Tennessee Citizens Against AIDS Demand Full Funding of Global AIDS Fund

By Anna Thompson
Dec. 7, 2005 

Activists Gather in Front of Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist's Nashville Office to Demand $700 million to fight AIDS.

(Nashville) Members of Tennessee Citizens Against AIDS gathered in front of the office of Senate Majority leader Bill Frist in Nashville on the eve of World AIDS day last week to send a message to the Senator to fund Global AIDS. 

While one activist played a funeral dirge on violin another activist read a statement to Senator Frist's aid on his White Bridge Road office, "We are here because we want to make sure that there are no Medicaid cuts. We are also here on the eve of World AIDS day because we are mourning the 8000 people every day who are dying because of this epidemic. We are asking that Senator Frist make certain to fund the $700 million dollars the Global AIDS fund is seeking this year. We demand that Senator Frist fully fund the Global AIDS fund. 

The year is almost over and this money is needed now to save people's lives. We want to know what Senator Frist will do." Frist' staff person did not have an immediate comment for the activists. 

Activist Maxzine Weinstein said he was there to deliver a message to Senator Frist to fund the Global AIDS fund, "We are here to deliver a message to Senator Frist that we want full funding for the Global AIDS fund. We are here on the eve of World AIDS Day to ask that the Senator use his power to make certain that the Global AIDS fund gets the $700 million dollars from the US Government that it is requesting. We are also asking that Senator Frist make certain to stop any MEDICAID cuts that might be happening."

Weinstein said funding is important because people are dying every day, "It is important for this to happen because every single day 8000 people die from AIDS. Every single day there are 14,500 new HIV infections daily and the Global Aids Fund is the most effective means for getting aid and prevention programs funded in over one hundred countries around the world."

When asked if he thought people were aware of the AIDS crisis, Weinstein said, "I think that people are aware that AIDS is a huge health crisis around the world. I think sometimes people get burned out when they hear about problems over and over again but there are tens of thousands of Americans whose friends and loved ones are affected by AIDS and millions of people around the world. Sometimes people get burned out by all sorts of different issues but AIDS is a real disease and it is killing over 8000 people every single day."

According to a press release issued by Tennessee Citizens Against AIDS Senator Frist has the legislative power to fund the initiative, "Tennessee Citizens Against AIDS demand that Senator Frist use his legislative power to meet the request from the Global AIDS Fund for $700 million before the end of the year. Global AIDS Fund is in dire need of funds to continue providing science-based prevention and cost-effective generic AIDS medication in 127 countries. The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis & Malaria was created in 2002 to raise and disburse additional resources to combat these deadly diseases. While this vehicle has made important progress, and while it could provide the key to defeating HIV/AIDS in Africa and globally, it remains under-funded by the U.S. and other wealthy countries."

The group also contends that Medicaid cuts affect people with AIDS, "We petition Senator Frist to stop proposed cuts to Medicaid. Medicaid is a major lifeline for people with HIV/AIDS in the US; it provides care and treatment to the majority of people living with AIDS and 90% of children with AIDS. Without Medicaid, many people would have to choose among buying food, paying rent and seeking medical care or filling prescriptions."

Weinstein also said that there is a link between the TennCare cuts and the fight to save people with AIDS, "Tennessee Citizens Against AIDS is appalled that people with HIV/AIDS have lost their TennCare this past year and we want no more unnecessary deaths. We hope that Senator Frist gets the message that Tennesseans care and that we want to spend the time and resources to stop this AIDS epidemic."

For more information, contact Tennessee Citizens Against AIDS: 
Raven Perlstein (615) 597-4409
MaxZine Weinstein (615) 262-4538