Issue: AIDS

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I believe it is time to end this epidemic once and for all, both in the United States and around the world. As President, I will appoint a Blue Ribbon Commission on HIV/AIDS, bringing together multiple stakeholders to develop a National Strategy for HIV/AIDS -- a strategy that ends our country's fragmented, uncoordinated approach to HIV/AIDS and that lays out a comprehensive solution for ending this epidemic once and for all.

Commitment to Evidence-Based Prevention

We will renew and re-focus our investment in prevention by putting $1 billion a year into the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for the development and implementation of evidence-based, culturally appropriate prevention strategies that address the changing face of HIV/AIDS in the United States. The National HIV/AIDS policy must recognize that there is no one-size-fits-all solution to reach the diverse groups of people affected by HIV/AIDS, and we must tailor our prevention strategies accordingly.

Dramatically Increase Outreach and Access to HIV Testing

Approximately 25% of people in the U.S. who are infected with HIV are unaware of their status, making it less likely that HIV treatment can be started in a timely manner and increasing the likelihood of spreading the infection to others. I will support culturally appropriate outreach programs to help reduce stigma and other barriers to HIV testing.

A Commitment to Quality, Affordable HIV/AIDS Treatment

I will also take steps to ensure quality, affordable HIV/AIDS treatment by allowing states to expand Medicaid to treat HIV at earlier stages, fully funding the Ryan White CARE Act to end waiting lists for critical HIV/AIDS medications and supportive services, and improving pain and symptom management for seriously ill patients by allowing the use of medicinal marijuana.

A Renewed Commitment to HIV/AIDS Research

We must continue to search for the cure for AIDS and other serious illnesses. I will ensure that the U.S. continues our leadership in HIV/AIDS research by more than doubling the National Institutes of Health budget over ten years and ensuring that research funding continues to be directed towards the development of effective preventive and therapeutic vaccines, innovative and improved treatment options, and biomedical and behavioral prevention initiatives. I will also support rural and minority researchers and create a strong focus on the development of microbicides by requiring the NIH to create and maintain a clinical trials network.

Fighting AIDS across the Globe

America must never forget our responsibilities abroad, and this includes leading the worldwide fight against HIV/AIDS. I will push the International Monetary Fund to cancel 100% of the debt of impoverished nations contingent upon their agreement to implement specific AIDS programs and measure the degree of progress made. I will also invest in the training of health care workers in developing countries and make sure that we meet and exceed our commitments to The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria.

The Bottom Line

HIV/AIDS has taken a terrible toll on too many for too long. It is past time that we take bold action to prevent, treat, and ultimately cure this disease. We must also let science, not a politically-based ideology, determine how we move forward. When I am President, I will make this fight a priority.