World AIDS Day 2011
Press Statement
Hillary Rodham Clinton
Secretary of State
Washington, DC
December 1, 2011
Today
we pay tribute to the millions of lives lost and families affected by
HIV/AIDS. We also recognize the brave individuals living with HIV who
carry the burden of this disease every day. It is in their honor that we
remain steadfast in our pursuit of an AIDS-free generation.
President
Obama’s announcement today of the goal to provide lifesaving
antiretroviral treatment to 6 million people living with HIV worldwide
represents a critical step towards this goal. Since AIDS was identified
30 years ago, we have made significant progress, saving and improving
the lives of millions of people around the world. Remarkable scientific
breakthroughs in preventing and managing this disease have given us the
tools for even greater action. Through the U.S. President’s Emergency
Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), a cornerstone of the Obama
Administration’s Global Health Initiative, we are working to translate
these advances into lifesaving programs.
This vision of an
AIDS-free generation can only be realized by working together. Partner
governments, civil society, the private sector and multilateral
organizations like the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and
Malaria must collaborate and share best practices. We must engage the
world’s brightest scientists, advocates, and public health experts to
find more effective ways to fight HIV. High-impact interventions like
antiretroviral treatment, prevention of mother-to-child transmission,
and voluntary medical male circumcision have the potential to move us
toward the end of this epidemic.
We have come a long way in the
fight against AIDS, but there is still a long road ahead to realize our
ambitious goals. If we continue to work together and coordinate a global
effort guided by science, we may one day live in a AIDS-free
generation.
