November 27, 2007—Today the Global AIDS Alliance Fund responded to the plan on HIV/AIDS issued by Senator Hillary Clinton, candidate for US President.
Dr. Paul Zeitz, Executive Director of the Global AIDS Alliance Fund, author Helen Epstein, and other experts will discuss the issue on a conference call for journalists, Thursday, November 29.
Dr. Zeitz issued the following statement:
"I am thrilled to see Senator Clinton's plan of action on HIV/AIDS. I read it over while attending a high-level meeting on AIDS and children in South Africa, where HIV/AIDS is having a catastrophic impact. Senator Clinton's proposals are the kind that will move us toward real victory against this terrible virus, in Southern Africa and beyond.
Her proposal clearly addresses the needs of children, and that certainly makes it stand out among the plans issued so far by the candidates for President. Children have been neglected in the AIDS response, and her plan would remedy this deplorable gap in the global fight against AIDS.
In addition, it stands out by explicitly addressing a range of women's health and development issues, including the need to end violence against women, address income insecurity, and fund reproductive and sexual health programs.
Senator Clinton has seen these related issues up close, in her visits to programs in India, Uganda, and other countries, and her proposal demonstrates the kind of leadership the world needs on HIV/AIDS.
Now, I look forward to seeing her plans for meeting the broader challenge of reaching the Millennium Development Goals. To meet these goals, and restore America's global leadership, we need to dramatically increase overall poverty-focused assistance, increase funding for tuberculosis as well as crucial maternal and child health programs, and ensure accountability for results in all sectors of development. We also need to expand the number of countries eligible for debt cancellation."
