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African AIDS Defeatable (Thanks to Bush)
The current president has done more than any other to combat the spread of AIDS in Africa. Why haven't the media noticed?
Between Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, who has done the better job fighting African AIDS?
In 2002, David Corn at Alternet told us that Clinton had been a bitter disappointment:
Clinton now wonders aloud why the West stood by and did little as the AIDS crisis in Africa exploded. … Why did you and your administration not respond?
[For] seven years … the budget for combating AIDS overseas remained flat. (It was $124.5 million in 1992.)
Thanks to weak and inaccurate media coverage, those who recall Mr. Bush’s aggressive 2003 State of the Union announcement of PEPFAR (the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief) can be forgiven for thinking that the money spent, like so much other past foreign aid, has accomplished little.
My first inkling of the truth came from, of all places, the Catholic News Agency on April 3:
According to a February 2006 report in the journal Science, the rate of HIV among eastern Zimbabwean men aged 17 to 29 fell by 23 percent between 1998 and 2003. Among women aged 15 to 24, the infection rate dropped by 49 percent.
The percentage of eastern Zimbabwean men aged 17 to 19 who had engaged in sexual activity dropped from 45 percent to 27 percent, and among women aged 15 to 17 the rate dropped from 21 percent to 9 percent.
While the period cited predates PEPFAR, it’s the reason for the successes in Zimbabwe just cited, as well as Kenya and before that Uganda (not excerpted), which caught my attention (bolds are mine):
“Five years after PEPFAR first began, the efficacy and importance of promoting abstinence and ‘be faithful’ initiatives have been demonstrated. The evidence is compelling.”
PEPFAR … relies on the ABC model, which stands for “Abstain, Be faithful, use Condoms.” … The ABC model “is now recognized as the most effective strategy to prevent HIV in generalized epidemics. … The legislation’s emphasis on ‘AB’ activities has been an important factor in the fundamental and needed shift in USG prevention strategy from a primarily ‘C’ approach prior to PEPFAR to the balanced ABC strategy.”
… No generalized HIV epidemic has ever been rolled back by a prevention strategy primarily based on condoms.
… Serara Selelo-Mogwe, a public health expert and retired nursing professor at the University of Botswana … said (to the Washington Post in March 2007), “If you just say use the condom … we will never see the daylight of the virus leaving us.”
Now I get it: George Bush isn’t getting much praise because he has violated a central tenet of Old Media concerning sexually transmitted diseases: Condoms uber alles. Journalists’ seemingly innate hostility towards anything that might be labeled a faith-based initiative doesn’t help either.
In the credit-minimizing process, the press has grossly exaggerated the amount of money spent on the “A” and “B” parts of “ABC,” and has even minimized or ignored the still-present “C” element.
Here is PEPFAR’s actual spending plan for the fiscal year that will end on September 30:
PEPFAR, at the end of its introduction to the 2008 plan, makes the roles played by “A” and “B” very clear:
Of note, Abstinence and Be Faithful (AB) activities account for 7% of the total prevention, care, and treatment budget, 33% of all prevention activities, and 58% of programs that address prevention of sexual transmission of HIV/AIDS.
At an earlier point in that same introduction, PEPFAR shows that the “C” element has not been ignored:
The USG has supplied nearly 1.9 billion condoms worldwide from 2004 through 2007 — as Dr. Peter Piot of UNAIDS has said, more than all other developed countries combined.
The president has seen the amounts dedicated towards “A” and “B” misconstrued by the press as one-third of all spending (instead of 1/3 of only the amount dedicated to prevention), and the degree of program success understated and/or denied. Incredibly, he has even been portrayed as a tightwad.
Here are just two of very many possible examples. According to Jennifer Loven of the Associated Press, Feb. 17:
Democrats want to strip requirements that one-third of the money go to abstinence-until-marriage programs and that some groups sign anti-prostitution pledges.
Some Democrats also say that Bush’s request for $30 billion over the next five years, twice his original commitment of $15 billion, is too little.
From CNN, Feb. 17:
“Though PEPFAR has helped increase accessibility to anti-viral drugs, the program is controversial because there is little focus on distributing condoms — a staple of the program under President Clinton — or on sex.”
“The program is ‘largely pursued through faith-based initiatives’ … [and] it’s not clear whether the AIDS-prevalence rates are going down.”
The bottom line is that the war on African AIDS, seen by many as virtually lost at the century’s turn, could be won. If it ultimately is, PEPFAR will have been a significant contributor. Couldn’t the press, just this once, put its biases to the side and tell the world about it?
