On World AIDS Day, Keeping the Promise to Stop AIDS Through the Power of Pa...( WASHINGTON Nov. 30 -- The follow...),Health

WASHINGTON, Nov. 30 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The following is a statement from Henrietta H. Fore, USAID Administrator:

On December 1, the international community again recognizes World AIDS Day and the more than 33 million people worldwide who are living with HIV/AIDS. Through the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) is supporting those battling the disease, as well as those dedicated individuals and organizations on the frontlines of the AIDS pandemic. Through it all, one thing remains evident: we are partners in this ongoing fight, and it is only through the power of partnerships -- large and small, public and private, multilateral and bilateral -- that we will turn back the tide of this terrible disease.

Last week, I had the honor of meeting with some very remarkable people in Ethiopia, while visiting USAID's Urban Agriculture Program for HIV-affected adolescent orphans and women. Combined with HIV/AIDS education, these individuals receive beneficial skills on gardening and irrigation. With funding from the American people, through PEPFAR, we have helped 38,000 Ethiopian women and children stay in school, adhere to AIDS treatment, generate income from garden plots, and improve their nutritional status. This is one example of the power of partnerships in action.

Indeed, for nearly 50 years, USAID has provided economic, democracy and governance, humanitarian and health assistance to developing countries through a vast network of organizations, including international bodies, non-governmental organizations, businesses, universities and indigenous groups. These partnerships become even more valuable as we fight this deadly disease.

USAID and its partners believe in the dignity and worth of every human life and in mutual respect between peoples. Together we can give individuals, communities and nations great hope and a way forward.

Public Informa
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