Congress must keep our promise on AIDS

Earlier this year, I wrote the Daily Herald to commemorate the anniversary of the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), the highly acclaimed HIV/AIDS-fighting program that has helped save 25 million lives since its inception in 2003. This includes 5.5 million newborn babies who do not need a lifetime of medicine to survive.

For 20 years, PEPFAR has been a testament to the power of bipartisan ideas and leadership for good in the world. As a longtime HIV/AIDS activist, I'm very happy to see what America can achieve when we work together.

In my June 12 letter, I called for elected officials in Congress to honor the promise America has made to work toward the end of AIDS and the suffering it causes by reauthorizing PEPFAR. I'm very disappointed that, nearly six months later and with the end of the year fast approaching, the call for PEPFAR reauthorization must still be made.

The AIDS crisis is not over. Last year, 630,000 people died from AIDS-related causes, and HIV infected someone new every 30 seconds.

America has been a beacon of light and hope for millions globally. I'm counting on Senators Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth, along with all U.S. representatives from Illinois, to help assure we maintain this vital legacy by supporting a clean, five-year reauthorization of PEPFAR.

It's the smart and the right thing to do.

Jan Lohs

Inverness