Speeches and Articles by U.S. Consul General James B. Cunningham

HIV/AIDS: A GLOBAL PROBLEM WITH A GLOBAL SOLUTION

By James B. Cunningham
Consul General of the United States

(The Chinese version of this article was published by Sing Tao on December 1, 2005, and this article is not for commercial use.)

Recently, there has been a tremendous amount of press coverage on the possibility of an avian flu pandemic. We take the threat from the H5N1 virus extremely seriously and are cooperating closely with Hong Kong and many Asian nations. While avian flu is still a specter, however, the world has long been in the grip of another pandemic: that of HIV/AIDS.

President Bush and the American people join Hong Kong and countries around the world in marking today, December 1st, as World AIDS day. Although Hong Kong is fortunate to have an infection rate of less than 0.1% of its population, 91 new HIV infections were reported in the 3rd quarter of 2005. Each new infection is a tragedy.

Beyond Hong Kong, the accelerating spread of HIV threatens millions of people on all continents. Today, 40 million people are living with HIV worldwide, including 8.3 million in Asia. Each year, five million new people will become infected, and over three million will die from AIDS-related conditions. Today alone, an estimated 8,500 men, women and children will die. By the time you finish reading this column, eighteen more people will be infected.
HIV/AIDS is not just a compelling humanitarian issue. It tears social fabrics and robs young democracies of the citizens they need to build freer, better futures. It deprives nations of the human resources they need to develop, sapping global growth. Unchecked, HIV/AIDS can threaten whole countries and destabilize entire regions. No nation is protected by geography or by political, social or religious association. Global trade and tourism tie us together inextricably. We are all vulnerable, and there is no room for complacency.

Combating this disease is a national security priority for the United States in Asia and throughout the world. President Bush has committed the U.S. to provide $15 billion for an Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief. We are working multilaterally through the United Nations and the World Health Organization and as the single-largest donor to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria. We are also working bilaterally in over 123 countries, including countries in Asia, to save lives by preventing new infections and helping communities cope with the existing burden of disease. The U.S. plan focuses on preventing new infections, bringing lifesaving treatment to people with HIV, and caring for those infected and affected by the disease, including orphans and vulnerable children. In his 2006 budget, President Bush requested approximately US$ 2.6 billion dollars to fight HIV/AIDS.

Since 2002, the United States has been working with the Chinese Government to fight HIV. The U.S. will spend over US$ 10 million on HIV/AIDS detection, prevention, treatment and research programs in 17 mainland Chinese provinces. For example, this year the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) began working with local authorities in Yunnan and Guangxi, two of China's hardest hit provinces, to improve local epidemiological surveillance and modeling. The expertise developed in this joint project will be used to help model the disease and target anti-HIV programs throughout China. Other projects throughout China focus on greater education and support for vulnerable populations like sex industry workers and intravenous drug users.

The Hong Kong Government and non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) are also active in this fight. The Hong Kong Government's Department of Health and AIDS Trust Fund offer extensive support and education services to HIV-infected individuals and those at risk, while also tracking the disease and raising general awareness. Hong Kong's NGOs are also important allies in helping to stop the disease in Hong Kong and mainland China. For example, the Hong Kong AIDS Foundation and the Chi Heng Foundation are now active in Hong Kong and mainland China providing HIV-related education and support services. The U.S. applauds their efforts and will continue to work with governments and NGOs to fight HIV throughout the world.

Many Asian countries are actively engaged, as evidenced by their governments' own efforts and generous contributions to the Global Fund. Yet more can and must be done. We must all continue to work ever more closely together and enlist non-government actors and the private sector. We must use our limited resources effectively and with compassion. And we must not be complacent about the fight against AIDS on our own continents.

Finally, AIDS feeds on ignorance, fear, and prejudice. Knowledge is the enemy of AIDS. Experience has shown that when government and social leaders speak out and support programs to educate people about HIV/AIDS, the disease can be controlled. Together, through education and cooperation, we can prevent AIDS' devastating impact on our societies, our economies, and our lives.