Annan welcomes Bush's $15 billion Pledge for Global Fight Against HIV/AIDS

United Nations News ^ | 1/29/03 | United Nations

[TaRaRaBoomDeAyGoreLostToday!]

The United Nations Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, today welcomed the announcement by United States President George W. Bush of a total of $15 billion in funding to help in the global fight against HIV/AIDS.

Referring to Mr. Bush's pledge, made last night in his State of the Union address, the Secretary-General congratulated the US President on his promise to provide stronger US leadership in combating the devastating impact of the global AIDS epidemic.

"An additional $10 billion - making a total of $15 billion over the next five years, with a new emphasis on access to life-saving treatment and care for millions of people - will make a vital impact, not only in saving lives but also in staving off the very real threat to stability that AIDS represents in the worst affected regions," the Secretary-General said in a statement released in New York.

Mr. Annan also expressed appreciation that $1 billion will initially to go to the Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, which he described as a "key instrument for the international community in giving strategic direction to the global struggle against HIV/AIDS."

The Secretary-General stressed that while experiences on every continent have shown it possible to prevent infection and treat and care for those infected, too often the lack of resources has prevented projects from growing into the full-scale national strategies required for success.

"President Bush has confirmed his belief that AIDS can be defeated," Mr. Annan said. "I hope the US Congress will accept the President's challenge and ensure that the needed funding is made available as quickly as possible, in keeping with the urgency of this crisis. And I hope that this example will encourage other governments to follow suit."

Echoing that theme was Stephen Lewis, the Secretary-General Special Envoy for HIV/AIDS in Africa, who said that Mr. Bush's announcement challenges every other member of the Group of Seven most industrialized nations - the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Japan, Italy and Canada - to follow suit before its next summit in June in France.

"Between now and then, every single member must announce its contribution to the struggle against AIDS overall, and to the Global Fund in particular," he said. "The summit itself should initiate the most far-reaching, imaginative plan of action to confront this communicable scourge that the world has ever seen."

Mr. Lewis also warned that imminent war in Iraq could overshadow any efforts to fight the scourge. "And with the best will in the world, wars have a way of distorting, however unintentionally, every intended human priority," he said. "Wars have their own dynamic, in the wake of which hopes can be strangled and dreams can be suffocated.

"We cannot allow HIV/AIDS to become collateral damage."

[Double Tap]

North Atlantic Treaty Organization!!!Baaaaammm

Are you impressed?

NATO does not control our military. You are beyond clueless.

The US is trying to get the UN's approval because of folks like you, who demand it.

[Dataman]

neither side will declare that AIDs is a preventable disease.

Again, you must not have watched. George did.

[Dataman]

How stupid can you "conservatives" be?

Stupid enough to win the presidency and both houses of congress. Of course libertarians are extremely bright, scraping together 2% of the vote in a good year.

[uncbob]

Wrong. The AIDS epidemic is greatest in areas of the world like Africa where HETEROSEXUALS are spreading it.

Yeah right
And back in the 80s there were graphs in Scientific Magazines showing how AIDS was going to spread like widfire all through the USA and we all would be dead by 2000 blah bl;ah .
The heterosexual community was at high risk and the greatest increase of AIDS was in the heterosexual community blah blah

Africa has become a complete pest hole since the liberals succeeded in driving the colonial powers out.

The only thing that can save Africa is if the USA and Europe go back in and run the damn place
Look what the hell happened in Somalia when we went in to save them

Go get the liberals and left wing to DONATE their $$$. They ruined Africa

Spending 15 or 30 billion isn't going to change anything as long as those countries are run by AFRICAN dictators and corrupt leaders

The European powers at one time had the region under some sense of sanity and I remember way back in the 60s conservatives predicting that Africa would degenerate into EXACTLY what it is today a disease ridden famine stricken hell hole

[uncbob]

Stupid enough to win the presidency and both houses of congress. Of course libertarians are extremely bright, scraping together 2% of the vote in a good year

Let's give credit where credit is due

The GOP holds both houses of congress and the presidency because of the political genius of Bill Clinton and Al Gore

[cynicom]

I hope the congress has the good sense to refuse to fund this stupid give away of tax money we do not have. Shame on Bush.

