President George Bush’s announcement that AIDS prevention if Africa will be a priority of the United States was greeted with enthusiasm by leaders of the Baptist World Alliance.
In his State of the Union message to Congress and the nation Jan. 28, President Bush asked Congress to commit $15 billion dollars during the next five years “to turn the tide against AIDS in the most affected nations of Africa and the Caribbean.”
“It was good news that U.S. taxpayers, through the U.S. government, are going to do more to prevent AIDS and assist those living with AIDS,” said Paul Montacute, director of Baptist World Aid. “This is welcome news. Already Christians are working with those suffering from AIDS, and these additional resources would be welcomed.
“Just today I have received a report on a Baptist World Aid sponsored AIDS Education Programme run by the Baptist Union of Uganda,” Montacute said.
“Volunteer AIDS educators have been trained to educate people on how to reduce the spread of AIDS and how to care for those already suffering,” he added.
Bush said “nearly 30 million people on the continent of Africa have the AIDS virus, including 3 million children under age 15. There are whole countries in Africa where more than one-third of the adult population carries the infection.”
He continued, “More than 4 million require drug treatment. Yet across that continent only 50,000 AIDS victims are receiving the medicine they need. Because the AIDS diagnosis is considered a death sentence, many do not seek treatment. Almost all who do are turned away.”
Bush’s plan would prevent 7 million new AIDS infections, treat at least 2 million people with life-extending drugs and provide humane care for millions of people suffering from AIDS and for children orphaned by AIDS.
(BWA)
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