Oakland, CA – Today, Congresswoman Barbara Lee welcomes Congresswoman Robin Kelly (D-Illinois), chair of the Congressional Black Caucus Health Brain Trust, to the East Bay to visit Women Organized to Respond to Life-threatening Disease WORLD (WORLD), a nonprofit organization that provides support to women living with HIV.
“It is an honor to have Congresswoman Kelly in Oakland to visit WORLD and see firsthand the services being provided to women throughout the Bay Area living with HIV,” said Congresswoman Lee. “In the 13th Congressional District, we continue to make great strides in providing HIV/AIDS counseling and treatment, especially for women and girls.”
WORLD Executive Director Cynthia Grant said, “Congresswoman Lee has been a champion for access to quality life improving services and human rights for people living with HIV and AIDS locally and across the globe. The clients, staff and leadership of WORLD feel honored to provide services in her district and welcome the opportunity to host her and Congresswoman Kelly at our agency.”
Congresswomen Lee and Kelly are members of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC). Their visit to WORLD supports the CBC’s Health Braintrust initiative, which creates legislation and policy solutions that reduce health disparities and promote positive health outcomes in communities of color.
“The Congressional Black Caucus Health Braintrust is committed to closing the disparities gap for infectious diseases like HIV/AIDS. There is no better time than now to change the course of America’s health future,” said Congresswoman Kelly. “African Americans are infected with HIV at a rate 8 times that of white Americans. And at some point in their lifetimes, an estimated 1 in 32 African American women will be diagnosed with HIV. As the Health Braintrust Chair, I’m working with my colleagues in Congress – and communities like the one’s we’re visiting here in Oakland to promote wraparound care and support services for women living with HIV/AIDS.”
“Historically, women have been underserved by our efforts to address the HIV/AIDS pandemic,” said Congresswoman Lee. “As a member of the Appropriations subcommittee that oversees federal health funding, I will continue fighting for increased federal investments in targeted education, care, support and treatment for all those living with or at risk for HIV, especially women of color.”
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Congresswoman Lee is co-chair of the Congressional HIV/AIDS Caucus. She is a member of the Appropriations and Budget Committees, the Steering and Policy Committee, is a Senior Democratic Whip, former chair of the Congressional Black Caucus and co-chair of the Progressive Caucus. She serves as chair of the Whip’s Task Force on Poverty and Opportunit.