AIDS Relief
Remarks by Ambassador Beyrle
Remarks by Ambassador John Beyrle at the International Practical Scientific Conference: HIV/AIDS in Developed Countries
As Prepared for Delivery
Moscow, December 4, 2008
For more than 25 years, the world community has witnessed the devastating impact of HIV/AIDS. Until recently, many wondered whether effective prevention and care would ever successfully be provided.
In 2003, President George W. Bush launched the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) to combat global HIV/AIDS – the largest commitment by any nation to combat a single disease. Through PEPFAR, the U.S. Government has already provided $18.8 billion in HIV/AIDS funding. Today, PEPFAR supports lifesaving treatment for over 1.7 million people worldwide and prevention of mother-to-child HIV transmission during pregnancy – resulting in close to 200,000 at risk children being born HIV free to date.
The United States is pleased to partner with Russia on this critical global issue. Like the U.S., Russia has dramatically increased funding for HIV/AIDS – from just $5 million in 2004 to over $400 million in 2008, including contributions to international efforts. The U.S. Government is proud to support innovative programs in St. Petersburg and Orenburg that are being carried out by local organizations, private businesses and the Russian Orthodox Church, in close collaboration with the oblast and municipal authorities. Before 2004, less than 500 people living with HIV in Russia were receiving life-saving antiretroviral treatment. Today, well over 30,000 Russians receive this treatment. These impressive results are evidence of Russia’s commitment to the global fight against HIV/AIDS.
At the beginning of this week, we commemorated World AIDS Day 2008. Where we once spent World AIDS Day holding memorial services for those lost to HIV/AIDS, the introduction of life-saving treatment now enables us to mark the day with a celebration of life. In the U.S., Russia, and so many other countries around the world, people who were once dying are now living. By working in partnership, we can prevent new cases, ease the suffering of those already afflicted, and, together, we can save lives.
Thank you.