The New Nation - Internet Edition

AFP, Washington

White House hopefuls Barack Obama, pictured in June 2008, and John McCain Sunday vowed to step up the fight against HIV and AIDS in America, after government figures showed the epidemic was growing faster than previously thought. White House hopefuls Barack Obama and John McCain Sunday vowed to step up the fight against HIV and AIDS in America, after government figures showed the epidemic was growing faster than previously thought. Democrat Obama said he would develop a national strategy to cut down on new infections, expand testing and education, and eliminate the stigma associated with the disease, while his Republican rival McCain vowed to lower drug costs and target testing and prevention in communities most affected. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said on Saturday that about 56,300 people were infected with the virus that causes AIDS in 2006, 40 percent more than the previous estimate of 40,000 new infections annually. "These new figures should bring new focus to our efforts to address AIDS and HIV here at home," Obama said in a statement, advocating "expanding access to testing and comprehensive education programs." "Combating HIV/AIDS also demands closing the gaps in opportunity that exist in our society so that we can strengthen our public health. We must also overcome the stigma that surrounds HIV/AIDS-a stigma that is too often tied to homophobia," he said.

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"We need to encourage folks to get tested and accelerate HIV/AIDS research toward an effective cure because we have a moral obligation to join together to meet this challenge, and to do so with the urgency this epidemic demands."