Bush Calls For $30 Billion To Fight AIDS

That's leaps and bounds more than any previous effort by the US or anyone else for that matter. It's a staggering sum of money to go to a problem that has devastated parts of Africa and kills thousands every year.

The initiative, if approved, would build on a program that grew out of the president’s 2003 State of the Union address, when he asked for $15 billion over five years for prevention, treatment and care of AIDS patients in developing countries. Congress approved more than $18 billion, but the program is set to expire next year.

Mr. Bush’s announcement, delivered in the White House Rose Garden, adds to what has become an unexpectedly high priority for the White House. AIDS was not a signature issue for Mr. Bush when he ran for office in 2000. But it has become one in part because the Christian conservatives who make up his political base have embraced it, and in part because Mr. Bush wants to build a legacy for the United States and a more compassionate image abroad to counter international criticism of American policies in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.

That sentiment was reflected in Mr. Bush’s remarks on Wednesday.

“Once again, the generosity of the American people is one of the great untold stories of our time,” he said. “Our citizens are offering comfort to millions who suffer, and restoring hope to those who feel forsaken.”

The Times can't help but opine on how the Iraq campaign has supposedly tarnished the American image abroad, but I consider 50 million people who no longer have to live under totalitarian and thuggish rule to be an important legacy all of its own.

All that said, I wish a fraction of that $30 billion would go to deal with a far more acute crisis - fighting malaria:

Malaria causes about 350–500 million infections in humans and approximately one to three million deaths annually[14] — this represents at least one death every 30 seconds. The vast majority of cases occur in children under the age of 5 years;[15] pregnant women are also especially vulnerable. Despite efforts to reduce transmission and increase treatment, there has been little change in which areas are at risk of this disease since 1992.[16] Indeed, if the prevalence of malaria stays on its present upwards course, the death rate could double in the next twenty years.[14]