Governor Dean Lays Out HIV/AIDS Policy

[Rose Siding]

Marking World AIDS Day, Dean promises to fight disease domestically and internationally

BURLINGTON--Democratic presidential candidate Governor Howard Dean, M.D., marked tomorrow's World AIDS Day, by announcing that he would honor the country's national and international commitments to combat the pandemic of HIV/AIDS. He today released policy proposals aimed at combating AIDS both here in the U.S. and across the globe.

"This is a crisis of pandemic proportions and we must give it the attention it deserves. HIV and AIDS are both a public health and a national security issue. They have the potential to create vast economic and political destabilization in many parts of the developing world. It is time to move beyond the rhetoric offered by President Bush and to focus on real results both across the globe and here at home," Governor Dean said.

Here in the U.S., more than 800,000 men, women, and children have been diagnosed with AIDS and nearly a million more are living with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. Each year, more than 40,000 Americans become infected with HIV, an average of one person every 13 minutes.

Today, AIDS is also the leading cause of death in many parts of the world. As their parents die, millions of AIDS orphans--as many as 40 million by the end of this decade--will be left without the care and support they need.

Last year alone, 3 million people worldwide died because of AIDS. Another 40 million people are now living with HIV or AIDS, and they will succumb to this disease unless they have access to life-saving treatment. The pace of new infections is accelerating dramatically, with 5 million more people becoming infected each year.

Governor Dean also criticized President Bush for undercutting his State of the Union promise to strongly boost funding to combat AIDS as well as his administration's nearly 40 percent cut to the U.S. commitment to the Global Fund To Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria. In both cases, Congress ended up raising the appropriations against the administration's wishes.

"President Bush has not only failed to live up to his promises to fight AIDS around the world, he has also failed to ensure access to life-saving and life-prolonging medicines for Americans with HIV and AIDS," Governor Dean said.

Dean promised that he would address AIDS both domestically and internationally
end snip> more itemized points of action....................

http://www.deanforamerica.com/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=10774&JServSessionIdr003=m1m50lf981.app194a&security=1&news_iv_ctrl=1301

*emphasis is mine

[sandnsea]

1. Kerry already doing this

Been working on it for years, first supporting the Ryan White Care Act and then global aids programs.

Global AIDS and Tuberculosis Relief Act 2000
http://www.thebody.com/whitehouse/relief_act.html

US Leadership Against HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria Act of 2002
http://www.iavi.org/highlights/129/h20020515.asp

[Scott Lee]

2. Difference is, this time you have a real Doctor on the case....

[caledesi]

3. Difference is Dean was IN Africa working w/ these people.

Now who can top that?

[molly]

15. Got a link?

[KaraokeKarlton]

16. I can try to find one for you, he DID go to Africa as a doctor

and actually treated AIDS/HIV patients there. He's been to well over 50 countries and is very familiar with the issues of other countries. This includes the middle east. I'll look for a link and post it here.

[caledesi]

18. I will have to find a link bec he mentioned this in one of the debates.

[sandnsea]

4. It's 3/4 done

What do we need a doctor for? Especially Dean. To beat it down into a Republican form of the bill and cut funding?

[Egnever]

7. More posing from Kerry?

The top link goes to bill signed by clinton that he and gore came up with. Kerry jumped on board big deal. More evidence of him being a great folower but not much of a leader.

The second link goes to some blurb on him working with Frist on bushes bullshit africa package. More yes mr president BS if you ask me. In fact now that I think of it so is the top thing.

I dont know how you can call this stuff any example of kerry's leadership on this issue. Not that I have any doubt that he wotrks on aids issues. But why you post kerry stuff in a dean thread is beyond me.

You Kerry suporters mirror your guy well. Its no wonder you are behind him.

Dean Dean Dean Dean.

