An international non-profit organization of HIV healthcare professionals last week honored former President Bill Clinton "for his leadership in the battle against HIV/AIDS."
The International Association of Physicians in AIDS Care ( IAPAC ) gave Clinton its Dag Hammarksjold Award last Saturday, Dec. 8 in Chicago. The award is named for the former U.N. Secretary General.
Clinton said Saturday that he was proud to be receiving an award named for Hammarksjold, whose writings had a profound impact on him when he was young.
"I am here because I support the work of these physicians," Clinton said. "For me this is personal and political in the finest sense," he added, noting that he was at the bedside of his first friend who died of AIDS and that his last friend who succumbed to the disease died just a month ago.
Clinton's central message was that it is in the United States' best interests...both medically and morally...to fight AIDS around the world.
"You have to try to build a world in which we have more partners and less terrorists," he said. "By 2005, we'll have 100 million AIDS cases if we don't do something now. That's exactly what's going to happen if we don't turn it around. And we can't have that many cases without severe, adverse consequences for the U.S., for Illinois, for Chicago."
He predicted that the rising rates elsewhere...in places such as China, the Dominican Republic and the countries of the former Soviet Union...will eventually lead to an increase in cases here.
"We cannot expect America not to be affected by this," he said. He called on donors to push for more prevention, treatment, doctors and clinics, saying that those things are the only weapons we have against the disease.
In citing the economic toll HIV is taking around the world, he called on Congress to approve more funds to help in the global fight. "It's cheaper than going to war and cheaper than what it'll cost if we don't ( pay ) ," he said. "There is no more urgent thing than dealing with AIDS."
He pointed to success stories such as Uganda and Brazil, both countries that have cut their death rates in half through targeted prevention efforts.
"We can do this, but we have to recognize what we're up against," Clinton said.
Jose Zuniga, president and CEO of IAPAC, said Clinton was honored for his leadership both during and after his presidency. He credited Clinton's administration with establishing HIV/AIDS infrastructure in the government, streamlining FDA approval of medications and making the U.S. a leader around the world.
"And his legacy has survived," Zuniga told WCT, adding that "we're still benefiting from the Clinton administration during the Bush administration."
He said Clinton has also been a vocal advocate for AIDS since leaving office. Saturday marked Clinton's second high-profile trip to Chicago this year to talk about HIV issues. He also spoke at the annual convention of Operation PUSH.
The award was given to Archbishop Desmond Tutu of South Africa in 1999. According to IAPAC, there are 40 million people currently living with HIV worldwide, an increase of 4 million over last year. An estimated 25 million have died since the epidemic's start. The 14,000 new infections a day mean that 10 people contract HIV every minute.
Regions hardest hit by the epidemic today include Africa, the Caribbean, Latin America and Asia.
Clinton was introduced by former Secretary of Commerce William Daley. Actor and Chicago native Harold Ramis emceed the awards ceremony, which also featured a gospel selection by Grammy Award-winner Albertina Walker. Walker addressed much of her song..."I'm Still Here"...to Clinton.
The ceremony was held at RIVA restaurant at Navy Pier. IAPAC describes itself as a "$4.3 million not-for-profit membership association representing 10,800 physicians and other healthcare professionals in 83 countries." See www.iapac.org .
