For Immediate Release
Media Contact:
Cub Barrett, Program Communications Manager
cell: (847) 571-0509
NEW YORK, July 23, 2012—amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS
Research on Monday hailed a commitment announced by Secretary of State Hillary
Clinton to create a blueprint for an AIDS-free generation, as well as the
Secretary’s announcement of new funding to target key populations.
In an address at the XIX International AIDS Conference in Washington, D.C.,
Secretary Clinton announced that she will release by World AIDS Day 2012 a
blueprint to create an AIDS-free generation. She also detailed the progress of
scaled-up interventions already in place and pledged more than $35 million to
focus on key populations—including sex workers, injecting drug users (IDUs),
and men who have sex with men (MSM)—by creating a country challenge fund,
supporting implementation to identify workable interventions, and bolstering
civil society groups’ efforts to reach those populations.
“Secretary Clinton’s commitment recognizes that we can’t achieve an AIDS-free
generation unless we do much better at meeting the HIV needs of those groups at
the center of the epidemic, including gay men and other MSM, injecting drug
users, and sex workers,” said amfAR CEO Kevin Robert Frost. “The new
initiative targeting key populations is a down payment that will improve the
U.S. global AIDS response in this critical area.”
“When you want to accomplish a complex goal—like starting to end the AIDS
epidemic—you need a clear plan of action,” said Chris Collins, amfAR’s vice
president and director of public policy. “Creating a blueprint is an important
step forward because it directs our planning, policy, and funding toward
achieving clear goals, and it will help everyone engaged in the process monitor
our progress towards an AIDS-free generation."
Later Monday at the conference,
amfAR and AVAC will unveil an action agenda that will detail what key
stakeholders must do to support the Administration’s goal of creating an
AIDS-free generation. Click here to view details of the action plan and information about the
session.
“We look forward to working with the Administration to develop a blueprint that
includes clear targets, regular reporting on progress, and specific strategies
to scale core effective interventions,” Collins said.
About
amfAR
amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research,
is one of the world’s leading nonprofit organizations dedicated to the support
of AIDS research, HIV prevention, treatment education, and the advocacy of
sound AIDS-related public policy. Since 1985, amfAR has invested more than $366
million in its programs and has awarded grants to more than 2,000 research
teams worldwide.