Congresswoman Maxine Waters Observes National Clinicians HIV/AIDS Testing and Awareness Day
July 18, 2014
Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA), a leading advocate in Congress for HIV/AIDS prevention, testing and treatment, introduced a resolution (H.Res. 673) in the House of Representatives today to honor National Clinicians HIV/AIDS Testing and Awareness Day and encourage the nation's health care providers to promote HIV testing among their patients. The resolution was cosponsored by 17 Members of Congress.
"National Clinicians HIV/AIDS Testing and Awareness Day is an excellent opportunity to highlight the important role that doctors, nurses, dentists and other clinicians play in HIV/AIDS awareness, testing, and treatment efforts and to encourage them to promote HIV testing among their patients," said Congresswoman Waters.
H.Res. 673 urges physicians, nurses, dentists and other clinicians nationwide to become actively involved in HIV/AIDS awareness, testing, treatment, and referral services. It also urges individuals to get tested for HIV and educate themselves about the prevention and treatment of HIV/AIDS.
"There are more than one million people living with HIV/AIDS in the United States today, and 16 percent of them do not know it. By encouraging their patients to be tested for HIV, doctors and nurses can enable infected individuals to access appropriate medical care and begin taking action to avoid spreading the virus to others," stated Congresswoman Waters.
Congresswoman Waters is a leader in the fight to reduce the spread of HIV/AIDS. She is continuing her efforts to expand the Minority AIDS Initiative, which she established as chairwoman of the Congressional Black Caucus in 1998. On April 4th of this year, she sent a letter to the House Appropriations Committee requesting $610 million for the Minority AIDS Initiative in fiscal year 2015, which was signed by 60 Members of Congress. Last year, she reintroduced the Stop AIDS in Prison Act (H.R. 895), a bill to require the Federal Bureau of Prisons to develop a comprehensive policy to provide HIV/AIDS prevention, testing, and treatment for inmates in federal prisons; H.R. 895 is cosponsored by 32 of her colleagues.
"National Clinicians HIV/AIDS Testing and Awareness Day is an excellent opportunity to highlight the important role that doctors, nurses, dentists and other clinicians play in HIV/AIDS awareness, testing, and treatment efforts and to encourage them to promote HIV testing among their patients," said Congresswoman Waters.
H.Res. 673 urges physicians, nurses, dentists and other clinicians nationwide to become actively involved in HIV/AIDS awareness, testing, treatment, and referral services. It also urges individuals to get tested for HIV and educate themselves about the prevention and treatment of HIV/AIDS.
"There are more than one million people living with HIV/AIDS in the United States today, and 16 percent of them do not know it. By encouraging their patients to be tested for HIV, doctors and nurses can enable infected individuals to access appropriate medical care and begin taking action to avoid spreading the virus to others," stated Congresswoman Waters.
Congresswoman Waters is a leader in the fight to reduce the spread of HIV/AIDS. She is continuing her efforts to expand the Minority AIDS Initiative, which she established as chairwoman of the Congressional Black Caucus in 1998. On April 4th of this year, she sent a letter to the House Appropriations Committee requesting $610 million for the Minority AIDS Initiative in fiscal year 2015, which was signed by 60 Members of Congress. Last year, she reintroduced the Stop AIDS in Prison Act (H.R. 895), a bill to require the Federal Bureau of Prisons to develop a comprehensive policy to provide HIV/AIDS prevention, testing, and treatment for inmates in federal prisons; H.R. 895 is cosponsored by 32 of her colleagues.