III 

115TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. RES. 310 

Recognizing the importance of a continued commitment to ending pediatric 

AIDS worldwide. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

OCTOBER 26, 2017 

Mr. CASEY (for himself, Mr. RUBIO, Mr. BLUMENTHAL, Mr. DURBIN, Mr. 

BOOZMAN, Mr. VAN HOLLEN, Mr. FRANKEN, Ms. KLOBUCHAR, Mr. 

HATCH, Mr. MARKEY, Mr. ISAKSON, Mr. NELSON, Mr. KING, and Mr. 

COONS) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the 

Committee on Foreign Relations 

RESOLUTION 

Recognizing the importance of a continued commitment to 

ending pediatric AIDS worldwide. 

Whereas in 2016 approximately half of the 36,700,000 people 

living with human immunodeficiency virus (referred to in 

this preamble as ‘‘HIV’’) worldwide are women and 

2,100,000 are children; 

Whereas HIV is a leading cause of death worldwide among 

women of childbearing age; 

Whereas nearly 90 percent of HIV-positive expectant mothers 

in need of HIV-related services worldwide live in sub-Saharan Africa; 


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•SRES 310 IS 

Whereas women around the world rely on essential pre- and 

post-natal care to provide screening for diseases such as 

HIV, and to provide care for the health of women and 

infants; 

Whereas the usage of antiretroviral drugs as prophylaxis can 

reduce the likelihood of mother-to-child transmission of 

HIV to less than 5 percent; 

Whereas in 2005 only 14 percent of women received services 

for the prevention of mother-to-child transmission (referred to in this preamble as ‘‘PMTCT’’); 

Whereas in 2016, 76 percent of women received PMTCT 

services; 

Whereas, since 2001, the number of children born HIV-positive has decreased by more than half; 

Whereas, despite increased efforts by the United States and 

countries around the world, over 400 children were born 

HIV-positive each day in 2016; 

Whereas 90 percent of children with HIV live in sub-Saharan 

Africa; 

Whereas in 2016 only 43 percent of children with HIV received antiretroviral therapy, far below the percentage of 

adults receiving antiretroviral therapy; 

Whereas, without treatment, half of children with HIV will 

die by their second birthday, and 80 percent by their 

fifth birthday; 

Whereas, in 2016, 120,000 children died of causes related to 

acquired immune deficiency syndrome (referred to in this 

preamble as ‘‘AIDS’’); 

Whereas, in 2016, 22 percent of new HIV infections occurred 

in young women aged 15 to 24; 


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•SRES 310 IS 

Whereas, in sub-Saharan Africa, young women account for 

75 percent of new annual HIV infections among adolescents; 

Whereas AIDS is a leading cause of death among adolescents 

globally; 

Whereas research efforts at the National Institutes of Health 

have led to extraordinary breakthroughs for children infected with and at risk for HIV; 

Whereas in 2002 the United States began investing in 

PMTCT services by establishing the United States International Mother and Child HIV Prevention Initiative; 

Whereas, since 2002, the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria has supported programs that provided 4,200,000 HIV-positive mothers with antiretroviral 

drug prophylaxis for PMTCT; 

Whereas in fiscal year 2016, the United States President’s 

Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (referred to in this preamble as ‘‘PEPFAR’’) supported HIV testing and counseling for more than 11,500,000 pregnant women, and 

provided antiretroviral drug prophylaxis for PMTCT, allowing nearly 2,000,000 babies to be born free of HIV; 

Whereas in 2014 PEPFAR announced the Accelerating Children’s Treatment Initiative, a 2-year effort that would 

double the number of HIV-positive children receiving 

treatment in 10 high-burden countries; 

Whereas the PEPFAR DREAMS initiative is working to reduce new HIV infections in girls and young women in 10 

sub-Saharan countries; 

Whereas every mother should have the opportunity to fight 

for the life of her child; and 


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•SRES 310 IS 

Whereas every child and adolescent should have access to 

medicine to lead a long and healthy life: Now, therefore, 

be it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) recognizes that the prevention of mother-to3 child transmission of human immunodeficiency virus 

4 (referred to in this resolving clause as ‘‘HIV’’) is 

5 critical to stopping the spread of HIV worldwide; 

6 (2) applauds the leadership of the United 

7 States for efforts to eliminate new pediatric HIV in8 fections and to expand pediatric treatment through 

9 programs and research; 

10 (3) recognizes that for more than 13 years, the 

11 fight to eliminate pediatric HIV worldwide has been 

12 a priority in the response of the United States to 

13 global acquired immune deficiency syndrome (re14 ferred to in this resolving clause as ‘‘AIDS’’), and 

15 calls on the leadership of the United States in this 

16 area to continue; 

17 (4) supports providing adolescents with the evi18 dence-based approaches necessary to prevent new 

19 HIV infections; 

20 (5) supports providing women and children with 

21 HIV counseling and testing services where prac22 ticable, and scaling up access to services and medi23 cines that prevent mother-to-child transmission of 


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•SRES 310 IS 

1 HIV and ensure HIV-positive mothers survive and 

2 thrive; 

3 (6) supports expanding treatment for HIV for 

4 children and adolescents, including providing greater 

5 access to more efficacious antiretroviral drug regi6 mens, age appropriate services, and support for the 

7 caregivers of children and adolescents; and 

8 (7) recommits the United States— 

9 (A) to lead the world to end AIDS; 

10 (B) to eliminate new pediatric HIV infec11 tions worldwide; and 

12 (C) to support women, children, adoles13 cents, and families infected and affected by 

14 HIV. 

Æ 


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