CONGRESS PASSES KERRY GLOBAL AIDS INITIATIVES

Two-year $1.1 billion dollar Global AIDS and Tuberculosis Relief Act will become law

July 27, 2000

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- In an effort to combat the spread and devastation of AIDS in Africa, the House of Representatives, today followed the Senate in passing the Global AIDS and Tuberculosis Relief Act -- a comprehensive package of funding for AIDS prevention programs and investments in purchase funds for vaccines. The legislation now awaits President Clinton's signature to become law, and represents the largest single monetary commitment ever made by the US Congress to deal with the AIDS epidemic in Africa..

"Congress has taken a comprehensive approach to attacking the global calamity of AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis, and other infectious diseases," said Senator Kerry. "This legislation will harness the resources of nations around the globe to unleash the capacity for research and development of the private sector to eradicate these deadly diseases -- and it will invest unprecedented amounts of capital in effective prevention programs."

"This step forward comes at a critical juncture in the world's fight against AIDS. With more than 5,000 Africans dying each day from the disease, with economic growth rates falling as infection rates soar, we are facing the world's worst health crisis since the bubonic plague," Kerry continued. "Both houses of Congress have now come together, discarding partisanship and ideology, to provide global leadership in the fight against this pandemic. Nonetheless, from education and prevention, to research and development of affordable and effective vaccines, much more must be done to bring real relief to Africa and developing countries."

The Global AIDS and Tuberculosis Relief Act authorizes $600 million over the next two years in new funding for AIDS prevention programs in Africa. The legislation also authorizes $100 million over the next two years to the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunizations, $20 million to the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative and calls on the President to coordinate a multi-donor strategy to deal with the support of orphans in sub-Saharan Africa. The legislation establishes an AIDS trust fund at the World Bank to provide $300 million in grants to African countries to assist in the prevention and eradication of AIDS and the care and treatment of individuals infected with HIV. It authorizes $120 million over the next two years for tuberculosis prevention.

This legislation builds upon the Vaccines for the New Millenium Act introduced earlier this year by Sens. Kerry and Frist (R-TN), in coordination with Sens. Helms (R-NC), Boxer (D-CA), Durbin (D-IL) and Biden (D-DE.) AIDS advocates, faith-based organizations, the pharmaceutical industry and public health advocates.

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