“Congressman Fattah announces twin initiatives, Healthier Blood, African Institute of Health.”

WASHINGTON, DC -- On the day when the World Health Organization (WHO) has declared 8 of 10 people worldwide do not have access to safe blood, Congressman Chaka Fattah (D-PA), announces two initiatives that he says will forever change the way African people are treated for a multiplicity of life threatening diseases.

On Thursday, Congressman Fattah will offer two amendments before the Subcommittee on Foreign Operations, Export Financing and Related Programs.  The first, the HIV/AIDS Safe Blood Program responds to the inadequate and unhealthy blood supply throughout sub-Saharan Africa. Continent-wide blood transfusions account for an ever-growing percentage of new HIV/AIDS cases.  Each year an estimated 6 million blood transfusions are performed in Africa yet, as many as half are improperly tested for infectious diseases.  The amendment calls for $200 million in dedicated funding for this effort.

The second initiative calls for the establishment of the African Institute of Health – an organization modeled after the Center for Disease Control and the National Institute of Health. Impediments to providing HIV/AIDS relief via safe blood to Africa have been the lack of a continent-wide infrastructure to sustain an ongoing relief and disease prevention program.  The African Institute of Health would coordinate and make more efficient the Africa-specific activities of the U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator, World Health Organization, CDC and African Union.  This collaboration would streamline the activities of the affiliated organizations to provide more targeted data and adequate feedback on how to administer and collect data to improve the blood supply in Africa. 

“The proposals will save millions of lives and position sub-Saharan Africa for the development of a continent changing health care delivery system.  A favorable vote on these initiatives will extend a lifeline to millions who otherwise would have little hope and create a healthier environment for future generations,” said Congressman Fattah.