Desmond Tutu Urges U.S. Senate to Reauthorize PEPFAR
South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu has urged the U.S. Senate to reauthorize the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) bill, which will more than triple the amount of money spent on fighting AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis in developing countries, Reuters reports (reuters.com, 6/18).
The $50 billion bill was passed by the U.S House of Representatives in April; it is awaiting approval by the Senate but is facing opposition by Senator Tom Coburn and other Republicans, according to the article.
“You have already saved millions of lives. And the new legislation has the potential for sustaining a response, to build on all of the gains that have already been achieved,” said Tutu. “I plead to the leaders, the members of Congress—please, please for the sake of the world, for the sake of the future, expedite the passing of the relevant legislation.”
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Beth Benne, RN, is HIV negative, but
the virus has impacted her life. She currently supervises a biannual HIV/AIDS awareness week as
the director of the student health center at Pierce College, a
community commuter school in Woodland Hills, California.
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Overheard in the Women's Forum
"I recently met a guy who is negative. I did tell him about my status and he decided to kiss me anyway (we didn't go further than that). But a day later, he called and said that he actually had a mouth ulcer that time when we kissed and he was very worried. Asked if he can get the virus from me that way. For that moment, I felt so insulted and yet I felt so bad. It was my first time having a contact with a "negative" guy."
