Advocacy, commitment, investment needed to continue HIV/AIDS response

Jul 31 2012

Some members of Congress "are advocating deep cuts to funding for domestic programs such as [the Ryan White CARE Act] and international programs such as the Global Fund [to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria] and PEPFAR," but "[w]hat these critics fail to realize is that though we have won a multitude of battles, we are still losing the war in many communities," Rep. Michael Honda (D-Calif.) writes in a U.S. News & World Report opinion piece. "We must continue to find innovative, targeted solutions in the fight against this dreaded disease," he continues, adding, "There are many of us in Congress who recognize this important fact, chief among those are my dear friend Rep. Barbara Lee [D-Calif.], whose upcoming 'Ending the HIV/AIDS Epidemic Act of 2012' targets at-risk populations both domestically and internationally." Honda concludes, "From legislative action on the federal level to grassroots efforts in state communities, we need to make targeting these communities a top priority in order to move forward. This requires advocacy, this requires commitment, and most importantly, it requires more investment" (7/27).