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 Stating that “seldom has history offered a greater opportunity to do so much for so many,” President Bush has proposed a five-year, $15 billion initiative to stem the tide of HIV/AIDS in severely affected parts of Africa and the Caribbean. Using his State of the Union speech to launch the initiative, Bush said the plan would prevent seven million new AIDS infections, treat at least two million HIV-infected people with life-extending drugs and provide humane care for millions of people suffering from AIDS. The $15 billion in funding would triple the U.S. commitment to international AIDS assistance.
In Africa, nearly 30 million people have the AIDS virus, including three million children under age 15. “We have (an) opportunity to bring hope to millions,” Bush said. “It's an opportunity for this nation to affect millions and millions of lives.”
World Vision has been working with communities affected by AIDS since the late 1980’s, and has been urging the U.S. Government to provide much greater support for efforts to curb the global AIDS crisis. In a February 3 letter to Mr. Bush, World Vision President Rich Stearns praised the president for “visionary leadership in the fight against global AIDS.” In addition, he urged the Bush administration “to consult and collaborate with private voluntary organizations (PVOs), many of which are faith-based organizations, as it plans for the funding and implementation of programs.”
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