On the campaign trail in 2008, President Obama pledged to provide $50 billion over five years to global AIDS programs. His campaign released a fact sheet that clearly states this commitment:
He has pledged to provide at least $50 billion by 2013 for the global fight against HIV/AIDS, including our fair share of the Global Fund, in order to at least double the number of HIV-positive people on treatment and continue to provide treatments to one-third of all those who desperately need them.
Two years into his presidency, 64% of people with HIV still lack access to live-saving medication. And instead of pushing forward and investing in treatment for the ten million who still need treatment, President Obama and the US government are actually going back on commitments to fund AIDS treatment. People who were promised AIDS treatment are being turned away, told to go home and wait until… well, it’s unclear how long people will have to wait. It seems that the US government thinks saving peoples’ lives is not worth it if it costs more than $50 a year.
We cannot sit back and watch this happen. We need to stand up together and push the Obama Administration to keep its promise to increase funding for global AIDS programs. Just educating our neighbors about this injustice won’t work – what we need is people who care, across the US, standing up together and reminding the President that he must keep his promise to fund global AIDS programs, and save millions of lives around the world.
Want to help? Here’s some ideas of what you can do. Click here to contact Akudo from Health GAP if you want help or have ideas. Or you can check out the Take Action section of the site, to read more about what you can do.
Join an existing community group, or start one of your own. Here’s a map of where people are already getting together to push back against broken promises:
Bring your friends to one of our events, or invite us to come out and speak to a group in your area. Email Kaytee to set up an event.
Hold a demonstration outside your local Democratic Party HQ or Senator or Representative’s office. Invite the media to come cover it. Definitely contact Kaytee if you want to do this.
