June 30, 2008

Bush Praises Faith-Based Initiatives on HIV and Malaria

In his June 28 weekly radio address, President George W. Bush said that faith-based groups, funded partly by the federal government, have reduced homelessness and unemployment in the U.S. and have fought HIV/AIDS and malaria overseas, Voice of America News reports (voanews.com, 6/28).

According to the article, Bush wants religious groups at home and abroad to have the same opportunities as secular groups to secure government money. He acknowledged that religious groups have been an invaluable component of the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR).

“When we launched this program in 2003, about 50,000 people in sub-Saharan Africa were receiving anti-retroviral treatment for HIV/AIDS,” Bush said. “Today, that number is nearly 1.7 million.”

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