AMA Speech Continues Obama’s Baffling Silence on AIDS
In Address to American Medical Association, President Urges Increased Prevention Efforts for Costly Diseases including Cancer, Cardiovascular Disease, Diabetes, Lung Disease and Strokes; Respected Institute of Medicine Study Found Lifetime Costs of Care for One AIDS Patient Tops $600,000
After Slashing Funding for George W. Bush’s Landmark Global AIDS Program by $1.1M per Year, President Obama Continues to Avoid Mention of or Meaningful Action on HIV/AIDS Here or Abroad
By: AIDS Healthcare Foundation
Washington, D.C. - June 15, 2009
AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), expressed its continuing bewilderment and disappointment at President Barack Obama’s ongoing silence on HIV/AIDS—most recently noted following his much-anticipated speech earlier today in Chicago delivered to members of the American Medical Association (AMA). President Obama made absolutely no mention whatsoever of AIDS during the 50 minute speech despite the fact that he singled out prevention of costly diseases as a key goal in his overhaul of health care. In his speech, Obama noted, “Our federal government also has to step up its efforts to advance the cause of healthy living. Five of the costliest illnesses and conditions—cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, lung disease, and strokes—can be prevented.”
“In yet another disappointment to many AIDS advocates nationwide, President Obama once again demonstrated his seeming indifference to the burgeoning U.S. HIV/AIDS epidemic with not a single mention of the costly—yet preventable—disease during his 50 minute speech to AMA members earlier today,” said Michael Weinstein, President of AIDS Healthcare Foundation. “In planning to overhaul the health care system, it is certainly prudent public policy and good public health strategy to ramp up prevention efforts for costly and deadly diseases, and I applaud the president for singling out diseases such as cancer and diabetes. However, a respected ‘Institute of Medicine’ study found that the lifetime costs of treating just one person living with AIDS tops $600,000. After the number of new HIV infections reported in the U.S. jumped nearly 40% from 40,000 infections annually to 56,000 new cases annually last year, one would think it would have been a natural moment for the President to also include mention of HIV/AIDS—and its prevention—in this noteworthy speech. Instead, his baffling silence on AIDS continues.”
With effective use of safer sex practices, including consistent use of condoms, needle exchange programs serving populations of intravenous drug users, and other preventive measures, HIV transmission can be greatly reduced today.
“Since he assumed office in January, President Obama has assiduously avoided any meaningful statement or action on HIV/AIDS, save for slashing the funding for PEPFAR, President George W. Bush’s respected and lifesaving Global AIDS program by $1.1 billion per year,” added AHF’s Weinstein. “The president said nothing back in March, when Washington, his newly adopted hometown, reported an HIV prevalence rate of 3%—higher than the rate found in many African nations. Despite his silence, we remain hopeful that President Obama will be the change that we can believe in—and urgently need—on AIDS.”
