WASHINGTON - December 1 -

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia - U.S. Senator Russ Feingold (D-WI) released the following statement today about World AIDS Day. Feingold is traveling this week through Kenya and Ethiopia, two countries heavily impacted by HIV/AIDS.

"This year, on World AIDS Day, we are reminded of the rapidly rising rate of HIV/AIDS and its devastating impact on communities around the world. The global AIDS epidemic has claimed the lives of more than 25 million people, and 40 million people are currently living with HIV. Despite recent advances in HIV/AIDS treatment, more resources must be devoted to addressing the disproportionate impact of AIDS, particularly in the developing world. Africa has been particularly plagued by devastating HIV/AIDS infection rates. During my travels this week in Kenya and Ethiopia, I heard immense appreciation for the President’s successful PEPFAR program. It has become clear that we can only defeat the epidemic by aggressively pursuing a combination of efforts, including broader access to good and affordable health care, prevention education, and increasing the number of health care workers in impoverished nations. We must work together to address this global epidemic in order to prevent future cases of HIV/AIDS and improve the quality of life and lifespan for those people living with HIV/AIDS."

Senator Feingold is the incoming chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Sub-committee on Africa and is the co-chair of the CSIS HIV/AIDS Task Force with Senator Bill Frist (R-TN).

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