WASHINGTON-On the 20th annual World AIDS Day, the Human Rights Campaign, the nation's largest lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender civil rights group, today called for a renewed focus on HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment policy at the federal level. The organization encouraged the new Administration, along with the Senate and House leadership, to bring a more concentrated approach to the epidemic through the development of a National AIDS Strategy.

"Far too many across the world are still suffering from this terrible and preventable disease," said Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese. "It is time for a coordinated federal response to preventing and treating HIV/AIDS as well as programs designed to lower HIV incidence, increase access to HIV care, and reduce racial disparities in the epidemic and integrate HIV with STD, viral hepatitis and TB programs at the local level."

Solmonese urged partnership among advocacy groups, the new presidential administration, and Congress.

"Our allies in Congress understand that a comprehensive effort must, among other things, rely on evidence-based policy and programming, set ambitious and credible targets for improved outcomes, and address social factors that increase vulnerability to infection. The President-elect and his team know how critical it is to work across communities. Reaching out to multiple sectors, to those most affected, will be key to the development of a National Aids Strategy," continued Solmonese.

HRC also urged its members and supporters to participate in a global effort to donate unused computing power to researchers fighting HIV/AIDS around the world by participating in the World Community Grid Challenge. Grid computing joins together many individual computers, creating one of the world's largest "virtual supercomputers" with massive, fast computational power that far surpasses that of other stand-alone supercomputers.

"World AIDS Day serves to increase awareness, fight prejudice and improve education around HIV/AIDS issues," said HRC President Joe Solmonese. "So many of us who care about this too-long-unresolved epidemic are looking for ways we can address this crisis. By simply participating in the World Community Grid, you can help those doing critical research access the resources they need to do their work."

HRC has taken part in the World Community Grid since 2006. During that time, the HRC Team has contributed over 414 years of total run time, at a rank of 35 out of over 20,000 participating organizations. The HRC Team alone donates 160 days of humanitarian research per calendar day.

HRC is challenging all teams on the World Community Grid to increase their participation and grow the amount of Run Time, which can be translated into years of research time and donated to vital humanitarian research. This is an easy way to volunteer and a way to give back, at no cost, during the Holiday Season and on World AIDS Day.

To participate, please take the following steps.

The World AIDS Day Challenge starts on December 1 and ends on December 31, 2008.

The Human Rights Campaign is America's largest civil rights organization working to achieve lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender equality. By inspiring and engaging all Americans, HRC strives to end discrimination against LGBT citizens and realize a nation that achieves fundamental fairness and equality for all.