U.S. Releases Plan for a Global AIDS-Free Generation

Speaking at the National Institutes of Health, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton released a new U.S. plan for attaining a global AIDS-free generation, according to a State Department statement.

To reach this goal, the plan focuses on three scientific interventions.

The first is preventing mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) of HIV. Currently, one in seven new infections worldwide occur through MTCT although it is virtually 100 percent preventable.

The second intervention is increasing voluntary medical male circumcision. A study found that the procedure can reduce male-to-female transmission of HIV by more than 60 percent.

The third intervention is using treatment as prevention. A study found that effectively treating an HIV-positive person with meds reduces the risk of transmission by 96 percent.

Clinton also focused on three areas in which the world can commit to achieve an AIDS-free generation: letting scientific fact guide efforts, encouraging partner countries to take ownership of AIDS programs, and asking donor countries to give more to the Global Fund for AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.

To read the statement, visit: http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2011/11/176770.htm.

The Friends of AIDS Foundation is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV virus. To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org.

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