IV 

115TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. RES. 593 

Recognizing the importance of a continued commitment to ending pediatric 

HIV/AIDS worldwide. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

OCTOBER 26, 2017 

Ms. LEE (for herself, Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN, Ms. NORTON, Mr. EVANS, Mr. 

COHEN, Ms. BARRAGA ́N, Ms. MCCOLLUM, Mr. NADLER, Mr. KHANNA, 

Mr. MCGOVERN, Ms. MAXINE WATERS of California, Ms. ESTY of Connecticut, Ms. BORDALLO, Mr. LEWIS of Georgia, Mr. COSTELLO of Pennsylvania, Mr. SERRANO, Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois, Mr. QUIGLEY, 

and Ms. JUDY CHU of California) 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 36,700,000 people living 

with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), the 

pathogen that causes the acquired immune deficiency 

syndrome (AIDS), worldwide are women and 2,100,000 

are children in 2016; 

Whereas HIV is a leading cause of death among women of 

childbearing age worldwide; 


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•HRES 593 IH 

Whereas nearly 90 percent of HIV-positive expectant mothers 

in need of HIV services worldwide live in sub-Saharan 

Africa; 

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 14 percent of women were receiving 

prevention of mother-to-child transmission services and 

that number in 2016 was 76 percent; 

Whereas since 2001 the number of children born HIV positive has been more than cut in half; 

Whereas despite increased global and United States efforts 

over 400 children were born HIV positive each day in 

2016; 

Whereas 90 percent of children living with HIV are in subSaharan Africa; 

Whereas in 2016 only 43 percent of children with HIV were 

receiving antiretroviral therapy, far below the percentage 

of adults; 

Whereas without treatment half of all children with HIV will 

die by their second birthday, and 80 percent by their 

fifth birthday; 

Whereas 120,000 children died of AIDS-related causes in 

2016; 

Whereas 22 percent of new infections are in young women 

aged 15 to 24 in 2016; 


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•HRES 593 IH 

Whereas in sub-Saharan Africa, girls 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 the United States began investing in prevention of 

mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) services in 2002 

with the announcement of the United States International Mother and Child HIV Prevention Initiative; 

Whereas in fiscal year 2016, the President’s Emergency Plan 

for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) supported HIV testing and 

counseling for more than 11,500,000 pregnant women 

and since the program’s inception the provision of 

antiretroviral drug prophylaxis to prevent mother-to-child 

transmission has allowed nearly 2,000,000 babies to be 

born HIV free; 

Whereas since 2002 the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria supported programs that provided 

4,200,000 HIV-positive mothers with antiretroviral drug 

prophylaxis to prevent the transmission of HIV to their 

children; 

Whereas in 2014 PEPFAR announced the Accelerating Children’s Treatment Initiative (ACT) that will double the 

number of HIV positive children on treatment over 2 

years in 10 high-burden countries; 

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

in 10 sub-Saharan countries; 


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•HRES 593 IH 

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 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

2 (1) recognizes that the prevention of mother-to3 child transmission of HIV is critical to stopping the 

4 spread of HIV worldwide; 

5 (2) applauds the United States leadership on 

6 efforts to eliminate new pediatric HIV infections and 

7 to scale-up pediatric treatment through programs 

8 and research; 

9 (3) recognizes that the fight to eliminate pedi10 atric HIV worldwide has been a priority area for the 

11 United States in their global AIDS response for 

12 more than 13 years and calls on this leadership to 

13 continue; 

14 (4) supports providing adolescents and young 

15 women with the evidence-based approaches necessary 

16 to prevent new HIV infections; 

17 (5) supports providing women and children with 

18 HIV counseling and testing services where possible, 

19 and scaling up access to services and medicines that 

20 prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV and en21 sure HIV positive mothers survive and thrive; 


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•HRES 593 IH 

1 (6) supports scaling up of treatment for HIV 

2 for children and adolescents including greater access 

3 to more efficacious antiretroviral drug regimens, age 

4 appropriate services, and support for their care5 givers; and 

6 (7) recommits the United States to lead the 

7 world to the end of AIDS, to eliminate new pediatric 

8 HIV infections worldwide, and support women, chil9 dren, adolescents and families infected and affected 

10 by HIV. 

Æ 


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