Obama pledges $50M on World AIDS Day

The world came together as one Thursday as countries renewed their commitment to end the AIDS pandemic for good, U.S. President Obama said on World AIDS Day. "Today is a remarkable day," Obama said during an event at George Washington University in Washington. "Today, we come together, as a global community, across continents, faiths and cultures, to renew our commitment to ending the AIDS pandemic once and for all." Obama announced an additional $15 million would go to the Ryan White AIDS program that supports care provided by HIV medical clinics nationwide and another $35 million for state AIDS drug assistance programs. He announced a new goal of helping 6 million people globally get treatment by the end of 2013, 2 million more than the original goal. He also called on state governments, pharmaceutical companies and private foundations "to do their part to help Americans get access to all the life-saving treatments." While battles against AIDS are being won, "the fight is not over, not by a long shot," Obama said. The rate of new infections may be decreasing elsewhere, but not in America, where it has been holding steady for the last 10 years, the president said, noting that 1.2 million Americans "are living with HIV [human immunodeficiency virus, the cause of AIDS] right now." He thanked former President George W. Bush for his "bold leadership" in developing the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief. "That program … has saved hundreds of thousands of lives, spurred international action and laid the foundation for a comprehensive global plan that will impact the lives of millions," Obama said. Going forward, he said, governments must listen when the scientific community focuses on prevention. As a matter of policy, he said, the United States is investing in "what works" at home and abroad, from medical procedures to promoting healthy behavior, and setting a goal of providing anti-retroviral drugs to more than 1.5 million HIV-positive pregnant woman over the next two years "so that they have the chance to give birth to HIV-free babies." He urged global leaders to join the United States in committing financial help to Global Fund or honor pledges already made. Obama told Congress to keep working together and keep existing commitments intact. "At a time when so much in Washington divides us, the fight against this disease has united us across parties and presidencies," he said. To the American people, Obama said, "Keep fighting." "Fight for every person who needs our help today but also fight for every person who didn't live to see this moment," he said. "Fight for … every man, woman and child, who, when told they were going to die from this disease, they said, 'No, we're not. We're going to live.'"