A
big thanks to SAVE-ADAP and ATAC member, Robert Reed from
St. Louis for helping to stage
such a successful grassroots
AIDS advocacy effort in Crawford, Texas!
Please enjoy the
slide show
HIV/AIDS Facts
1) The CDC reported
that there now
are 1.185 million
Americans
living
with HIV/AIDS,
representing
an increase
of 235,000 newly
infected Americans
since 2002.
2) Today 55%
of HIV infections
are due to heterosexual
transmissions.
3) The CDC estimates
that there are
40,000 newly
HIV infected
Americans every
year, but funding
of
HIV/AIDS
programs in
the US have
been consistently
under funded
since FY 2001.
4) Nearly 70%
of all Americans
living with
HIV/AIDS in
the US rely
on public healthcare
or are uninsured.
Funding decisions
for the Ryan
White Care Act,
including ADAP,
are vital to
the health and
well-being of
hundreds of
thousands of
Americans living
with HIV/AIDS.
5) The ADAP
program saves
lives, promotes
health, and
allows Americans
living with
HIV/AIDS to
live productive
lives with dignity.
Both the cost
in lives lost
as well as increased
medical expenses
are much higher
than the $303
million that
can keep
Americans
living with
HIV/AIDS healthy
and productive.
SAVE
ADAP had scheduled a summit (The
Bush Compassion Deficit) in Crawford
back in July. Little did we know
the 'events' that would unfold in
a short period. Nonetheless, it
was an incredible evening as we
met Cindy Sheehan at
Camp Casey
in Crawford to introduce ourselves
and our own mission in being there.
Whether one sides with war or not,
I commend anyone who is willing
and courageous enough to be a voice
for what they feel so passionately
about. I was able to to relay my
admiration for her courage and commitment
despite the controversy. It just
goes to show you that one person
can indeed make a difference in
this world! Thank you Ms. Sheehan
for your time and graciousness!
A very warm
and heartfelt thank you to all involved with
the SAVE ADAP Summit!
Bush Administration
Abandons Americans affected by HIV/AIDS
For
the last five years,
President Bush and the
Congress of the United States have ignored one
of the largest public health crises in American
History. Every year the number of newly
infected Americans grows by 40,000 cases.
The Center for Disease Control now estimates
that there are now 1.185 million Americans living
with HIV/AIDS, 70% of which need public assistance
to be able to access their life saving drugs.
Yet, for the last five years, the AIDS Drug
Assistance Program (ADAP) has not received the
necessary increases in funding to keep pace
with the growth of the
AIDS pandemic.
Without access to these life saving drugs, Americans
living with HIV/AIDS have a future of declining
health, increased infections and hospitalization,
disability, and eventual death. In the
richest nation in the world, this is an unacceptable
future for our fellow Americans
living with
HIV/AIDS. Yet, with access to ADAP Americans
living with HIV/AIDS can have long, productive
lives.
We demand that
President Bush stop abandoning us and provide
the critical $303 million immediately to ADAP
to end the “waiting lists.” We are bringing
our demands to President Bush’s back yard.
SAVE ADAP will be hosting, on Thursday, August
25, 2005, the Crawford SAVE ADAP Summit, a town
hall meeting to discuss the current HIV/AIDS
crisis in Crawford, Texas.
WE WILL NO LONGER BE
SILENT
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Thanks for all of your hard
work and willingness to make this work under
very difficult circumstances, but given everything,
you and everyone else did a terrific job!!!
Whether or not we will eventually get a lot
of media out of this, we did get the Administration's
attention, which is not something we have accomplished
with anything else that we have tried? I have
been doing this now for 11 years and I have
never received 2 phone calls in 2 days responding
to our invitation to attend the event in
Crawford.
First, Sec. Leavitt's scheduler called and told
be the Secretary was very sorry that he could
not be there, but has received the information
and is concerned about the issue. The next day,
Claude Allen's assistant called with almost
the exact same message, word for word. I chatted
with Claude's assistant and mentioned that I
know Claude and served on the HHS Regulatory
Reform Committee that Claude appointed me to,
so we can also try to meet with him as well
now? There was obviously some group discussion
at either HHS or at The White House Domestic
Policy Advisor's Office (Claude Allen), that
is planning how to respond to our actions? This
definitely caught their attention or they would
not have bothered to call? Now, we just have
to keep this on their radar screen and keep
repeating over and over that we need $303 million
to end the "waiting lists"; although I've never
liked the term "waiting list" and "death list"
is much more accurate and dramatic and keep
on hitting the Administration on "The Bush Compassion
Deficit", which I think really gets under their
skin as they feel like they are doing such a
great job on HIV/AIDS. We have to keep making
the Administration as uncomfortable as possible
until they move to solve this ADAP crisis. I
really can't thank you enough for your extra
effort and you all looked terrific too!!! As
they say, I like the way you look everyday,
but you clean up real well and looked very handsome
all dressed up. Thanks for helping make our
first attempt at something like this with all
of the extra challenges a success. Take care,
All the best, Jeff
PS - Have a
safe trip home and get some rest and relaxation
this weekend. you certainly deserve it!!! All
the best, Jeff
