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[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 1613 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>

118th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. RES. 1613

    Recognizing the importance of a continued commitment to ending 
                     pediatric HIV/AIDS worldwide.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           December 10, 2024

  Ms. McClellan (for herself, Mr. Swalwell, Ms. Garcia of Texas, Mr. 
     Johnson of Georgia, Mr. Quigley, Mr. Grijalva, Ms. Ross, Mrs. 
 Cherfilus-McCormick, Mrs. Watson Coleman, Ms. Wilson of Florida, Mr. 
    Jackson of Illinois, Ms. Velazquez, Ms. Sewell, Ms. Williams of 
Georgia, Mr. Garamendi, Ms. Norton, Mrs. McIver, Mr. Veasey, Ms. Kelly 
of Illinois, Ms. Clarke of New York, Mr. McGovern, Mr. Pocan, Mr. Davis 
   of Illinois, Mr. Krishnamoorthi, Mr. Carter of Louisiana, and Mr. 
Thompson of Mississippi) submitted the following resolution; which was 
 referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the 
   Committee on Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently 
   determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such 
 provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION

 
    Recognizing the importance of a continued commitment to ending 
                     pediatric HIV/AIDS worldwide.

Whereas approximately half of the 39,000,000 people living with the human 
        immunodeficiency virus (HIV), the pathogen that causes the acquired 
        immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS), worldwide are women and girls, and 
        1,400,000 are children in 2023;
Whereas HIV is a leading cause of death among women of childbearing age 
        worldwide;
Whereas AIDS is a leading cause of death among adolescent girls globally;
Whereas women around the world rely on essential pre- and post-natal care to 
        provide screening for diseases such as HIV and care for their health and 
        the health of their infants;
Whereas, when antiretroviral drugs are used as prophylaxis, mother-to-child 
        transmission of HIV can be reduced to less than 5 percent;
Whereas, in 2005, only 17 percent of pregnant and breastfeeding women living 
        with HIV were receiving treatment and services for prevention of mother-
        to-child transmission and that number in 2023 was 84 percent;
Whereas 44 percent of new HIV infections globally are among women and girls in 
        2023;
Whereas, globally, 67 percent of infants born to pregnant women living with HIV 
        receive a virologic test within the first two months of birth;
Whereas, without treatment half of all children with HIV will die by their 
        second birthday, and 80 percent by their fifth birthday;
Whereas, in 2018, nearly 90 percent of pregnant women living with HIV in need of 
        HIV services worldwide live in sub-Saharan Africa;
Whereas 86 percent of children living with HIV are in sub-Saharan Africa;
Whereas, despite increased global and United States efforts, over 110,000 
        children in Sub-Saharan Africa became infected with HIV in 2022;
Whereas progress in meeting the global 95-95-95 treatment targets by 2030, which 
        calls for 95 percent of those living with HIV to know their status; 95 
        percent of those who know their status to be on treatment; and 95 
        percent of those on treatment to be virally suppressed and sustained, is 
        slower among children than adults;
Whereas 57 percent of children living with HIV were on life-saving 
        antiretroviral therapy in 2023 compared to 77 percent of adults 
        globally;
Whereas 76,000 children died of AIDS-related causes in 2023;
Whereas, every week, approximately 4,000 adolescent girls and young women aged 
        15 to 24 years became infected with HIV globally in 2023, and 3,100 of 
        these infections occurred in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Whereas research efforts at the National Institutes of Health have led to 
        extraordinary breakthroughs for children infected with and at risk for 
        contracting HIV;
Whereas the United States began investing in prevention of mother-to-child 
        transmission services in 2002 with the announcement of the United States 
        International Mother and Child HIV Prevention Initiative;
Whereas, in January 2024, the United States celebrated the 21st anniversary of 
        the establishment of PEPFAR;
Whereas, in fiscal year 2023, PEPFAR supported HIV testing and counseling for 
        more than 71,100,000 people and since the program's inception the 
        provision of antiretroviral drug prophylaxis to prevent mother-to-child 
        transmission has allowed nearly 5,500,000 babies to be born HIV free;
Whereas the PEPFAR DREAMS initiative is working to reduce new HIV infections in 
        adolescent and young women in 15 sub-Saharan countries;
Whereas every mother should have the opportunity to fight for the life of her 
        child; and
Whereas every child and adolescent should have access to medicines to lead a 
        long and healthy life: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) recognizes that the prevention of mother-to-child 
        transmission of HIV is critical to stopping the spread of HIV 
        worldwide;
            (2) recognizes that the fight to eliminate pediatric HIV 
        worldwide has been a priority area for the United States in its 
        global AIDS response for more than 21 years and calls on this 
        leadership to continue;
            (3) supports providing adolescents and young women with the 
        evidence-based approaches necessary to prevent new HIV 
        infections;
            (4) supports providing women and children with HIV 
        counseling and testing services where possible, and scaling up 
        access to services and medicines that prevent mother-to-child 
        transmission of HIV and ensure HIV positive mothers survive and 
        thrive;
            (5) supports scaling up of treatment for HIV for children 
        and adolescents including greater access to more efficacious 
        antiretroviral drug regimens, age appropriate services, and 
        support for their caregivers;
            (6) applauds the United States leadership on efforts to 
        eliminate new pediatric HIV infections and to scale-up 
        pediatric treatment through programs and research;
            (7) encourages the United States President's Emergency Plan 
        for AIDS Relief to continue its leadership through the creation 
        of a standalone pediatric HIV strategy that is in alignment 
        with the priority actions for children as defined in the 
        ``Global AIDS Strategy 2021-2026''; and
            (8) reaffirms the United States commitment to lead the 
        world to the end of AIDS, to eliminate new pediatric HIV 
        infections worldwide, and support women, children, adolescents, 
        and families infected and affected by HIV.
                                 <all>
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