President Bush fights to keep abstinence in ABC

President Bush is in Tanzania today imploring Congress to renew his AIDS initiative which includes an earmark that steers a portion of that money into abstinence education programs in foreign countries. PEPFAR (President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief) will expire in one year if not renewed by Congress. According to an Associated Press report, President Bush is highlighting AIDS efforts as he makes a tour of five African nations this week. “My attitude toward Congress is, see what works,” Bush said. “PEPFAR is working. It is a balanced program. It is an ABC program — abstinence, be faithful and condoms. It is a program that’s been proven effective.”

A posting on the Family Research Council blog shows the extent of the commitment by the Bush administration to fight AIDS around the globe.

In his State of the Union address on January 28, 2003, President George W. Bush announced the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). PEPFAR is the largest commitment ever by any nation for an international health initiative dedicated to a single disease — a five-year, $15 billion, and multifaceted approach to combating the disease around the world. The United States now leads the world in its level of support for the fight against HIV/AIDS.

During his 2008 State of the Union address, President Bush highlighted the successes of PEPFAR and once again called on Congress to reauthorize the program for an additional $30 billion over five years. He noted:

…America is leading the fight against disease. With your help, we are working to cut by half the number of malaria-related deaths in 15 African nations. And our Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief is treating 1.4 million people. We can bring healing and hope to many more. So I ask you to maintain the principles that have changed behavior and made this program a success. And I call on you to double our initial commitment to fighting HIV/AIDS by approving an additional $30 billion over the next 5 years. …

You can get more information on PEPFAR and see the new documentary that Warner Brothers Entertainment produced on the effort by going to www.pepfar.gov.