Federal Government’s Response to Controlling AIDS Epidemic

Bravo to Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Los Angeles) for authoring legislation which would authorize approximately $4 billion over five years for AIDS treatments and assistance programs. It’s about time that the federal government reacts to this epidemic with dollars for early intervention treatment of those infected with HIV, for assistance to those cities hit hardest by the disease, and for AIDS emergency relief grants.

Until this year, Congress has been derelict in its duties to respond to the AIDS crisis with adequate funding levels which Waxman is proposing. In fact, if Waxman’s bill passes, it will show us that the government has finally crafted a response actually recognizing that HIV is an infectious virus which will continue to infect people in epidemic proportions unless something significant is done.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, over 80,000 Americans have died of AIDS. Furthermore, the World Health Organization recently reported that one in every 75 men in North America is HIV-infected and that most of these people will ultimately fall ill “unless therapeutic drugs are developed soon.”

It has taken a considerble amount of courage for Waxman to exert this badly-needed leadership in terms of authoring H.R. 4785, especially in light of the current backlash that is sweeping through the upper levels of government where funding for AIDS is concerned.

The Waxman bill has been approved in the House by a resounding 408-14 margin. Finally, someone has provided the leadership to force an appropriate level of response to this dreaded illness.

PAUL KORETZ, Mayor Pro Tempore

West Hollywood