Health GAP
www.healthgap.org

For Immediate Release: July 30, 2004
Contact: Robert Dabney +1 267-467-4683

KERRY SPEECH SHORT ON AIDS PLANS

Candidate misses opportunity to address biggest threat to world's health and security

(Philadelphia) Ð Robert Dabney, director of communications of Health GAP (Global Access Project), issued the following statement today. Health GAP is an organization dedicated to eliminating the barriers to affordable health care for people living with HIV/AIDS.

"Democratic candidate for President John Kerry missed an opportunity to outline his plans for fighting the greatest healthcare threat facing the world during his speech during the democratic convention. By relegating the fight against AIDS to a brief mention in one sentence during an hour-long speech, Kerry failed to the address the critical treatment needs of the 40 million people around the world living with HIV/AIDS.

"Just two weeks ago, more than 17,000 scientists, government officials, activists and people living with HIV/AIDS met at the International AIDS Conference in Bangkok, Thailand. There was an overwhelming dissatisfaction expressed by the world community during the conference over the Bush Administration's refusal to fulfill its pledge to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (The Global Fund).

"Senator Kerry has failed to take the opportunity in his public appearances, most recently during the democratic convention, to give voice to the plans a Kerry-Edwards administration has for either the domestic or global fight against HIV/AIDS. There is no greater threat to the health or the security of the world today than HIV/AIDS.

"Health GAP urges Senators Kerry and Edwards and President Bush and Vice President Cheney to give this issue the time and attention that it deserves during upcoming campaign season. It is only through the airing of the issues involved in the fight against HIV/AIDS and the positions held by each party's nominees that voters will have the opportunity to make an informed choice at the polls on November 2nd."

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