U.S. Assistance Through Programs Such As PEPFAR, PMI 'Impacting Millions Of Lives' Worldwide, Opinion Piece Says

Main Category: HIV / AIDS
Also Included In: Aid / Disasters
Article Date: 24 Oct 2008 - 8:00 PDT

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Through the assistance that people worldwide "receive from the U.S. government in partnership with host-country governments and civil society partners, Americans are helping fight poverty and forging a more prosperous future," John Danilovich, CEO of the Millennium Challenge Corporation, writes in a Miami Herald opinion piece. According to Danilovich, President Bush has led a "new vision for international development since he took office in 2001," and Tuesday's White House Summit on International Development "spotlighted the successes and challenges of this visionary approach and explored ways to sustain this new era in international development." He adds that the summit "explored principle-based policies and results-driven programs," including the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, the President's Malaria Initiative and MCC. These programs -- as well as "other U.S. responses to food security, health and education issues -- are producing historic results and impacting millions of lives," Danilovich writes.

Bush's "new approach to international development also emphasizes the principle of partnership," and U.S. assistance "supports partner countries' own plans for development," Danilovich writes, adding, "To ensure the sustainable impact of our investments, the United States works with governments and local organizations to build partnerships and support effective homegrown solutions to sustain economic development well into the future." According to Danilovich, "Americans share a belief that to whom much is given, much is required. Americans also believe that our help is best used when it goes to those working hard to help themselves." He concludes, "Through these convictions, the United States has delivered unprecedented assistance to individuals and nations taking tough actions to overcome the challenges of poverty. This is a legacy that America can be proud of and must continue to embrace" (Danilovich, Miami Herald, 10/23).

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