AIDS Activists to Mourn Millions Dead:  Obama Implored to “Reset” AIDS Policy & Be The President He Promised 
Funeral At The White House Gates on World AIDS Day

 
WHEN: Wednesday Dec 1st, 1pm
 
WHERE: Lafayette Park & White House Sidewalk, Washington, DC
 
AIDS Activists will hold a funeral on Wednesday in front of the White House to remember the 1.8 million people who have died globally in the past year without access to AIDS treatment. 2010 was the year promised by world leaders to reach “as close as possible to universal access” to treatment, care and prevention.  But sadly, according to UNAIDS roughly 10 million people—the vast majority in Africa—are in immediate need of AIDS drugs yet have no access. At home 4,000 people are on waiting lists for the AIDS Drug Assistance Program.

“President Obama, you can be the president to start the end of the AIDS crisis if you just do what you promised when you ran for office,” implored Jose DeMarco of ACT UP Philadelphia.

President Barak Obama is being asked to “reset” his policies—going back to 2008 when he promised the U.S., under his leadership, would help achieve these AIDS goals by increasing bilateral programs by $1 billion a year and paying the U.S. fair share of the global fund. Instead, U.S. funding has flat-lined and according to data released today from the Office of the Global AIDS Coordinator funding for AIDS treatment has actually decreased in 2010.  The President also promised to change U.S. trade policy to advance access to generic medicines, but has instead continued Bush-era policies pressuring countries to give big-pharma new rights to undermine low-cost medicines.  At home the President promised a strategy to “increase access to care and reduce HIV-related health disparities” yet waiting lists are currently growing.
 
Contact: Antonio Davis & Jose DeMarco, ACT UP Philadelphia, 267.549.6495
Matthew Kavanagh, Health GAP, 202.486.2488

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