President George Bush had initially proposed doubling the program to fight AIDS in Africa and other parts of the world to $30 billion. Then the House, led by Democrats, raised it to $50 billion. The House of Representatives yesterday passed a bill which will more than triple spending to combat AIDS abroad – the vote, a bi-partisan compromise, was passed, 308 to 116. Democrats voted unanimously in favor.
The House passed a bill for $50 billion in funding to combat AIDS, TB (tuberculosis) and malaria over the coming five years – a huge jump from the initial $15 billion. Now a bill is making its way to the Senate.
The White House called on the House to pass the bill
“Today, the full House is scheduled to consider bipartisan legislation to reauthorize the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief. During the President and Mrs. Bush’s trip to Africa in February, we saw firsthand this program’s positive impact on people’s lives across Africa. This bill retains the important policy principles that have made PEPFAR such a success, and we strongly urge Members to support its passage. We commend the House for taking this critical step in the reauthorization process and encourage Congress to send a bill to the President’s desk so that America can continue this incredibly successful program.”
– White House Press Secretary Dana Perino, 4/2/08
In 2003 President George Bush launched PEPFAR (President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief). It committed $15 billion over a period of five years to fight global HIV/AIDS – the largest international health initiative in history to combat a single disease. Then in 2007 Bush asked Congress to double the original funding. The program provides support and drugs in 12 African countries (Botswana, Cote d’Ivoire, Ethiopia, Guyana, Haiti, Kenya, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Vietnam, and Zambia) as well as Vietnam, Guyana and Haiti. This new bill adds another 14 countries in the Caribbean basin, plus three more African countries (Lesotho, Malawi and Swaziland).
Those opposed to the Bill say it is too much money, especially when there are pressing domestic needs which need to be tackled.
Democrats did not agree that about one third of the program’s money is dedicated to sexual abstinence education. They said would prefer to see “balanced funding” for abstinence, fidelity and condom programs, and the bill was reworded to reflect this.
Of the $50 billion, $9 billion would be used to combat TB and malaria – two diseases which commonly infect HIV-positive people in the African continent. The $9 billion would also underwrite food supplements for individuals living with HIV/AIDS. Women who became widowed as a result of AIDS, or became ostracized because they were HIV-positive, would be eligible for loans.
Of the remaining $41 billion, which would be allocated specifically for HIV/AIDS, up to $2 billion would be designated for the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. Funds would also be released to train approximately 140,000 new health care workers.
PEPFAR aims to double the number of people receiving antiretroviral drugs to 3 million. It also aims to prevent 12 million new HIV cases and provide care for 12 million patients.
Written by – Christian Nordqvist