Los Angeles, CA-Today on World Health Day, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA) joined local members of the grassroots, global anti-poverty organization ONE to declare Los Angeles a “ONE City” against global poverty and disease.

As a “ONE City,” Los Angeles joins the advocacy group ONE and more than 130 cities across the nation in helping raise awareness about extreme global poverty and the simple, effective solutions that can save the lives of millions of people from diseases like HIV/AIDS and malaria.

“The declaration of Los Angeles as a “ONE City” is a testament to our uncompromising determination to combat poverty and preventable disease in the United States and globally,” Mayor Villaraigosa said.  “As a city, we must unite as one, raise awareness and never turn our backs on the most vulnerable members of society.  Already in Los Angeles we have launched the HIV/AIDS Testing Initiative to make HIV testing easy and accessible for every Angeleno.”

ONE is a grassroots organization whose millions of members, including thousands in Los Angeles, work in their local communities to raise awareness of global poverty and treatable, preventable disease and help build the political will to address these challenges. ONE achieves change through advocacy and public mobilization, pressuring global leaders to adopt smart policies, and invest in tested, proven solutions that save lives and combat extreme poverty.

“As individuals, communities, and nations, we can and must join in efforts to fight extreme poverty and prevent deadly diseases. Los Angeles is a global city, so it is appropriate that we are a ‘ONE  City’ dedicated to important global causes.  Likewise, I will continue to advocate for applying American generosity, ingenuity, and prosperity to aid the world’s poor and vulnerable,” said Rep. Maxine Waters.

Joining the Mayor and Rep. Waters was Ethiopian-born Ted Alemayhu, the founder and Executive Chairman of the L.A.-based U.S. Doctors for Africa. Stefani Morones and Jane Paik, ONE members and student leaders at Loyola-Marymount University, also spoke at the ONE L.A. event, which took place on the steps of City Hall.

“We can make a real difference by raising our voices and letting our friends and leaders know the cost-effective and proven ways we can save lives worldwide,” Morones said. “Today I’m proud to have the City of Los Angeles officially join ONE in this important effort to address global poverty and disease.”

Morones and Paik praised Los Angeles for adding its voice to the millions of others in supporting America’s  global health and development efforts. ONE will continue to build the political will at all levels of government and across party lines to ensure that fighting poverty and saving lives remain a priority for the United   States, they said.

They also spoke about how college students across the country are getting involved in the debate about global poverty by engaging their campuses and communities in new, creative ways.

Thanks to this support-as well as countless organizations and leaders-America’s lifesaving global efforts have delivered historic results in the last several years. More than 2 million people with HIV/AIDS are now receiving basic medicines and beating the disease thanks to America’s commitment. That number is up from just 50,000 people in 2003. Millions more are surviving malaria because of cost-effective investments in simple bed nets and medicines. Some 34 million more children living in the world’s poorest and often most dangerous regions have been given the chance to go to school for the first time in recent years, opening the door to productive futures.