Ending The HIV/AIDS Epidemic

"The loss from HIV/AIDS is almost beyond understanding. This is a fight for people's lives. We have a moral imperative to do much more, and do it much better." -- John Edwards

HIV is a preventable disease. But an estimated 40,000 new HIV cases were reported in the U.S. last year, and 4.3 million were reported around the world. HIV/AIDS is a treatable disease. Yet 17,000 Americans and 3 million people globally died from it in 2005. [CDC, 2007; WHO, 2006]
John Edwards was the first presidential candidate – Democratic or Republican – to take on the big insurance and drug companies and propose a plan for quality, affordable health care for every man, woman and child in America that offers everyone the option of a public plan. Today, John Edwards builds on his plan for true universal health care with specific proposals to lead the fight against HIV/AIDS at home and around the world. He will include a comprehensive new national strategy to fight HIV/AIDS, including:

Guaranteeing health insurance for every American – including HIV/AIDS patients -- the care they need when they need it and expanding Medicaid to cover HIV-positive individuals before they reach later stages of disabilities and AIDS.

Fighting the disease in the African American and Latino communities, where the harm is now greatest.

Calling for universal access to HIV/AIDS medicine across the world, investing $50 billion over five years to meet that goal.

Changing the policies that protect big drug companies, at the expense of people dying of HIV/AIDS in developing countries......