T H E   W H I T E   H O U S E

World AIDS Day, 2000

Help Site Map Text Only

/WH/html/briefroom.html

THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary


For Immediate Release Thursday, November 30, 2000

World AIDS Day, 2000

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

A PROCLAMATION

As the global community observes the 13th annual World AIDS Day, we remember with sorrow our friends, loved ones, neighbors, and colleagues who have lost their lives to AIDS, and we reaffirm our shared com-mitment to carry on the fight until our battle against this devastating disease is won.

We can be proud of our efforts over the past 8 years. My Administration has worked aggressively to increase funding for AIDS research; to find better treatments, a vaccine, and a cure; to enhance HIV prevention efforts; and to help ensure that those living with HIV and AIDS receive the health care they need. Federal funding for such activities has doubled on the national front and tripled internationally, reaching nearly $11 billion last year alone, and I recently named a Presidential Envoy for AIDS Cooperation.

Building on this commitment, last month I signed into law the Ryan White CARE Act Amendments of 2000, improving the Federal Government's most comprehensive program for providing services to Americans living with HIV/AIDS. Our investment is producing results and, thanks to new treatments, many people with AIDS are living longer and experiencing a better quality of life than ever before.

But our battle is far from over. Last year, 3 million people died from HIV/AIDS -- the highest global total reported since the pandemic began. Current estimates indicate that more than 50 million people have been infected with HIV since the virus was first identified more than 15 years ago, and some 21.8 million people have died from HIV/AIDS. The number of children orphaned as a result of HIV/AIDS is estimated to be more than 13.2 million.

Because the spread of HIV has reached catastrophic proportions in many areas of our global community, AIDS has become a national and international security threat. The United States is working hard to develop partnerships with other nations and to mobilize a greatly expanded global response to address HIV/AIDS through our Leadership and Investment in Fighting an Epidemic Initiative. And this week, we will host a White House Summit of Religious Leaders to underscore the important role the world's faith communities play in preventing the spread of HIV and in caring for those affected by HIV. Many care and treatment programs around the world are operated by religious-based organizations, and often these groups provide the only available source of care. The summit will highlight successful efforts and raise awareness of our moral obligations in addressing HIV and AIDS.

Our goals are clear, and our resolve is firm. Working with our partners at home and abroad, we will triumph over the tragedy of HIV/AIDS and ensure a bright, healthy future for our children.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, WILLIAM J. CLINTON, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim December 1, 2000, as World AIDS Day. I invite the Governors of the States and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, officials of the other territories subject to the jurisdiction of the United States, and the American people to join me in reaffirming our commitment to defeating HIV and AIDS. I encourage every American to participate in appropriate com-memorative programs and ceremonies in workplaces, houses of worship, and other community centers, to reach out to protect and educate our people, and to provide hope and help to all who are living with HIV and AIDS.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this thirtieth day of November, in the year of our Lord two thousand, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and twenty-fifth.

WILLIAM J. CLINTON


President and First Lady | Vice President and Mrs. Gore
Record of Progress | The Briefing Room
Gateway to Government | Contacting the White House
White House for Kids | White House History
White House Tours | Help | Text Only

Privacy Statement

What's New at the White House

What's New - November 2000

What's New - October 2000

What's New - September 2000

What's New - July 2000

What's New - June 2000

What's New - May 2000

What's New - April 2000

What's New - March 2000

What's New - February 2000

What's New - January 2000

What's New Archives 1997-1999

What's New Archives: 1994-1996

Presidential Webcast: Meeting the Challenge of Global Warming

America Recycles Day, 2000

National Farm-City Week, 2000

National Family Week, 2000

Thanksgiving Day, 2000

President Clinton Hosts First White House Conference on Culture and Diplomacy

President Clinton Honors Olympic and Paralympic Athletes

President Clinton: Commemorating and Strengthening the Brady Law

Proclamation: World AIDS Day, 2000

President Clinton Joins International Religious and Domestic Aids Policy Leaders to Mark World Aids Day

Urging Congress to Keep its Commitment and Complete this Year's Education Budget

To Implement Title V of the Trade and Development Act of 2000 and to Modify the Generalized System of Preferences

Preserving America's Coral Reefs

Human Rights Day: The Eleanor Roosevelt Award and The Presidential Medal of Freedom

President Clinton Launches New Effort to Increase Immunization Rates Among Children

President Clinton and Vice President Gore: Restoring an American Natural Treasure

Progress in Efforts to Combat International Crime

President Clinton's New Markets Initiative: Revitalizing America's Underserved Communities

President Clinton, Vice President Gore, and Congressional Democrats Win a Landmark Budget

Announcing Welfare Reform Achievements and Budget Wins for America's Families

President Clinton Issues Strong New Consumer Protections to Ensure the Privacy of Medical Records

Enacting a Budget that Invests in Education, Health Care, and America'