"More Black Americans are infected with HIV than the total populations of people living with HIV in seven of the 15 countries served by PEPFAR [President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief]," Black AIDS Institute chief executive Phill Wilson said in a statement.
A report from Wilson's group, titled "Left Behind! Black America: A Neglected Priority in the Global AIDS Epidemic," says AIDS remains the leading cause of death among African-American women between 25-34 years, and the second leading cause of death in Black men between 35-44 years. Blacks account for 70 percent of HIV diagnoses in teenagers and 65 percent of those in newborns.
The report praised the Bush administration for its efforts to combat HIV worldwide but said the government has been pushing a "flawed" strategy by excluding American blacks from its program. A separate, hypothetical Black America would rank as the 35th most populous nation in the world yet also rank 16th in the number of HIV infections.
"Were Black America a separate country, it would elicit major concern and extensive assistance from the U.S. government. Instead, the national response to AIDS among Black Americans has been lethargic and often neglectful," Wilson said.
President George W. Bush last week praised the PEPFAR during his weekly radio address, calling it "the largest international health initiative dedicated to fighting a single disease in history" and "a testament to the extraordinary compassion and generosity of the American people." The Senate approved the $48 billion measure last week and Bush is expected to sign it into law in the next few weeks.
