Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA), Ranking Member of the Financial Services Committee and a leading advocate in Congress for HIV/AIDS prevention, testing and treatment, introduced a resolution (H.Res. 366) in the House of Representatives today to honor National Clinicians HIV/AIDS Testing and Awareness Day, which is celebrated on July 21st and encourages the nation's health care providers to promote HIV testing among their patients. The resolution was cosponsored by 23 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. 366 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.
"More than 1.2 million people are living with HIV/AIDS in the United States today, and almost one in eight do not know they are infected. 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 March 26th of this year, she sent a letter to the House Appropriations Committee requesting $610 million for the Minority AIDS Initiative in fiscal year 2016, which was signed by 66 Members of Congress. In February, she reintroduced the Stop AIDS in Prison Act (H.R. 768), 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. 768 is cosponsored by 33 of her colleagues. Last December, she sent a letter to the President urging him to prioritize funding for domestic HIV/AIDS programs in his budget request, which was signed by 54 Members of Congress.