Posted Dec 1st 2009

Today we observe the 21st World AIDS Day.  It is a time for us to reflect, remember, and honor those who have lost their lives to this decades-long epidemic.  It is also a time for us to thank those around the world who have dedicated their lives to finding a cure and to celebrate the medical advances that have given hope to the more than 33.4 million men, women, and children who live daily with HIV/AIDS.

But we must also demand that our political leaders, community activists, religious leaders, family members, and neighbors come together and rededicate themselves to ensuring that all D.C. residents, both children in public and charter schools and adults, receive the critical, age-appropriate education necessary to protect themselves and prevent further HIV transmission and infection.

In the District of Columbia, HIV/AIDS is at truly epidemic proportions.  It is estimated that three percent of District of Columbia residents live with HIV/AIDS–nearly 18,000 of our friends, family members, and neighbors.
 
Yet nearly 30 years after the discovery of AIDS, our forward pace is still too slow.  Our government must implement better methods to effectively fight this epidemic, including education that emphasizes the necessity of regular testing and the availability of life-saving treatment.
 
We can do better–and we must do better–to care for those who have this terrible disease, to prevent others from contracting it, and to search for a cure.  As we observe World AIDS day, we must recognize this solemn responsibility we all have to our fellow citizens.

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