Remarks at The Human Security Impact of HIV/AIDS:
Effective Regional and Global Responses
Joint Conference cosponsored by Asia Society
and the Japan Center for International Exchange

Tommy Thompson
U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services

Tokyo, March 22, 2004

Arigatô gozaimasu. [thank you very much.]
I’m so glad to be back again in this beautiful country, and I’m grateful for the fine hospitality I’ve received from the Japanese people. Thank you Former Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori for your wise words, your vision and your leadership; and thank you, Ambassador Nicholas Platt, for that kind introduction.

I’d like to thank the sponsors of our conference today, the Asia Society, represented by its President, Ambassador Platt; and the Japan Center for International Exchange, represented by its President, Mr. Tadaashi Yamomoto, (who, I might add, is a graduate of Marquette University in my great state of Wisconsin). I also want to extend my gratitude to Trevor Nielson, the Executive Director of the Global Business Coalition on HIV/AIDS, chaired by Ambassador Richard Holbrooke. Trevor Helped to organize and accompanied me on my recent mission to Africa. Now he is here today with me to encourage Japanese businesses to get engaged in the fight against this deadly disease. Thanks as well to the many others who have helped make my trip to Japan a success.

I also bring greetings from President Bush. America and Japan have long been important allies and strategic partners, and our country values this strong friendship.

Our alliance is rooted in mutual trust, shared democratic values, and vital economic interests.

Together, the United States and Japan account for roughly 40 percent of the world economy. As economic superpowers, our actions affect the entire world. As a result, we share an important responsibility. We are charged with exerting responsible leadership, not only for the benefit of our own people, but also for billions of others around the world.

One responsibility that demands our leadership is the global AIDS epidemic.

Ladies and gentlemen, we have a massive crisis on our hands. AIDS kills more than three million people every year—about 8,500 people every day. To put that in perspective, while I am delivering this speech, almost 100 people will die of AIDS. That’s the equivalent of everyone in this room, dead from AIDS, in the next 15 minutes.

This crisis is only growing worse. Every day, another 14,000 people are infected. And the pandemic is threatening to destabilize the entire continent of Africa, where a whole generation of children is on its way to being orphaned, as Former Prime Minister Mori talked about. If you think about it, these children are not just losing their parents— businesses are losing their workers; communities are losing their teachers, doctors, and farmers; entire countries are losing their next generation of leaders.

Make no mistake—this is a war are we waging.

The United States is committed to this cause. And I am pleased that the government of Japan has been committed for several years as well. But everyone here needs to understand that the crisis of AIDS is far too great for any one government or organization to solve. The sheer magnitude of the crisis demands a joint response that must include other governments, international organizations, nonprofits, and even individuals.

One of the most important mechanisms for action is the global fund to fight AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria—of which i am proud to serve as chairman. President Bush and Kofi Annan created the Global Fund almost three years ago. And they were able to do this only because of the momentum and political commitment that came out of the Okinawa Infectious Disease Initiative, conceived by Then-Prime Minister Mori at the G-8 Okinawa Summit, which established partnerships between developing nations, G-8 countries, non-governmental organizations, and the free market. I remember well that I saw Former Prime Minister Mori when he led the Japanese delegation to the United Nations Special Session on HIV/AIDS in June 2001 to support the Global Fund, and shortly thereafter Prime Minister Koizumi visited Washington and announced Japan’s initial contribution to the fund.

Having just come from chairing the fund’s seventh board meeting, I can bring you the good news: the Global Fund is doing what we intended it to do-- mobilizing public-private partnerships to fight the spread of disease around the world. The fund board has already approved 224 grant programs, totaling more than $2.1 billion, in 121 different countries. As of today, the fund has raised over $5 billion in cash and pledges, including a total of $260 million from the Japanese government.

