Important is Not Forgotten

Wall Street crash, earth quake. Oil gushes uncontrolled.
Leaders fall from grace as foreign war escalates.
Deficit, heat wave. Do you have a job?

Amid the distraction of urgent, the important is not forgotten.

The Obama Administration could have pointed to flat lining new HIV infection rates, longer and improved quality of life for the infected over the last decade, claimed success and turned back to more urgent matters.

Instead, the Office of National AIDS Policy went on the road to listen to AIDS service providers, activists, faith-based organizations, doctors & researchers, those infected and affected by HIV/AIDS. Clearly, complacency was not an option. 

Today, the White House unveiled its National HIV/AIDS Strategy to decrease the HIV infection rate, increase & coordinate care options and expand stigma-fighting awareness, with a 5 year vision that

“The United States will become a place where new HIV infections are rare, and when they do occur, every person, regardless of age, gender, race/ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, or socio-economic circumstance will have unfettered access to high-quality, life-extending care, free from stigma and discrimination.”

Every 9 ½ minutes, one person is newly infected by HIV. To that one, HIV is urgent. We know how to prevent HIV infection and can chose to make care available to every affected person without discrimination or qualification if we recognize that right, to all Americans, is extremely important.