Richardson’s Pledge on HIV/AIDS Praised in New Hampshire
Contact: Steve Howard, 603-617-4897 (cell: 802-236-5123); or Colleen Laurence, 603-397-0153
Manchester, NH, October 17, 2007—A group of prominent New Hampshire leaders, including Bishop Gene Robinson and local community leader Lillye Ramos Spooner, have recognized Governor Bill Richardson for being the first to sign a pledge to take bold action on HIV/AIDS if elected President. Globally, AIDS kills 8,000 people each day.
"By signing the Presidential Pledge for Leadership on Global AIDS and Poverty, you have confirmed that strong leadership and support for a fully-funded, evidence-based plan of action to address HIV/AIDS, along with related issues, is critically necessary at this time," they said in a letter to Richardson. "We would like to thank you for your bold commitment to the fight against the global AIDS and poverty," said these leaders, who form the Steering Committee of New Hampshire Fights AIDS.
New Hampshire Fights AIDS has asked all candidates, from both major parties, to sign the pledge. It has also urged they issue science-based proposals on AIDS in the US that would address major gaps in the domestic response.
This week, the group is hosting an expert from Uganda, Beatrice Were, who is meeting with community groups to explain the urgency of AIDS and asking candidates to sign the pledge. Yesterday in Concord she met with the Democratic Senate Caucus.
"Now we hope the other candidates will follow Richardson's lead by signing the pledge," said Steve Howard, a spokesperson for the group. "AIDS kills 8,000 people a day, and America must be a leader in fighting the epidemic in order to show we are ready to work with other nations to address a global crisis."
The policies included in the pledge are backed by a broad range of global health experts, including Boston-based organizations Partners in Health, led by Dr. Paul Farmer, and Physicians for Human Rights, as well as the Global AIDS Alliance Fund and over 100 other groups. The pledge includes policies that will ensure funds are used in an effective and accountable manner.
The pledge commits the candidate to backing a proposal to spend at least $50 billion to fight AIDS globally. Earlier this month, the United Nations issued an estimate of the funding needed to reach the goal of universal access to AIDS prevention, treatment and care by 2010, and US fair share of this would be between $50 and $60 billion.
Earlier this year, at the G8 Summit, President Bush promised the US would back the goal of universal access. However, none of the Republican candidates have clearly stated their backing for this goal or explained how they would expand the US AIDS effort to help the world reach it.
Senator Hillary Clinton is backing important legislation in the Senate to bolster African health care systems. While she has made specific funding commitments on other issues, such as access to basic education in developing countries, she has not yet issued any detailed funding proposal on global HIV/AIDS.
Clinton has not yet responded to a questionnaire on AIDS circulated by AIDSVote.org. In addition, unlike Obama and Edwards, Clinton has also left unclear whether she would back science-based approaches to prevention for injecting drug users. Outside of Africa, one out of three HIV infections result from use of non-sterile injecting equipment, and this public health problem remains severe in the US as well.
