President George W. Bush with First Lady Laura Bush on World AIDS Day at the White House, Monday, December 1, 2008. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
by Frank James
The conventional wisdom is that President Bush doesn't have a lot of unequivocal successes to point to as part of his presidential legacy. And, indeed, lately he hasn't had a lot to crow about.
But his effort in combating AIDS/HIV is viewed as a major achievement. First passed in 2003 and reauthorized In July, the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief or Pepfar authorizes up to $48 billion on medicines and other medical care for people with HIV/AIDS in 15 targeted nations. As of today, more than 10 million people have been helped.
As the New York Times reported in January:
With a year left in office, Mr. Bush confronts an America bitterly split over the war in Iraq. His domestic achievements, the tax cuts and education reform, are not fully embraced by Democrats, and his second-term legislative agenda -- revamping Social Security and immigration policy -- lies in ruins.
The global AIDS program is a rare exception. So far, roughly 1.4 million AIDS patients have received lifesaving medicine paid for with American dollars, up from 50,000 before the initiative. Even Mr. Bush's most ardent foes, among them Senator John Kerry of Massachusetts, his 2004 Democratic challenger, find it difficult to argue with the numbers.
"It's a good thing that he wanted to spend the money," said Mr. Kerry, an early proponent of legislation similar to the plan Mr. Bush adopted. "I think it represents a tremendous accomplishment for the country."
Bush, joined by First Lady Laura Bush, marked World AIDS Day today with a brief statement he made in front of the White House's North Portico which was bedecked with a large red ribbon to mark the observance of global AIDS efforts:
THE PRESIDENT: Good morning. Today is World AIDS Day, a day we reaffirm our commitment to fight HIV/AIDS at home and abroad. Thirty-three million people around the world are living with HIV, including more than one million Americans. Once again this year, to observe World AIDS Day, there is a red ribbon on the North Portico of the White House. The ribbon is a symbol of our resolve to confront HIV/AIDS and to affirm the matchless value of every life.
One of the most important initiatives of my administration has been the Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, known as PEPFAR. It's the largest international health initiative dedicated to a single disease. When we launched PEPFAR, our goal was to support treatment for two million people in five years. Today, I'm pleased to announce that we have exceeded that goal -- early.
The American people, through PEPFAR, are supporting lifesaving treatment for more than two million people around the world. And when PEPFAR began, only 50,000 people living with HIV in all of sub-Sahara Africa were receiving antiretroviral treatment.
Around the world, we've also supported care for more than 10 million people affected by HIV, including more than four million orphans and vulnerable children. More than 237,000 babies have been born HIV-free, thanks to the support of the American people for programs to prevent mothers from passing the virus on to their children.
PEPFAR is bringing hope and healing to people around the world. On our trips to Africa, Laura and I have witnessed firsthand the gratitude of the African people.
We look forward to discussing our efforts to combat global HIV/AIDS with Rick Warren at the Saddleback Civil Forum on Global Health this morning. In the meantime, we thank our fellow citizens for being so compassionate and so caring and so decent. God bless.
Comments
Now, we are given a parade of photo-ops, that is supposed to replace the incompetent, callous image, with a concerned, compassionate one. It will not succeed, President Bush. You made your legacy, now, you have to live with it !!
SUPPORT OUR TROOPS, BRING THEM HOME, ALIVE AND WHOLE. NOW.
Posted by: Don Fitzgerald, Chicago | December 1, 2008 1:52 PM
President Bush cut federal AIDS funding to the states years ago, it was one of the first things on the chopping block.
Can we just pretend that we don't have a President until Jan. 20th?
Posted by: Ryan | December 1, 2008 2:31 PM