AIDS Crisis Response Disgraces Our Nation
Re “U.S. Rejects U.N. Plea to Raise Its Contribution to AIDS Fund,” July 15: Our response to the AIDS crisis is disgraceful. Congressional leaders and the president are not budgeting money to address the known scale of the problem.
President Bush proposed $15 billion in response, but he isn’t backing up the commitment. The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria stands ready to get money out to expand existing, carefully screened programs in 128 countries around the world.
The U.S. is wasting time, instead, on starting up new projects in a few countries that meet certain conditions. Our government is also posturing around the issue of condoms and abstinence, ignoring the immorality of neglecting to respond to the 38 million people who are already infected with HIV.
The Senate must act to appropriate money for the Global Fund before a world of AIDS orphans, and the costs, overwhelm our resources to respond.
Lynne Patalano
Beaumont
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