Deputy Chief of Mission C. Pat Alsup Remarks as prepared for Celebrating World AIDS Day 2012

Jubilee Park,
Cape Coast, Ghana
Tuesday, November 27, 2012.

Honorable President of the Republic
Chairman of the Ghana AIDS Commission
Director General of the Ghana AIDS Commission
United Nations Resident Coordinator
Distinguished Invited Guests
Our Friends in the Media

Good morning and thank you for the warm welcome. On behalf of Ambassador Cretz, I convey his sincere apologies for not being available to be here with you today in Cape Coast for this important occasion, as he is traveling internationally. I'm delighted to have this opportunity to share with you how the United States is working together with Ghana toward an AIDS-free Generation. The global fight against AIDS is a shared responsibility. Donor nations, country partners, multilateral organizations, the private sector, civil society – including faith-based organizations – all have a role to play in the HIV/AIDS response, and it's wonderful to see so many of the key stakeholders here in attendance today.

On the occasion of the 2012 World AIDS Day, we turn our attention to the thousands of Ghanaians living with HIV/AIDS and continue to spread the word that in spite of much success, too many lives are still being devastated by this disease.

A key element of President Obama's Policy Directive on Global Development is to underscore the importance of country ownership and responsibility, for addressing its problems, including HIV/AIDS. Accordingly, I must commend the Government of Ghana, and especially, the Ghana AIDS Commission, for taking a strong leadership role in directing Ghana's response to HIV/AIDS.

The United States Government is particularly pleased to note that through the leadership of the Ghana AIDS Commission the national response is driven by strategic decisions that are reflected in the 2011- 2015 National Strategic Plan. The United States Government will continue to support implementation of this Plan because it is evidenced-based; it focuses on clear results; and it has a special strategy for key populations most affected by the epidemic. Working together, we can build on our successes to save more lives.

Many of you will be familiar with the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief which we call PEPFAR that launched in 2003. PEPFAR is the largest effort by any nation to combat a single disease. In 2011 alone PEPFAR directly supported HIV testing and counseling for more than 9.8 million pregnant women worldwide and supported the provision of antiretroviral drug prophylaxis to them. As a result, approximately 200,000 infants at risk for contracting HIV/AIDS from their mothers were born HIV-free. PEPFAR directly provided nearly 13 million people with care and support, including more than 4.1 million orphans and vulnerable children.

In Ghana, the United States government through PEPFAR directly supported HIV counseling and testing for more than 80,000 persons last year, with an additional 75,000 members of key populations receiving critical HIV prevention information and education.

Challenges remain for all of us to address:
· HIV prevalence in Ghana is still high in key at-risk populations and there are currently about 11,000 new infections per year.

These key populations face even greater stigma and discrimination than other HIV positive people. Clinical care of HIV is hampered by this stigma and discrimination, including for the prevention of mother-to-child transmission.

The United States Government remains committed to working with the Government of Ghana to address these challenges and all of the challenges associated with HIV/AIDS in Ghana. We must all do what we can to reduce the spread of HIV/AIDS and insure that people living with HIV/AIDS get the treatment they need and can live productive lives, free from stigma and discrimination.

This is a tough fight, but together we can prevail over this devastating disease.

Thank you for your attention.