9704: Meek Urges the Government to Release Funds to Haiti to fight HIV/AIDS (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: leonie hermantin <lhermantin@hotmail.com>

>
>  Meek Urges the Government to Release Funds to Haiti to fight HIV/AIDS
>
>	In a speech before the U.S. House of Representatives, U.S. Rep.
>Carrie Meek called upon the United States government, the World Bank and 
>the
>international community to release funds to help Haiti with its growing
>HIV/AIDS problem.
>
>	According to the World Bank, more than half a million people are
>living with HIV/AIDS in the Carribean region and the prevalence among 
>adults
>ages 15-49 has reached two percent.  In Haiti, the situation is 
>dramatically
>worse.   Estimates reach as high as 12 percent for the urban population and
>5 percent for the rural population.
>
>	Rep. Meek said, "in Haiti, the HIV/AIDS epidemic has spread beyond
>high-risk populations to the general population.  The challenge for the
>region is to learn from the experience of African countries and act
>decisively to prevent the epidemic from spreading further.  HIV/AIDS is 
>more
>than just a health problem, it is a major development challenge.  The AIDS
>epidemic there is placing tremendous burdens on health care systems and on
>the labor force."
>
>	  Today, 83% of AIDS cases in the Carribean are in the age group 15
>to 54 years- the labor force.
>
>	"A regional strategic plan is in place to reduce the spread and
>impact of the epidemic in Haiti and throughout the Carribean, but Haiti
>desperately needs the financial support of the United States, the World 
>Bank
>and the international community to implement it," Rep. Meek said.
>
>	Rep. Meek added, "Haiti has made considerable progress politically.
>It is now meeting virtually all of the conditions established by the United
>States for receipt of further financial aid.  We must not allow technical
>barriers to stand in the way of addressing the HIV/AIDS crisis in Haiti.
>Haiti needs our help and it needs it now.  Let's do the right thing and 
>help
>Haiti address the suffering caused by HIV/AIDS."
>
>					#	#	#


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