed to the disease,” explained Napolitano.

Congresswoman Napolitano offered the amendment on behalf of Congresswoman Juanita Millender McDonald, who does not sit on the International Relations Committee, but who has been a passionate, long-time advocate for international AIDS funding. The amendment concerns funding already in the bill for reducing mother to child transmission of HIV/AIDS and gives priority in the awarding of funds to organizations that currently focus on family survival. “There are already over 5 million orphans in sub-Saharan Africa, mostly due to HIV/AIDS deaths. This is intolerable. Several organizations are already providing care to keep HIV positive parents alive and healthy, and it makes sense for the U.S. to support them,” stated Napolitano.

H.R. 1298 was passed by the International Relations Committee with bipartisan support and now awaits consideration by the full House. “There is broad bipartisan agreement that the U.S. must take a strong role in fighting the HIV/AIDS crisis in sub-Saharan Africa. Preventing the breakdown of families due to HIV/AIDS deaths must be a central component of our efforts. Rather than reinvent the wheel, we need to support the organizations that are already successfully engaged in this important work. I look forward to the passage of H.R. 1298 by the House,” concluded Napolitano.

Representative Grace F. Napolitano, 38th District of California
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