Tom Blumer owns a training and development company based in Mason, Ohio, outside of Cincinnati. He presents personal finance-related workshops and speeches at companies, and runs BizzyBlog.com.
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28 Comments
1. ic:Couldn’t the press, just this once, put its biases to the side and tell the world about it?
No, the story doesn’t fit. Bush is the worst president ever, a warmonger who dreams every night killing innocent Iraqis, who deprives Americans dying of debilitating diseases the miracle embryonic stemcell drugs, who would rather people died from drowning in melted icecaps than admit global warming. No, the press regrets it cannot deep six the story.
Apr 12, 2008 - 1:56 am 2. BizzyBlog » Latest Pajamas Media Column (’African AIDS Defeatable [Thanks to Bush]’) Is Up:[...] The folks at Pajamas held it for a couple of days because other important news intervened, but it’s finally here. [...]
Apr 12, 2008 - 6:07 am 3. yongoro:Bono noticed.
Apr 12, 2008 - 7:44 am 4. Independent Liberal » Bush and Africa:[...] one of the best kept secrets in politics, but George W. Bush has arguably done more to fight disease and poverty in Africa than any other in our nation’s history. This obviously doesn’t, in my mind, make [...]
Apr 12, 2008 - 8:18 am 5. Bryan:If people would stop being petty and recognize that the President is not a one-note person, they might see that he has done some good things.
I second the fact that singer Bono, not a big fan of the President, has acknowledged President Bush’s efforts on behalf of this issue.
Apr 12, 2008 - 12:30 pm 6. Tony:“Couldn’t the press, just this once, put its biases to the side and tell the world about it?”
Good luck with that!! Bush Derangement Syndrome has taken hold so strongly at this stage that the media are more likely to want to peddle the idea that it was probably he who introduced AIDS to Africa in the first place.
When the history of the 21st century is being written I suspect then, and only then, will Bush receive any of the recognition I believe he merits.
Apr 12, 2008 - 1:30 pm 7. European News Review » African AIDS Defeatable (Thanks to Bush):[...] any other to combat the spread of AIDS in Africa. Why haven’t the media noticed? Complete Article Submitted By The [...]
Apr 12, 2008 - 2:33 pm 8. darthdad:There are two reasons Bush gets no credit. The first is his emphasis on using NGO’s. The second is that if the word gets out the issue cannot be used as a hammer against him.
Apr 12, 2008 - 5:11 pm 9. John M:God will Judge all men.
Apr 12, 2008 - 5:25 pm 10. REB SHLOMO:I believe Pres Bush will some day be told by God well done thy good and Faithful Servant.
We should do our very best in all things to Honor God.
What about the creator of universe who promotes circumcision?
Apr 12, 2008 - 5:46 pm 11. ToddK:Actually wasn’t it Bob Geldorf who recognized Bush recently for his AIDS work? Bono is the misguided liberal who thinks debt forgiveness will help Africa, rather than simply encourage/enable more corruption and mismanagement.
Apr 13, 2008 - 7:16 am 12. PoliGazette » Bush and Africa:[...] Sullivan: It’s one of the best kept secrets in politics, but George W. Bush has arguably done more to fight disease and poverty in Africa than any other in our nation’s history… we shouldn’t dismiss the impact he has had on [...]
Apr 13, 2008 - 8:58 am 13. Dave:No, Bono said Bush has done more for African than any other US president.
Apr 13, 2008 - 9:17 am 14. Angry African:I think Bono(head) and friends are blowing this thing up to get Bush on their side. The fight against Aids is not being won by Bush. With friends like these… http://angryafrican.net/2008/02/16/bush-in-africa-with-a-friend-like-this/
Apr 13, 2008 - 9:23 am 15. cv:Bono and the rest are just stating fact get over you BDS.
Apr 13, 2008 - 10:10 am 16. McCarroll:“Bondo” should give his millions to the fight against AIDS and for Africa.
Apr 13, 2008 - 11:34 am 17. KB:Geldof piece is here.
Apr 13, 2008 - 12:15 pm 18. Thea:You have to be the smallest, most petty person – with the most shrunken heart and dishonest intellect to have to find fault with Bush on AIDS and Africa, or to find fault with what he has done to combat Malaria in that country.
