From the Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns
Many Maryknoll missioners and Affiliates around the world and in the U.S. minister to people living with HIV and AIDS. The Global Concerns office has urged lawmakers to preserve funding to fight this epidemic at every level, and we invite you to respond to this alert, circulated by Health Gap.
Recently, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said what many of us have long known: science has given us a way to end the AIDS crisis.
AIDS treatment not only saves lives, but it has now been shown to reduce the risk of HIV transmission by 96 percent. In combination with other methods, that means we can halt AIDS deaths and HIV infections. We can win the fight against AIDS. Secretary Clinton promised that it is now official U.S. policy to work toward an “AIDS free generation.” But she didn’t say how.
Now is the moment for President Obama to lead. The White House is considering a major World AIDS Day (December 1) announcement—describing what the U.S. is going to do to put us on the path to ending the crisis. One key step President Obama could take right away is to order the PEPFAR program to put several million more people on AIDS treatment by 2013.
We need you to tell him December 1 is the time to act! Call the White House today at 202-456-1111. If it’s busy wait a few minutes and try again.
You can say something like:
“My name is ___________ and I live in ___________(city, state). I’m calling to urge President Obama to use World AIDS Day to announce a plan to put millions more people on AIDS treatment and begin to end the AIDS crisis.”
Thank you for continuing to fight for treatment for everyone, so we can end AIDS!