PEPFAR

In his state of the union in 2003, Bush announced PEPFAR a five year-$15 mil plan to combat HIV/AIDS. I probably do not have to go into details of why this is huge, and important step for not only the US, but the international community. The US under Bush took a lead on the fight against HIV/AIDS...( Probably why Bono came to the US for his speech instead of England...or ???)
in 2008, PEPFAR was Reauthorized till 2013...once again, a huge achievement.
Retrospectively, this is not only a major accomplishment for the US but all the international Organizations esp. UN.
While we give rap to Bush's many blunders when it came to foreign policy, we need to honor him for this great accomplishment. Africans especially owe him that honor given that 12 out of the 15 focus countries are in Africa.
Just in 2008,
* Prevention of mother-to-child HIV transmission services for women during more than 16 million pregnancies
* Antiretroviral prophylaxis for women in more than 1.3 million pregnancies
* Prevention of an estimated 240,000 infant infections through fiscal year 2008.
* Globally, PEPFAR supported life-saving antiretroviral treatment for more than 2.1 million men, women and children.
* Of this, PEPFAR supported life-saving antiretroviral treatment for more than 2 million people through bilateral programs in PEPFAR's 15 focus countries in sub-Saharan Africa, Asia and the Caribbean.
* When President Bush announced PEPFAR, it was estimated that only 50,000 people were receiving treatment for HIV/AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa. Of those for whom PEPFAR supported treatment as of March 2008, more than 2 million are in this region.
* Supported care for nearly 9.7 million people, including care for nearly 4 million orphans and vulnerable children
* Supported over 57 million counseling and testing sessions to date for men, women and children through fiscal year 2008.

** This is just the icing on the iceberg(?). PEPFAR has been able to also bring forth cooperation of individuals and organizations, all coming together to fight the inhumanity that is HIV/AIDS.