Community | August 04, 2008 | 6 comments

Bill Clinton says U.S. health system fails at AIDS prevention

source: http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=azW3hnrIXIbs&refer=home

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TravG73
Former U.S. President Bill Clinton said the U.S. and other countries need to reform their health- care systems to reach the most high-risk groups for AIDS, which have been neglected over the past quarter century.

The U.S. government has failed to prevent the virus in blacks, who account for half of new infections, he said today at the International AIDS Conference in Mexico City. In Africa, 30 percent of babies born to mothers with HIV are infected with the virus, though drugs could cut the risks to less than 2 percent. He said his foundation will increase its work to reduce the infection rates.

"AIDS is a very big dragon. The mythological dragon was slain by Saint George, the original knight in shining armor, but this dragon must be slain by millions and millions of foot soldiers," he told activists gathered at the 17th International AIDS Conference in Mexico City.

About 56,300 people in the U.S. contract HIV each year, 40 percent more than previously expected, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported July 29. Hardest hit are blacks, of whom 500,000 are infected.

`Wake-Up Call'

``For Americans, this should be a wake-up call that even as we keep working globally we need to do much more to fight AIDS at home, and I intended to do so with my foundation,'' Clinton said.

Clinton's foundation has worked to reduce the cost of drugs by 50 percent and help more than 1 million people get access to care. Its budget for international AIDS relief is almost as large as the U.S. government's budget was for those programs during his administration.

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6 comments // Bill Clinton says U.S. health system fails at AIDS prevention

  • JohnA
    • 0
      JohnA  

    • Bill Clinton is a great man and a great American, and he was a great President. It is so disturbing to see these Obama groupies parotting the same lies and garbage the neo-cons of the nineties spewed about him. It makes me wonder what has happened to the party I was once a proud member of. I suppose the neo-cons really did win after all.

    • 3 years ago
  • daboz
    • 0
      daboz  

    • Well gee, Did anyone ask him about his Ark ."Jail Blood" donor program that spread AIDS through Canada and Europe. The Scandle almost brought the Canadian Governemnt down. He should be the last to be criticizing anyone on the topic. He is even BOOed in Euope when he speaks on the topic.

    • 3 years ago
  • explore2learn
  • queenofit
    • 0
      queenofit  

    • Bill in office:
      (http://www.counterpunch.org/cole02082008.html)

      USDA immediately significantly weakened chicken waste/contamination standards, easing Tyson's poultry-factory expansion.

      1. Monsanto people were put in charge of food, ...

      2. FDA okayed Monsanto's rBGH (bovine growth hormone), first GE-product ever approved.

      3. Despite bovine illness/death, FDA didn't recall or warn.

      4. When dairymen labeled milk "rBGH-free," USDA threatened confiscation.

      5. Organic food was the last way around unknown danger. FDA tried to close that escape with new "organic" standards, to include: genetic engineering of plants/animals, food irradiation , sewage sludge fertilizer.
      USDA backed down from public response 20 times greater than to anything before American food:

      Oils: Indian sheep died eating from Bt cotton fields. Our children eat Bt cottonseed oil in peanut butter, cookies.

      Grains: 49 per cent of corn acreage planted in Bt corn in 2007. A French study indicates it causes kidney and liver toxicity. . Monsanto controls US's two main crops, soy (90% GMO, 90% of traits "belong" to Monsanto) and corn, the largest crop (60% GMO, nearly 100% Monsanto "owned" traits).

      Meat: Steroids bulk athletes, Monsanto steroids fatten animals, our fattening children eat steroid-laced meats. FDA allowed "known TSE-positive (Transmissible spongiform encephalopathy Mad Cow Disease) material to be used in pet food, pig, chicken and fish feed." Monsanto's GE-hormone increases risk sick cows are entering US food chain

      Poultry: USDA weakened waste/contamination standards. Waste from transnational poultry industry is now implicated as the source of bird flu. The poultry industry is using the crisis to push out small farmers.

      Milk: Scientific studies indicate Monsanto's rBGH increases risks of breast cancer by up to seven-fold, increases colon, prostate cancers risks. Canada, 29 European nations, Norway, Switzerland, Japan, New Zealand, Australia, South Africa ban U.S. rBGH dairy products. Bill's USFDA put no restrictions, warning labels, or any labels.

      hmmm?

      These are a few of the things that happened to our health on "bill clinton's watch" , somehow when he speaks I get suspicious; it is the old saying "fool me once shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me"

    • 3 years ago
  • ivxx
  • CaptB
    • 0
      CaptB  

    • I still can't believe that we don't pay serious attention to this subject. I am still impressed with Bill Clinton and his efforts to improve the world.

    • 3 years ago
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