Clinton Reiterates Commitment to Invest $50 Billion to Fight Global HIV/AIDS

Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.), who is running for the Democratic presidential nomination, on Monday during a speech at George Washington University in Washington, D.C., reiterated her commitment to address the global HIV/AIDS epidemic, the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports (Kleinerman, Cleveland Plain Dealer, 2/26).

Clinton in her speech Monday said she "was proud" to sign a pledge to invest $50 billion by 2013 to combat HIV/AIDS, adding that the U.S. "will lead the world in combating AIDS." She also said she has seen how diseases such as HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria "undermine progress across" Africa. "I'm very hopeful that we will make progress in Africa dealing with the multiplicity of challenges that the continent faces," including HIV/AIDS, Clinton said, adding that the U.S. needs a "consistent coherent strategy in dealing with Africa and that is something that I will promote" (Speech transcript, 2/25).

In a plan released in November 2007, Clinton also proposed doubling funding for HIV/AIDS research at NIH to $5.2 billion annually, as well as doubling the number of people worldwide who receive HIV/AIDS treatment through U.S. funding. In addition, Clinton said that if elected president, she would try to eradicate malaria deaths in Africa within eight years. She also said that she would commit $1 billion annually for global malaria control efforts (Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, 11/30/07).

A Kaiser Family Foundation issue spotlight, available at health08.org, summarizes each presidential candidate's position on HIV/AIDS and global health, along with a selection of quotes and links to additional resources.

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