Sigh

[sandnsea]

9. Sure, all by themselves

What utter nonsense. He is so far ahead of Dean on this, he's been working on it for years. How can you even compare the recommendations made by the Task Force he chaired with Dean's proposals? And yep, Bush didn't fund something again. Surprise, surprise. But Kerry did work on the legislation Clinton signed, which Clinton himself recognized. There's other pieces of AIDS legislation he's sponsored and co-sponsored as well. Including the ETHA Medicaid coverage for states, which Dean will probably take credit for creating in Vermont.
http://www.taepusa.org/pages/ethasummary.html

http://www.thebody.com/whitehouse/relief_act.html

"I wish to thank and congratulate our congressional partners who worked hard to make this bipartisan legislation a reality: Representatives Leach, Lee, LaFalce, Gejdenson, Gilman, Jackson-Lee, Maloney of New York, and Pelosi, and Senators Kerry, Frist, Biden, Boxer, Durbin, Feingold, Helms, Leahy, Moynihan, and Smith of Oregon."

"Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and Senator John Kerry (D-MA) introduced the Vaccines for the New Millennium Act today, legislation that provides incentives to private sector biotech and pharmaceutical companies to accelerate development of vaccines for the world's most deadly infectious diseases. "Every year, TB, malaria and HIV/AIDS kill over seven million people," Pelosi said. "Vaccines are our best hope to bring these and other epidemics under control. But accelerated research efforts are needed if we are to develop these vaccines in the near future. I am grateful for Senator Kerry's leadership on this issue and I am pleased to be introducing this bill with him today."

http://www.house.gov/pelosi/prinfect.htm

[Egnever]

12. I'll say

I say Kerry is a me to yes sir kinda guy and what do you do throw up more links that show its true.

Maybe you should be giving the credit to Ghephardt where its due?

From your own link.

ETHA was originally filed in the House of Representatives of the106th Congress (1999-2000) with sixty-one co-sponsors. Representative Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and House Minority Leader Richard Gephardt (D-MO) were the lead co-sponsors of the bill. Immediately after its introduction, the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS and most major national AIDS organizations came out in support of the bill. Time constraints, reauthorization of the Ryan White CARE Act, and election-related activities all worked against securing passage of the bill.


Yet again kerry jumps on the band wagon. Wooohoo what a leader this guy is.

I gotta tell you his ability to sniff out a bill he can point to later and say I was for that would be awe inspiring if it wasnt for him jumping on the IWR and Patriot so fast when it looked like those were popular too.

The more I see from this guy the more uninspired I become by him. I want a leader as my president someone who is willing to stand up and do whats right without sticking his finger in the wind first. I want someone willing to take the initiative not pile on after it looks safe to do so. For a "war hero" more and more kerry strikes me as a coward.

But tommorrow there will be another Dean thread and I am sure you will be right in the middle of it trying to spout about how great kerry is.

See ya there

Dean Dean Dean Dean

:hi:

[bread_and_roses]

5. Credit where due

I was pleased to read the following;

"Promote sensible and comprehensive prevention efforts. As a physician, Dean has seen the power of prevention in saving lives. There is strong, compelling evidence that HIV prevention initiatives, including condoms, needle exchange programs, accessible testing and progressive education on safe behaviors, can reduce the transmission of HIV. A strong emphasis must be placed on prevention approaches focused on women, communities of color, adolescents, and young gay men."

I am particularly impressed that he mentioned needle-exchange, which is one of the most controversial but most important tools for reducing transmission.

[sandnsea]

6. Cochair - CSIS AIDS/HIV Task Force

More on Senator Kerry's work on Global AIDS/HIV, in conjunction with legislation passed in link above. Howard may be a doctor, it doesn't mean he has a full grasp on AIDS overseas and all its ramifications:

http://www.csis.org/africa/HIVAIDS.cfm

Excerpts from 2003 Report
http://www.csis.org/africa/HIVAIDS/030227_secondepp_statement.pdf

Accelerating delivery will require that the coordinator work closely with Congress to identify and pursue innovative ways to deliver assistance, including building upon best practices among nongovernmental organizations (NGOs); enlarging creative publicprivate
partnerships in which corporate interests have advanced prevention through aggressive education, counseling, condom promotion, and other interventions; and seizing upon examples from U.S. government assistance programs that work.