[TaRaRaBoomDeAyGoreLostToday!]

Yeah since the black congressional caucus are all supposedly African Americans, why don't they campaign for this, have a Black Aid (like FARM AIDE) donate or something.

BTW: why don't jamaican americans file a law suit one day against the african americans for trying to discriminate against them all the time?

I think I may file suit cause everyone does not refer to me as an Irish/French/Heinz 57 American. Heinz 57 people have rights to ya know! And damnit I want a Heinz 57 caucus in our government or I won't have equal rights!

[syriacus]

W is fighting the war on terrorism, whether some recognize it or not.

I agree.

• He is showing the people of the world that the US is a compassionate nation. We've given disaster-relief in the past, and I think widespread AIDS fits in the category of disaster.

  and

• He is showing the people in the US that they have little to complain about. Bush is indirectly pointing out, to most Americans, of any race, that they are darned fortunate in comparison to millions of Africans. It's a lesson many of us need to relearn.

[syriacus]

I am more proud of America's benevolence, charity and compasion toward the less fortunate than I am perhaps anything else.

I agree. AIDS in Africa is a disaster, and Americans do help in times of disasters.

As a side benefit, any US attention given to AIDS in Africa will show a lot of Americans how lucky they are.

[Jorge]

"Wrong. The AIDS epidemic is greatest in areas of the world like Africa where HETEROSEXUALS are spreading it."

And I suppose AIDS first showing up in San Francisco as the gay cancer was just an anomaly. Of course, most of the promiscuous homosexuals and drug users have died of AIDS, so their share of being the vectors isn't as great as it once was.

Actually I've read that AIDS is once again on the increase among younger gays, (and especially gay black men)because it seems the new drugs have made some think it's safe to be promiscous. Really stupid.
But that's the US.

World wide the largest number of AIDS infections are among heterosexuals. And Africa of course leads the world when it comes to AIDS.

[WhiteGuy]

I'm not willing to send a dime of MY money to the un, africa, or anyone else WITHOUT MY CONSENT.

Who does our president think he is?

LBJ?

GIVE US BACK OUR MONEY

[WhiteGuy]

You and Bush can send your own money.

I'll decide what to do with mine.

[bigunreal]

Are your political principles tied exclusively to "winning?" The American voting populace is clueless, having been dumbed down by years of stupid sitcoms and massive doses of propaganda. The most politically astute citizens either vote third party or don't vote at all. My point about Bush is that, like all "conservatives," he betrays the trust of those who voted for him by aping the despicable policies of the evil Democrats. The fact that he is popular is irrelevant; he's wrong and his proposals will be disastrous for this country.

[coloradan]

but that species who are spreading AIDS, seem to have a mutated sex drive that is stronger than their survival instinct.

But ... the sex drive is the survival instinct. Think of the children!!

[F.J. Mitchell]

LOL, sarcasm recognized.

[RightOnline]

"We're Africa.........a stinking, festering s**thole on the backside of the earth, and we're AWFULLY damned glad you're going to cough up many billions of hard-earned, US taxpayer dollars to better line the pockets of our legions of tinhorn dictators as we continue to engage in tribal warfare and other Stone Age behavior. Cough up more, and we may even say nice things about you. Or maybe others will. Whatever."

[F.J. Mitchell]

"And Africa leads the world when it comes to aids."

Amazing! Africa also leads the world when it comes to the breeding and deployment of terror, in-humanity to man, slavery, poverty, and arrogance, per Koffe Anan,etc.

[Republican Wildcat]

That is, of course, not true. There was a rather high amount of criticism when this plan was announced, and in fact, an article was written in a separate publication containing quotes from FR and which was posted on this site. You seem to be making comments automatically with no regard to their accuracy.

[Double Tap]

What is, of course, not true??? Be very specific.