AIDS

Diplomatic Reception Room

October 30, 2009 -- THE PRESIDENT: Good morning, everybody.

AUDIENCE: Good morning.

THE PRESIDENT: We often speak about AIDS as if it's going on somewhere else. And for good reason -- this is a virus that has touched lives and decimated communities around the world, particularly in Africa. But often overlooked is the fact that we face a serious HIV/AIDS epidemic of our own -- right here in Washington, D.C., and right here in the United States of America. And today, we are taking two important steps forward in the fight that we face here at home.    » read more »

"Saves Lives and Offers a Lifeline of Treatment and Support to Americans Living With HIV/AIDS"

October 30, 2009 -- Washington, D.C. -- Speaker Nancy Pelosi issued the following statement today after attending a ceremony at the White House where President Obama signed the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Treatment Extension Act into law.    » read more »

Urges International AIDS Society to convene conference in the U.S.

October 30, 2009 -- Washington, DC – Today Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-Oakland) released the following statement applauding President Barack Obama’s decision to formally repeal the United States travel and immigration restrictions on people living with HIV, which was published today in the Federal Register.

Congresswoman Lee sent a letter today to the International AIDS Society (IAS) encouraging them to quickly reach a decision regarding the United States as the host nation of the XXIX International AIDS Conference in 2012.    » read more »

October 30, 2009 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator John Kerry (D-Mass.), the Chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, today applauded the long overdue enactment of his legislation by the Obama Administration to finally end a travel ban that prevented those with HIV from entering the United States.

Since 1987, the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) contained a provision to bar HIV positive individuals from travelling or immigrating to the US, including HIV positive doctors and experts, as well as refugees seeking asylum. No scientific evidence supported the ban as effective for disease control or to curb costs to the public health care system.    » read more »

October 15, 2009 -- Washington, D.C. – Rep. Rush Holt (NJ-12) today wrote Speaker Pelosi regarding the concerns of HIV and AIDS patients in health care reform. Holt, joined by 21 members of Congress, advocates that the final House health care reform legislation help close the Medicare doughnut hole that has prevented many HIV/AIDS patients from accessing life-saving care.    » read more »

Washington, Oct 14 -- In observance of the seventh annual National Latino AIDS Awareness Day (NLAAD) on October 15, Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard (CA-34) called for greater unity throughout our communities in confronting the HIV epidemic and the stigma associated with HIV/AIDS.    » read more »

The NAACP wants you to get tested

June 22, 2009 -- Through the ACT Against AIDS Leadership Initiative (AAALI), the NAACP has renewed its commitment in the fight against HIV/AIDS. The AAALI seeks to integrate interventions into existing programs within longstanding traditional African American organizations. Similarly, the NAACP seeks to educate, empower, and mobilize all members and constituents about the importance of getting tested.    » read more »

May 14, 2009 -- The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) today announced the release of $1.79 billion to ensure that people living with HIV/AIDS continue to have access to life-saving health care and medications. The grants are funded through the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program, which helps more than 529,000 individuals every year obtain the care and services they need to live longer, healthier lives.    » read more »

Funding renews critical lifeline for hundreds of persons at risk for homelessness

May 8, 2009 -- WASHINGTON - Seven local programs that offer critically needed housing and support services to extremely low-income persons living with HIV/AIDS are being awarded $8 million in grants announced today by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. These grants will help hundreds of persons and their families struggling to find a stable home as they receive the services they need to manage their illnesses.    » read more »

May 5, 2009 -- In the 21st century, disease flows freely across borders and oceans, and, in recent days, the 2009 H1N1 virus has reminded us of the urgent need for action. We cannot wall ourselves off from the world and hope for the best, nor ignore the public health challenges beyond our borders. An outbreak in Indonesia can reach Indiana within days, and public health crises abroad can cause widespread suffering, conflict, and economic contraction.    » read more »

April 27, 2009 -- WASHINGTON, DC – Today, President Barack Obama announced his intent to nominate the following individuals for key administration posts: Eric Goosby, Ambassador at Large and Global AIDS Coordinator, Department of State; and Paul N. Stockton, Assistant Secretary of Defense (Homeland Defense and Americas' Security Affairs), Department of Defense.

President Obama said, "The American people will be well-served by the addition of these skilled and dedicated individuals. They will be valued voices in my administration, and I’m confident they will work to the greatest of their ability as we work to tackle the challenges ahead of us and keep the American people safe. I look forward to working with them in the coming months and years."    » read more »

LA JOLLA, CA, March 2, 2009—A team of scientists at the Scripps Research Institute has found a way to use specially programmed chemicals to elicit an immediate immune response in laboratory animals against two types of cancer. The experiments, thus far performed only in mice, appear to overcome a major drawback of vaccinations—the lag time of days, or even weeks, that it normally takes for immunity to build against a pathogen. This new method of vaccination could potentially be used to provide instantaneous protection against diseases caused by viruses and bacteria, cancers, and even virulent toxins.

The work is being published in the Early Edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) the week of March 2, 2009.    » read more »

Jeffrey S. Crowley will join Domestic Policy Council as Top Advisor on HIV/AIDS issues

February 26th, 2009 -- President Barack Obama today announced the appointment of one of the nation’s leading public health policy experts as the Director of Office of National AIDS Policy. Jeffrey S. Crowley, MPH, Senior Research Scholar at Georgetown University’s Health Policy Institute will coordinate the federal government’s efforts on HIV/AIDS policy and will help guide the administration’s development of disability policies.    » read more »

Calls for Comprehensive Prevention Strategy and Increased Investment in Preventive Care

Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA) expressed concern over the findings of a new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report showing that the number of new HIV infections is 40 percent higher than previously estimated.    » read more »

Estimates from CDC Place New HIV Infections at More Than 56,000 for 2006

August 3, 2008 -- Washington, DC - Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton today underscored that HIV infection statistics released today using new methodology show the need for a more aggressive response to the HIV/AIDS epidemic, particularly increased prevention efforts targeted to the communities at highest risk. According to these estimates released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than 56,000 new HIV infections occurred among Americans in 2006, a higher rate of infection than found previously.    » read more »