It sort of reminds me of another time the left was incredibly childish and ungenerous:
http://lyflines.blogspot.com/2005/08/does-presidents-physical-really-need.html
Apr 13, 2008 - 2:12 pm 19. BizzyBlog » African AIDS Could Be Conquered. Why Do So Few Know That?:[...] This column was originally posted at Pajamas Media on Saturday under the title “African AIDS Defeatable (Thanks to Bush).” [...]
Apr 14, 2008 - 5:28 am 20. JP:The unmittigated hatred for President Bush prevents the main stream media from covering this story in America. Around the world, George W. Bush is truly a saint. But then again, a prophets’ not without honor but in his own country.
Apr 14, 2008 - 10:33 am 21. Lou:Oh jeez. So Dubya’s big plan to halt AIDS in Africa is to bring the “Just Say No” abstinence program over there?
Apr 14, 2008 - 4:06 pm 22. Chris:Hey Lou,
Obviously, you didn’t read the article or see the breakdown of funds. And by the way, what do you suggest WILL cut down the spread of aids? Gee, maybe abstaining? Duh!
(Liberals always assume humans have no self-control and don’t respond to reason.)
Apr 14, 2008 - 11:20 pm 23. M.E.:I don’t want to speak about European politicians that always have supported and helped the most hateful African and Arab tyrants and have done nothing for the poor people who were dying from hunger and diseases. No one has done so much for these poor African people as President George W. Bush. The Western “liberals” that pass their time in luxurious restaurants discussing hunger in the World and blaming capitalism of all evils on which they are parasitizing, what have they done for these poor African men and women? Did they go to visit the sick of AIDS in African hospitals? George and Laura Bush have gone to and helped. And you, “Angry African”, what have you done for your African “brothers” except, like your idol Obama, to enlarge on a cheap demagogy that serve to nothing?
Apr 15, 2008 - 7:58 am 24. Joe B:I’m proud to be contemporary of this great man, George W. Bush, the only truly great man in the midst of all these pygmies.
Even Consumer Reports Magazine got on the Bush Bashing Bandwagon. When they tested different kinds of condoms, they engaged in an editorial rant against people who insisited on forcing their morality on others, in spite of the cost in innocent lives. They castigated the Bush administration for even suggesting abstinence, even though it had already been proven in Uganda with the original ABC model. BDS is so stong in these lefty bigots, that they just can’t resist a cheap shot. For a group that prides itself on in depth research, such an action calls their ability to evaluate anything with true impartiality. JB
Apr 15, 2008 - 8:17 pm 25. Angry African:@Thea. Do you have a shrunken head? That country? What country are you talking about? Africa isn’t a country you know. And no – I don’t have a shrunken head. And I am not petty. And I am not dishonest. I’ll give you the intellect bit though. But saying that Bush was the hero in Africa is missing the bigger point of what Africa needs. He did some good – and I’ll give him that. But he is no saviour of Africa. Maybe if he starts going for free trade (including in agriculture) we can start talking. Or when he stops protecting pharma’s instead of those who are dying of illness. But hand-outs just doesn’t do it for us in Africa. We welcome the help. But we would rather fish than receive the fish thank you.
And don’t hide behind the “they are liberals” comment. I won’t call you names if you don’t call me names. I’ve heard it. And guess what. It doesn’t hurt me. And neither does it make an argument if you just call people names.
On the Africa is a country bit. http://angryafrican.net/2008/04/05/my-beloved-country-called-africa/
Apr 17, 2008 - 5:28 am 26. Javelin:We’ve turned the tide on AIDS in Africa? When did this happen? Yet the mindless Bushbots have already declared victory. By the way, since when was it the US’s job to fight AIDS in Africa anyways? Besides, do you think that changing people’s habits and mores, especially in a foreign continent, some easy thing like programming a computer? What brainless drivel for comments, and I think Bush’s proposal a good one. But it hasn’t turned the tide cause we have little control over sexual behavior in Africa
Apr 26, 2008 - 7:36 pm 27. Javelin:JP
Apr 26, 2008 - 7:41 pm 28. cheritycall:“The unmittigated hatred for President Bush prevents the main stream media from covering this story in America. Around the world, George W. Bush is truly a saint. But then again, a prophets’ not without honor but in his own country.”
So since the press won’t conform to your juvenile right wing pov, no one will know that Bush is a saint? You’re are as stupid as you are fanatic. Keep crying about media bias and BDS, you are a prime example.
hi, Give something to help those hungry people from Africa and India,
Oct 27, 2008 - 12:57 amI added this blog about that subject:
at http://tinyurl.com/6kv7fu