On September 15, 2011, Democratic Representative Barbara Lee of California announced the formation of the new Congressional HIV/AIDS caucus. Founding co-chairs include Republican Representative Trent Franks of Arizona and Democratic Representative Jim McDermott of California. According to the blog at AIDS dot gov, the caucus currently consists of 59 members from both major political parties, many of whom were early advocates of the National AIDS Strategy.
What Will the HIV/AIDS Caucus Do?
Congressional caucuses are formed by members of the legislative body to discuss a common issue and develop policy ideas that can then be taken to the representative body as a whole. Their meetings allow a forum for debate and brainstorming among those who are willing to dedicate the time to that particular cause or issue. The work of the HIV/AIDS caucus will start with the International AIDS Conference in 2012, which is set to be held in Washington, D.C.
The National AIDS Strategy
The National AIDS Strategy was issued by the White House Office of National AIDS Policy in July 2010. It is a guideline for targets and goals to be met in the fight against HIV by 2015 (read a full version in English, or synopsis; Spanish versions are available from AIDS dot gov). The vision of the plan was stated as follows: “The United States will become a place where new HIV infections are rare and when they do occur, every person, regardless of age, gender, race/ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity or socio-economic circumstance, will have unfettered access to high quality, life-extending care, free from stigma and discrimination.”
In the background to the National AIDS Strategy, the U.S. government estimated that more than a half million Americans have died due to HIV infection since its first appearance in the 1980s, and each year more than 50,000 Americans become infected with HIV, with more than 1 million Americans currently living with the infection and looming certainty of AIDS in their future. Despite this grim reality, only 6 percent of the general public surveyed in early 2009 indicated that HIV/AIDS is “an urgent health problem” facing the United States.
What the Caucus Can Accomplish with the Strategy
The National AIDS Strategy aims to reduce health disparity, increase access to health care, reduce new HIV infections, and improve treatment outcomes for HIV patients. All of these goals will require programs and funding, which Congress controls. For example, healthcare reforms have to include HIV-related issues such as prescription drug costs, economic considerations have to take into account education of the general public to halt transmission and disparity in distribution of resources among minorities and urban areas, and research funding to the sciences can increase understanding of how to fight the disease.
The Congressional HIV/AIDS Caucus can be a helpful first step to ensuring implementation of the National AIDS Strategy, but it can also work on extending policy and goals beyond 2015. Representing their constituents who are infected with HIV, the caucus will likely discuss a broad spectrum of national matters, including education, health care, and funding.
Alicia Mae Prater - Alicia received her doctorate in Experimental Pathology in 2007. She has been a freelance writer and scientific editor since 2008.
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