First, there is need for a coherent, dynamic “second wave” strategy.

The September 2002 National Intelligence Council report outlined that by 2010 there could be 50 to 75 million persons infected with HIV in China, Russia, India, Nigeria, and Ethiopia. Only the latter two countries fall within the president’s initiative. In addition,
other countries are likely to experience similar increases in HIV/AIDS, according to the report.

Second, there is need for an integrated strategy to reduce the acute vulnerability of women, especially girls.

The epidemic’s disproportionate impact on women and girls has given rise to the steady feminization of HIV/AIDS, rooted in women and girls’ economic dependency and the denial of their rights. To be effective, U.S. interventions have to address the root causes of
these vulnerabilities and strengthen—not limit—the tools essential for women and girls to protect themselves and their families.

Third, there is need for a revised U.S. food relief and development strategy to mitigate the crushing impact HIV/AIDS is having on rural households. Across southern and eastern Africa, HIV/AIDS is creating chronic food insecurity and putting entire communities at risk of dissolution.

Far greater effort is needed to meet the special nutritional requirements of persons living with HIV/AIDS and the communities that often depend on them. This aid cannot wait for large-scale testing for HIV status but should begin in communities in high incidence areas. Expanded food rations and cash income are needed to lessen the burden of single parents caring for orphans and the sick and to reduce the risk of young women turning to commercial sex work for survival. These programs can also be used to provide extended support to elementary schools.

[sfecap]

8. But we don't want them coming here, sez John Kerry...

AIDS Immigration Ban

Bill Number: S 1
Issue: Health Issues
Date: 02/18/1993
Sponsor: Nickles, R-OK


Roll Call Number: 0013
Passed



Senator John Forbes Kerry voted YES.

Prohibit the permanent immigration of persons infected with the AIDS virus.

S 1 (National Institutes of Health Reauthorization);
Amendment;
2/18/93

Outcome: Passed 76-23

Congressional Quarterly Number: 1993 - S13

Introduced by Nickles, R-OK.

Bill Status:
Bill Number: S 1 - 103rd Congress (1993-94)
House Passage Vote: 03/11/93 - Outcome: Passed by Voice Vote
Senate Passage Vote: 02/18/93 - Outcome: Passed
House Conference Report Vote: 05/25/93 - Outcome: Passed
Senate Conference Report Vote: 05/28/93 - Outcome: Passed by Voice Vote
Presidential Action: Signed on 06/10/93
Public Law Number: 103-43 107 Stat. 122

[sandnsea]

10. He votes what he thinks

Doesn't he? Keeping people with infectious diseases out of the country has been the law of the land for 100 years. I never saw any reason to change the law because of political correctness. In fact, I never saw any reason to treat AIDS any different than any other STD. Until we have vaccines or some real methods of treatment, I don't see why we should let people with terminal diseases into the country just because the disease is associated with gays who then call it discrimination. Would you propose letting someone with small pox come right in?

[sfecap]

11. First of all....

Smallpox is eradicated.

Secondly, AIDS is NOT a terminal illness.

Would St. John also ban cancer victims from entering the US?

He votes by sniffing the political winds.

[Egnever]

13. Too bad the old nose hasnt been so hot lately

If only the winds had stayed where they were. this wishy washy politico would have probably skated right into the WH. That of course is assuming he ever built up the courage to actually come out with all his "info on the BFEE".

Without dean pushing these guys I often wonder if any od these other guys besides Kucinich would have ever squaked at all.

My bet is they wouldnt have.

[bread_and_roses]

14. AIDS is indeed a terminal

illness at this time, there is NO cure. It is important to remember that, regardless of what one thinks about people coming into the country who are infected with HIV.

[sfecap]

17. To clarify....

Many HIV+ people are living longer and longer due to the advances in treatment.

Hopefully, very soon it will not be a terminal illness.