June 19, 2008

Rockers Bono, Geldof Want Stronger G8 AIDS Commitment

Celebrity activists Bono and Bob Geldof have criticized Group of Eight (G8) countries for failing to fulfill their pledges to provide financial aid to Africa, the Agence France-Presse (AFP) reports (afp.google.com, 6/18).

Bono and Geldof said that only 14 percent of a 2005 G8 pledge to deliver an extra $22 billion to Africa by 2010 has been fulfilled. “It is a disgrace that the rich world has failed so miserably,” said Geldof.

The celebrities criticized France, where aid to Africa has been scaled back over the last year. “European credibility is on the line,” said Bono.

However, they also noted that aid that does reach Africa makes a considerable difference. The article reports that the lives of 100,000 people in Africa are saved each month through programs run by the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria, according to the group’s executive director, Michel Kazatchkine.

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