Strengthen African Health Care Systems

Strong infrastructure is essential to expanding access to health care and meeting global targets for responding to HIV/AIDS and other diseases. In particular, the critical lack of health care workers is one of the biggest obstacles to getting more people on HIV/AIDS treatment. The African Health Capacity Investment Act presents a tremendous opportunity to expand US leadership and commitment to global health. Contact your Senators and Representatives today and urge them to co-sponsor this bill!

The Issue
Take Action!
What to Say
More Information

THE ISSUE:

The Institute of Medicine has defined the greatest obstacle to overcoming HIV/AIDS as the shortage of medical professionals. In particular, Africa—the epicenter of the epidemic—faces major challenges in improving its health care infrastructure and hiring and retaining health care workers. Three out of four countries in sub-Saharan Africa have less than 20 doctors per 100,000 people, while 13 countries have fewer than five doctors per 100,000 people. This lack of health care workers and inadequate infrastructure is seriously undermining the fight against AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria.

TAKE ACTION:

Call your Representatives and ask them to contact Representative Barbara Lee (D-CA) about joining her in supporting the African Health Capacity Act of 2007.

Or, you can write to your Representative by clicking here.

To reach your Representative, just call the Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3121, and ask to speak to his or her office. Then ask to speak to the legislative aide who handles issues related to Africa.

WHAT TO SAY:

To Representatives: My name is [ ] and I am a constituent of Representative [ ]. I am calling to urge him/her to contact Representative Barbara Lee’s (D-CA) office about co-sponsoring the African Health Capacity Investment Act of 2007. There is a severe shortage of health workers in sub-Saharan Africa, and this means that people are dying unnecessarily. As a global leader in fighting the HIV/AIDS pandemic, the US must also take the lead in helping African countries strengthen their health care infrastructure and address the health worker shortage. We need leadership on this bill, and I am looking to Representative [ ] to take a strong stand on this issue.

If your Representative is already co-sponsoring the African Health Capacity Investment Act, please give a call to say thanks! Again, just call the Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3121, ask to be connected to your Representative's office, and then ask for the legislative staffer who handles issues related to Africa.

Remember—you don't need to be an expert to make these calls. Speak from the heart and know you could be saving someone's life.

MORE INFORMATION:

The African Health Capacity Investment Act of 2007 includes provisions to:

• Provide $100 million that would support 2,300 new doctors or over 5,000 new nurses
• Create better and safer working conditions that will help prevent the emigration of 20,000 African health care workers each year
• Establish better systems to curb corruption and mismanagement

Endorsing Representatives (as of November 1, 2007):


Rep. Howard Berman (D-CA-28) 
Rep. Sanford Bishop Jr (D-GA-2)
Rep. Julia Carson (D-IN-7)
Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN-9)
Rep. Danny Davis (D-IL-7)
Rep. Sam Farr (D-CA-17)
Rep. Chaka Fattah (D-PA-2)
Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-AZ-7)
Rep. Maurice Hinchey (D-NY-22)
Rep. Michael Honda (D-CA-15)
Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr (D-IL-2)
Rep. William Jefferson (D-LA-2)
Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-OH-10)
Rep. John Lewis (D-GA-5)
Rep. Betty McCollum (D-MN-4)
Rep. Jim McDermott (D-WA-7)
Rep. James McGovern (D-MA-3)
Rep. Gwen Moore, Gwen (D-WI-4)
Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC)
Rep. Donald Payne (D-NJ-10)
Rep. Bobby Rush (D-IL-1)
Rep. Janice Schakowsky (D-IL-9)
Rep. Jose Serrano (D-NY-16)
Rep. Adam Smith (D-WA-9)
Rep. Henry Waxman (D-CA-30)
Rep. Robert Wexler (D-FL-19)
Rep. Lynn Woolsey (D-CA-6)