globe honoring World AIDS Day by lending our support to the
millions of families impacted by HIV/AIDS. On November 8,
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton introduced a new federal
plan for HIV prevention, calling for the creation of an
“AIDS-free
generation.” But at the end of 2010, there were 34 million
HIV-positive people across the world. In her speech, Secretary
Clinton noted:
We’ve made a lot of progress together in the last
30 years. It hasn’t been easy. It hasn’t been without
controversy. But it has been steady, and we have stayed the course
as a nation. In these difficult budget times, we have to remember
that investing in our future is the smartest investment we can
make. And generations of American policymakers and taxpayers have
supported the NIH, medical research, scientific work, not because
we thought everything was going to produce an immediate result but
because we believe that through these investments, human progress
would steadily, steadily continue.Let’s not stop now. Let’s keep focused on the future. And
one of those futures that I hope we can be part of achieving is an
AIDS-free generation.
On this World AIDS Day, we urge our families to start their own
AIDS-free generation. Start by getting yourself tested. Knowing
your status is the simplest step towards HIV prevention and
treatment. Then talk to your children about HIV and how to
prevent it. Knowledge is power and education is the key.