India to receive US emergency funding to fight HIV/AIDS:

[Guest guest]

a) India to receive emergency funding to fight HIV/AIDS

http://news.newkerala.com/india-news/?action=fullnews & id=87632

Press release from USINPAC

http://www.usinpac.com/NewsContent.asp?CONTENT_ID=195 & SEC_ID=14

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India to receive emergency funding to fight HIV/AIDS:

[World News]: Washington, Mar 18 : The US Congress has passed separate

bills designating India as the 16th country to receive President

W Bush's Emergency Plan for HIV/AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) funds.

" President Bush's three main goals for PEPFAR are to prevent seven

million new cases of HIV by 2008, to treat two million infected

people, and to care for ten million individuals affected by HIV/AIDS, "

said Representative Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, Co-Chair of the House Caucus

on India and Indian Americans.

" By designating India as the 16th country under PEPFAR, the President

will meet and surpass these three goals. As co-chair of the India

Caucus, I support adding India as the 16th country under PEPFAR, "

Ros-Lehtinen said.

Congressman Eni Faleomavaega said: " India already has the second most

cases of HIV/AIDS in the world and will have the most cases in the

world within six years. Action must be taken now to combat this disease.

He also commended US India Political Action Committee (USINPAC) for

working closely with members of Congress and other stakeholders " to

make sure that this issue receives the national and international

attention it deserves. " Manish Antani, Legislative Director of

USINPAC, said: " I am very excited that USINPAC's hard work for two

years has brought to fruition House and Senate bills designating India

to be the 16th country under the PEPFAR funds. USINPAC will continue

to work closely with Members of Congress to create greater awareness

of the urgency of the HIV/AIDS crisis in India. " PTI

http://news.newkerala.com/india-news/?action=fullnews & id=87632

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Press release from USINPAC

India Designated 16th Country in the President Bush's Emergency Plan for

HIV/AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) Funds USINPAC - Washington, D.C., March 18, 2005. On

March 17, 2005, separate House (H.R.1408) and Senate (S674) bills designated

India as the 16th country to receive President Bush's Emergency Plan for

HIV/AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) funds.

The House bill was sponsored by Representatives Lee (D-TX), Leach (R-IA),

Ackerman (D-NY), Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), Faleomavaega (D-AS), Pallone (D-NJ),

Lantos (D-CA) and Crowley (D-NY). Senator Corzine (D-NJ) also introduced a

Senate companion bill on March 17.

More than 4.5 million Indians are believed to have the HIV virus, and the

epidemic is spreading rapidly from urban to rural areas and from high-risk

groups to the general population.

Talking to USINPAC about this much anticipated bill, Representative Ileana

Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), Co-Chair of the House Caucus on India and Indian-Americans,

and possible future chair of the powerful House International Relations

Committee said, “President Bush's three main goals for PEPFAR are to prevent 7

million new cases of HIV by 2008, to treat 2 million infected people, and to

care for 10 million individuals affected by HIV/AIDS. By designating India as

the 16th country under PEPFAR, the President will meet and surpass these three

goals. " She continued, " As co-chair of the India Caucus, I support adding India

as the 16th country under PEPFAR. "

Congressman Eni Faleomavaega (D-AS), who met with the USINPAC 2005 India

Delegation in New Delhi, said, “India already has the second most cases of

HIV/AIDS in the world and will have the most cases in the world within 6 years.

Action must be taken now to combat this disease and I commend USINPAC for

working closely with Members of Congress and other vested stakeholders to make

sure that this issue receives the national and international attention it

deserves. "

Manish Antani, Legislative Director of USINPAC said, “I am very excited that

USINPAC's hard work for two years has brought to fruition House and Senate bills

designating India to be the 16th Country under the PEPFAR funds. USINPAC will

continue to work closely with Members of Congress to create greater awareness of

the urgency of the HIV/AIDS crisis in India. "

In South Asia and beyond, India is a shining example of democracy, pluralism,

and the global economic interconnectedness that is a vital source of

international stability. Increased investment in all aspects of the US-India

relationship will pay enormous dividends for decades to come.

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