January 12, 2009

Looking Back on Bush’s Fight Against AIDS

The Associated Press (AP) on January 11 examined George W. Bush’s AIDS legacy in Africa, where his President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) has helped provide antiretroviral treatment to more than 2 million people living with the virus.

Bush launched the $15 billion initiative in 2003 to fight AIDS in 15 countries—12 of which are in Africa, a region that accounts for more than half the world’s estimated 33 million HIV cases. Last year, Congress passed legislation tripling PEPFAR’s budget to $48 billion over the next five years, a move that both Republicans and Democrats supported.

“It’s the largest international health initiative in history for a single disease,” PEPFAR ambassador and U.S. global AIDS coordinator Mark Dybul told the AP. “In any other circumstances, [Bush] would be getting a Nobel prize.”

According to a recent Gallup poll, most Americans gave Bush positive ratings for PEPFAR, despite giving him largely negative feedback for the war on global terrorism and the flagging domestic economy, United Press International reports.

Search: Bush, PEPFAR, Africa, Gallup

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Previous Comments:

Sparky, Tampa, 2009-02-03 11:53:15
Oh please, where do you think he got the money from for the PEPFAR program? Well he stole it from CDC which had to close 11 Pediatric AIDS Clinic across the USA. Still worthy of a Nobel Prize, I think not!

clemente, Houston texas, 2009-02-02 21:43:06
I cant understand why is r Government spending so much money on helping other countries , when rite here in America we r loosing ,, more and more people are infected , The government needs to increase the Ryan White program and do more for educating our own ..We need more money for , Therapy , Treatment , Its a shame as i sit in a clinic and you can hear other peoples storyies , there scared and dont know how or what to do ,.. Our government needs to do more for our own first .....

Ethical Dim Sum, San Diego, 2009-01-26 17:21:37
Bush screwed Americans living with AIDS. I'm glad to see Obama just fired Dybul. If he thinks Bush deserves a Nobel prize, he's got a screw loose.

PozinFTL, Ft Lauderdale, 2009-01-15 07:18:54
Funding for keeping people alive is all good. This has helped the pharmacutical companies in a large way. What has he done for research in stoping the epedemic, which to my understanding is very close to discovering a cure, without any government help? Why is there never any articles or news releases about finding a cure on this site? To my understanding Geovax, among others, are very close with nothing ever mentioned.

Victor Russell, San Jose, CA, 2009-01-14 02:40:07
Funny, talk to most any one in South Africa and they are still wondering when anything more then Slogans and Adds for condom usage will be done. But they are "grateful" for the two AIDS clinics, and the orphanages so they know where to dump the dyeing... Go take a look with out telling anyone, it’s a far grimmer picture then what the agencies want to paint; they might loose their funding if truth be known about how much of the monies never get to the people.

J-man, , 2009-01-13 22:36:03
You know, give the party loyalty thing a rest. Contrary to what many of you think, Bush has done more for AIDS in Africa than any president. The issue is...AIDS IN AFRICA, not the war.

Greg747, Patchogue, LI, 2009-01-13 15:10:11
Count me among those who are left cold by Bush. Count me among those US HIV agencies that lost funding under Bush. Count me among those who are not pleased with sending money to homophobic dictatorships and cutting AIDS funding in New York. Nobel Prize consideration, are you kidding me? First let me show you the homeless camps here in NY; then let me show you the drug-infested dens our government calls shelters. GLBT rights under Bush? Uh, nope.

steve rehmeyer, , 2009-01-13 12:08:35
Obama will be no better, mark my work on it. And as far as war is concerned, better over there than here, but I understand that most Americans just DON'T GET IT.

SB, NEW YORK, 2009-01-13 09:12:31
How much mony did Bush spend to fight HIV in the US? More important, how much money will Obama spend? We need to take a hard look at this issue.

David, Atlanta, 2009-01-13 08:56:20
While PEPFAR has been an undeniably essential initiative, no doubt saving or prolonging untold lives, the program does not make George Bush worthy of a Nobel prize. PEPFAR does not erase the suffering and death caused by his war. Further, PEPFAR serves to remind us that pharmaceutical companies can certainly make all their HIV drugs accessible at lower prices - in every country - and still be the most profitable corporations in the world. So why not do the same thing in the U.S.?

Thomas B. Bowie, Jr., Rossie, NY, 2009-01-13 08:46:56
Americans ask what happened to HIV/AIDS Medical Services in the USA? Cities, States and Territories in the USA apply ever year for Ryan White Funds. AIDS money is called this to make it easier to pass legislation. How much did President Bush's Faith Based Initiative cost? How many organization serving the medical needs of Americans with HIV/AIDS lost funding for services to people? Follow the money trail. I spoke out an I lost services. What was the benefit? Living longer with AIDS can I?

TallMike2, Philadelphia, 2009-01-13 08:39:12
Bush may have helped some people in Africa, but at the time he was doing that, 11 states here in America had waiting lists to get on ADAP. Charity begins at home. No money should be spent on buying medications for other folks when our own people cannot access medication. Also Bush did nothing about increasing Ryan White Care Act funding. Congress has been flat funding The Ryan White Care Act for several years now, thereby forcing some services to be discontinued. That's G.W. Bush's legacy.

fred, santa fe, 2009-01-12 15:54:17
I really don't know how people can rationalize the fact that donald rumsfeld holds the patent on Atripla and profits from it to this day. The crimes of the Bush Administration have gone further than anyone seems to realize at this time. Wake up America.