National Minority AIDS Council Building Healthier Communities

On August 3, 2008, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released findings that revealed over 55,500 new HIV cases occurred each year from 2003-2006, with 56,300 cases in 2006 alone. These numbers are approximately 40% higher than the CDC’s previous estimate of 40,000 new HIV cases annually, an estimate that had remained the same for over ten years.

Several elected officials have released statements in response:

Obama Responds to CDC Numbers on HIV/AIDS
"We have now learned that 56,300 new HIV infections occurred in the United States in 2006, not 40,000 that had been previously cited. These new figures should bring new focus to our efforts to address AIDS and HIV here at home.

"As president, I am committed to developing a National AIDS Strategy to decrease new HIV infections and improve health outcomes for Americans living with HIV/AIDS. Across the nation, we also need to prevent the spread of HIV and get people into treatment by expanding access to testing and comprehensive education programs. This report also demonstrates the need for more timely data about HIV transmission so that we can effectively evaluate prevention efforts.

"Combating HIV/AIDS also demands closing the gaps in opportunity that exist in our society so that we can strengthen our public health. We must also overcome the stigma that surrounds HIV/AIDS a stigma that is too often tied to homophobia. We need to encourage folks to get tested and accelerate HIV/AIDS research toward an effective cure because we have a moral obligation to join together to meet this challenge, and to do so with the urgency this epidemic demands."

Statement by John McCain on the CDC Report on HIV in America
"The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) yesterday announced that in 2006 there were 56,300 new HIV infections in United States -- significantly higher than the previous estimate of 40,000 cases. More than a million Americans live with this devastating disease. As President, I will work closely with non-profit, government, and private sector stakeholders to continue the fight against HIV/AIDS. By focusing efforts on reducing drug costs through greater market competition, promoting prevention efforts, encouraging testing, targeting communities with high infection rates, strengthening research and reducing disparities through effective public outreach, we as a nation can make great progress in fighting HIV/AIDS."

Statement by Congresswoman Donna Christensen (D-Virgin Islands)

"I applaud the CDC for taking this bold step in providing this information.  Though the 40% increase over the previous estimates of HIV incidence is startling, it shows – and prepares us to better address the fact – that we are not winning the war against HIV/AIDS,” noted Congresswoman Donna Christensen. “Coming on the heels of the Black AIDS Institute's report and work on the HIV Elimination Act by the National Black Leadership Commission on AIDS and the Clergy Conclave, the new CDC report revealing higher numbers of persons with HIV infection should give impetus to their call to greater action on the part of the federal government, private foundations, the global AIDS agencies and the Black community." Click here to view her entire statement in the press release.

Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-California) Reiterates her Call for a National Strategy to Respond to the HIV/AIDS Epidemic

 “The CDC’s new estimates of HIV infections in the United States prove that the HIV/AIDS epidemic is even worse than we thought. We need a comprehensive national strategy to stop the spread of this disease in communities throughout the United States.

 “HIV/AIDS has continued to ravage communities throughout our country. Meanwhile, HIV/AIDS treatment and prevention programs remain woefully underfunded. Funding for the Minority AIDS Initiative has remained virtually stagnant since fiscal year 2003. It is long past time for the United States to take this disease seriously and to provide sufficient funding to fight this killer.

“In spite of all of the hard work by Members of Congress and HIV/AIDS activists, it is clear that there hasn’t been a decrease in the rate of new infections. We need to double our efforts, and we need to work together. We need to develop and implement a comprehensive national strategy to stop the spread of this disease.”

Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) responds to New HIV Incidence Data

“This news is disheartening and demands renewed attention to HIV/AIDS in America. The data give us a better understanding of where we must focus efforts to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS. Armed with this information, I will continue my efforts at the federal level to support effective prevention programs, increase medical research to prevent and treat the disease, and support those living with HIV/AIDS.”