FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Dec. 1, 2010

CONTACT INFORMATION:

Megan Dubray

Political Communications Director

405.427.3366/405.596.8261

megan@okdemocrats.org



DNC Chairman & Oklahoma Democratic Party Chairman Statements on World AIDS Day

Today is World AIDS Day. In commemoration of that occasion, both the DNC Chairman and the Chairman of the
Oklahoma Democratic Party have released statements.

Statement from Todd Goodman, Chairman of the Oklahoma Democratic Party:

“In Oklahoma, nearly 8,000 people have been diagnosed with HIV/AIDS. Over 70 percent of the Oklahomans
living with HIV are between the ages of 20 and 39 years old. We have to do more to educate Oklahomans
about HIV/Aids and STDs in general because prevention is still the best treatment for any STD. As someone
who has personally lost loved ones to this terrible disease, I know the struggle of living with HIV and the scars
left behind when someone dies. My heart and prayers go out to the families who’ve lost loved ones and to
the people who struggle with HIV every day.”

Statement from Tim Kaine, DNC Chairman:

“For nearly three decades, individuals around the world have been struggling to cope with HIV/AIDS. Over
that time, we have made great progress in our understanding and treatment of this illness, but the tragic
reality of HIV/AIDS remains ever-present for the 33 million individuals worldwide living with this disease
and for the 56,000 in the United States who become infected each year. That is why President Obama has
committed to fighting the HIV/AIDS epidemic both at home and abroad.

“President Obama established the first comprehensive National HIV/AIDS Strategy for the United States. That
strategy focuses on prevention and treatment, aspires to reduce health care disparities, and takes aim at HIV-
related discrimination. In an attempt to further reduce the stigma of HIV/AIDS, President Obama ended the
entry ban that previously prevented individuals with HIV/AIDS from entering the United States. More broadly,
the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis
and Malaria have supported anti retroviral treatments for millions of people around the globe. Additionally,
President Obama has requested billions to further increase U.S. support for the Global Fund.

“On this day, I join President Obama and others across America and around the world in offering my support
to people living with HIV/AIDS and to the ongoing fight against HIV/AIDS.”

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