For Immediate Release
June 26, 2004
National HIV Testing Day, 2004
By the President of the United States of America
Aa Proclamation
Every day, 8,000 lives are lost in the global AIDS pandemic. In our
country, nearly 1 million people are infected with HIV, and
approximately 40,000 more contract it each year. National HIV Testing
Day is an opportunity for Americans to increase their awareness of this
terrible disease and to get tested for HIV/AIDS. By working together
to end this pandemic, our Nation's citizens contribute to a brighter
future for themselves and for people around the world.
New drugs and new treatments are bringing hope and enhancing the
quality of life for those who are affected by HIV/AIDS. However, these
advances can only help individuals if they know their HIV status. The
National HIV Testing Day theme, "It's better to know," highlights the
importance of education in helping people make healthy decisions about
preventing and treating HIV/AIDS. Approximately one-quarter of people
who are HIV positive do not know that they are carriers. Without
knowing their status, they cannot get the treatment they need and may
unknowingly spread new infections. Today, testing is easier than
ever. It is imperative that those at risk for HIV/AIDS get tested.
To reach out to HIV/AIDS sufferers in need, I recently announced
$20 million in immediate new funding to deliver lifesaving drugs to
Americans who are awaiting them. I have proposed in my 2005 budget to
spend more than $17 billion here at home to expand prevention efforts
such as regular testing and abstinence education, care and treatment,
and research efforts to combat HIV/AIDS. In addition, this budget
proposal doubles funding for abstinence-only programs, because
abstinence is the only sure way to avoid sexually transmitted
diseases. My Administration is working through the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention's Advancing HIV Prevention initiative to
encourage routine testing as a normal part of health care. At-risk
individuals who make the decision to get tested are taking a step
toward saving their own lives and the lives of others.
My Administration is also fully engaged in the global fight against
HIV/AIDS. I have proposed a record $15 billion over 5 years to combat
the spread of HIV/AIDS around the world, with a focus on some of the
hardest-hit countries of Africa, the Caribbean, and Asia. This money
will be used to prevent 7 million new infections, treat 2 million
HIV-infected people with life-extending drugs, and care for 10 million
individuals impacted by this disease, including orphans.
And, working with international partners, we will support
intensified research to create a vaccine and find a cure. While AIDS
remains a source of great suffering for many individuals, worldwide
efforts are bringing us closer to the day when AIDS will be defeated.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE W. BUSH, President of the United States
of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution
and laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim June 27, 2004, as
National HIV Testing Day. I encourage the American people to support
the battle against HIV/AIDS. I also urge those at risk to get tested
for the disease and to learn more about how to end this health threat
in America and around the world.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-sixth
day of June, in the year of our Lord two thousand four, and of the
Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and
twenty-eighth.
GEORGE W. BUSH
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