POTUS: “We need to do more to show them that their lives matter”

President Barack Obama is planning on adding another 50 million dollars to help in the treatment of HIV and AIDS.  During a World AIDS day event at the White House this morning, the President pledged U.S. support to help 6 million people in countries hardest hit by the virus get access to antiretroviral drugs by the end of 2013, increasing the original U.S. goal by 2 million.

He also re-upped the game here in the U.S. by pledging more federal dollars to the fight against HIV and AIDS.  During his annual World AIDS Day Speech, the President pointed out that, while HIV infection numbers are falling in other countries around the world, here in the U.S. the numbers continue to rise, “When new infections among young, black, gay men increase by nearly 50 percent in three years, we need to do more to show them that their lives matter.”

The announcement couldn’t come at a better time, many states, including Idaho, are trimming back their HIV and AIDS spending.

In his World AIDS Day proclamation, the President also said a new plan to fight the crisis in the U.S. will include targeting the virus on several fronts..

“To combat the HIV epidemic in the United States, we are implementing the first comprehensive National HIV/AIDS Strategy in our country’s history, which calls for strong, coordinated policy initiatives, enhanced HIV/AIDS education, collaboration across the Federal Government, and robust engagement with individuals, communities, and businesses across America. As part of these efforts, we are embracing the best science available to prevent new HIV infections, and we are testing new approaches to integrating housing, prevention, care, and substance abuse and mental health services related to HIV/AIDS. We are implementing the Affordable Care Act, which mandates new consumer protections and new options for purchasing health insurance for all Americans by 2014, including those with HIV. We are also striving to secure employment opportunities for people living with HIV by working to end discrimination based on HIV status,” read the proclamation.

The theme for this year’s World AIDS Day is “Getting to Zero.”  A plan by the United Nations lays out 10 goals to reach by 2015…

10 goals for 2015

• Sexual transmission of HIV reduced by half, including among young people, men who have sex with men and transmission in the context of sex work;
• Vertical transmission of HIV eliminated and AIDS-related maternal deaths reduced by half;
• All new HIV infections prevented among people who use drugs;
• Universal access to antiretroviral therapy for people living with HIV who are eligible for treatment;
• TB deaths among people living with HIV reduced by half;
• All people living with HIV and households affected by HIV are addressed in all national social protection strategies and have access to essential care and support;
• Countries with punitive laws and practices around HIV transmission, sex work, drug use or homosexuality that block effective responses reduced by half;
• HIV-related restrictions on entry, stay and residence eliminated in half of the countries that have such restrictions;
• HIV-specific needs of women and girls are addressed in at least half of all national HIV responses;
• Zero tolerance for gender-based violence.