Funding to fight AIDS, TB must be restored

Monday, November 14, 2011

November 14 readers' letters

From Mercury News readers

Posted: 11/13/2011 08:00:00 PM PST

Funding to fight AIDS, TB must be restored

Early treatment can end AIDS. Recent research found that early treatment of HIV leads to a 96 percent reduction in transmission, reducing TB-related AIDS deaths by 80 percent. An additional 1 million people could be saved by 2015.

Despite this groundbreaking news, global AIDS spending fell in 2010 for the first time in a decade. And the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, one of the most effective tools we have to win the fight, is facing severe budget cuts.

The bottom line is that we can turn the tide against HIV/AIDS and TB. Congress and President Obama must ensure that we fulfill our funding promises and lead the world in ending AIDS and fight TB.

Bob Alders
Mountain View