Japan has been one of the most active and effective members of the Global Fund board since its inception, and i can even say that without the strong involvement of Japan in the complex negotiations that created the fund, it would be a much less innovative and efficient institution than its is today. I want to take this opportunity to thank Shegeki Sumi, my colleague on the fund’s board; Seiji Morimoto, his predecessor as head of the Japanese delegation to the fund and the founding vice chairman of the fund’s board; and Ambassador Ishikawa, the godfather of the fund for his role in the original negotiations, for steering the Global Fund in the right direction and always advocating for a strong contribution from Japan. The most recent commitment of $100 million for the fund announced in December 2003 is a very generous donation and a great example of Japanese leadership. But I’m also asking you for a greater commitment of resources. As much as we need your money, we need your support and cooperation.

Now, why should Japan support the Global Fund and other efforts to combat HIV/AIDS? I understand AIDS is not a big problem in Japan. But the truth is that this pandemic is a problem that the whole world faces, because it’s going to take the resources of the whole world to address the crisis.

Former Prime Minister Mori spoke of the legions of orphans in Africa. I have traveled to Africa twice in the last two years and witnessed the devastation firsthand. However, i have also witnessed the amazing progress that is taking place because of the Global Fund’s programs and the work that the United States and Japan are doing. The money we are investing is paying off in tangible results, and these results are fostering a spirit of hope and optimism among these people who have despaired for far too long.

This is also coming closer to home for all of you. AIDS is attacking your region at an alarming rate. Over one million people in Asia and the Pacific acquired HIV In 2003, bringing the estimated number of people now living with the virus in this part of the world to more than 7.4 million. According to UnAIDS data, the epidemic continues to expand in many of Japan’s Asian and Pacific neighbors, like Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, India, and Vietnam. There is a clear link between HIV/AIDS and economic performance. The continuation or acceleration of current trends in new infections and mortality will be a drag on growth and a source of social and political instability in the region if we don’t act.

In Africa, entire societies are crumbling under the burden of HIV/AIDS, as children raise children, parents cannot teach their offspring skills like farming, and the generational passage of cultural values and mores is broken. this could be the future in Asia if we do not act together quickly, and now.

But I am particularly concerned about China, which i know is one of Japan’s biggest trading partners. Experts estimate that more than a million Chinese citizens are living with HIV, which is a small number relative to the whole population. The prevalence of HIV in China has been increasing by about 20 to 30 percent per year. The Ministry Of Health officially estimates there are 100,000 orphans in China already, and the real number could be much higher. In a country with more than a billion people, even a small increase in the percentage of the population affected could strike down millions of our fellow men, women, and children.

Other recent disease outbreaks, such as SARS and avian flu have demonstrated how a disease will not only pose a health threat, but can also start a major economic crisis that can spread further than the virus. In today’s inter-connected global economy, the spread of disease can shake business confidence and disrupt entire regional economies.

So fighting AIDS is not only the right thing to do. It is also the practical thing to do.

I believe that the spread of AIDS can be reversed, both in Africa and here in Asia. But this cannot happen without your help. Millions of suffering people across Asia and Africa are benefiting from Japanese generosity. And millions more can benefit from even greater Japanese leadership and initiative. I am very pleased to congratulate Mr. Yamamoto on the launch of “Friends of the Fund Japan,” a partnership to support the Global Fund and increase awareness of and involvement in our work among Japanese philanthropic institutions, private-sector companies and civil society groups.

Yet money alone will not solve these problems. So what can you do? If you are an individual, join “Friends of the Fund Japan” and familiarize yourself with what we are doing. If you are a company, join the global business coalition against HIV/AIDS. For both businesses and individuals, we need your expertise and local knowledge in helping us tackle this problem in your region of the world. Progress will require a long-term commitment, and we need your help to provide it. And also, please continue to support the Japanese government’s generosity to the Global Fund and its bilateral efforts against HIV/AIDS.

In the past, America and Japan have joined forces to oppose danger and aggression. And we have worked together to bring aid and hope to those in need. Now, this disease offers another opportunity for collective action and unified partnership.

I have learned that you don’t have to share a man’s faith to help save his life. You don’t have to speak a woman’s language to cure her illnesses. You don’t have to understand a town’s culture to bring it fresh water. But you do have to understand your place in the world and your responsibility to love your neighbors, whether they live down the street or across the ocean.

My friends, our two countries have unique strengths—and a unique opportunity to combine them for the benefit of the world. Let us embrace this opportunity. Thank you.