On the eve of World AIDS Day, rally at local Democrats' office for full funding to fight AIDS at home and abroad. Join ACT UP Philadelphia in asking Casey, Fattah, and others in the new Democratic majority to step up and stand up to Bush for people with HIV.We demand: 

• $2.6 billion for the Ryan White CARE Act, the life-line for people living with AIDS in the US. The CARE Act has been largely flat-funded since President Bush came into office, even as the number of HIV infections has continued to climb.
• $8 billion to train, retain and sustain enough healthcare workers in Africa to achieve universal access. Without a significant new investments in the health workforce in Africa,current investments such as the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief will not succeed. 

At this year’s G8 Summit and again a the UN in June, the United States committed to support universal access to care, prevention and treatment for all in need by 2010. So far, the U.S. has not launched or proposed any new programs to meet this goal. “The new Democratic majority has an opportunity to do what Republicans have not: keep their word and honor the U.S. commitment to achieve universal access to AIDS treatment by 2010,” said ACT UP spokesperson Jose DeMarco. <--break-->Globally, only 19% of people living with AIDS who need medication have access. In the U.S., only one-half of the one million people living with AIDS have consistent, reliable access to care and treatment. The HIV epidemic has hit low-income communities of color especially hard.In the run-up to World AIDS Day on December 1st, AIDS activists around the country are asking President Bush and local congressional leaders take specific steps to keep the U.S. promise to achieve universal access to treatment. ACT UP Philadelphia asks support from Senator-elect Casey, Representatives Fattah, Brady, and Schwartz and Representatives-elect Sestak and Murphy.   For more information, contact Paul Davis: 215.833.4102 * pdavis@healthgap.org

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