"A Commitment to Africa"

By Orna T. Blum
Public Affairs Officer
Embassy of the United States of America
July 10, 2003

PUBLISHED IN THE DAILY GLEANER, SATURDAY JULY 12, 2003

I read with interest the article by John Rapley entitled, "George Bush Goes to Africa."  In the article, Dr. Rapley critiques the motivations and policies of both President George W. Bush, and former President Bill Clinton, on Africa and HIV/AIDS.  As one who has worked throughout Africa on AIDS and other development issues, I must challenge several of his assertions.  From my experience in the region - working for a nonpartisan NGO, and later with the US government - I have seen how the leaders of the United States "put their money where their mouths are."  As a U.S. taxpayer, I am proud of America's continued commitment to foreign aid in Africa and around the world.

Successful HIV prevention and treatment depends on political commitment.  It was therefore alarming when, in 2000, there were doubts at the highest leadership level in South Africa that HIV infection causes disease and death.  This severely affected the ability to conduct education and to distribute affordable drugs to those in need.  Fortunately, the tide has changed, and the leadership now recognizes AIDS as a deadly infectious disease.  

Today, the United States has large bilateral assistance programs worldwide to fight HIV/AIDS, such as the one in Jamaica.  The U.S. Agency for International Development's US$1 million/year support of the  National AIDS Committee here in Jamaica, for example,  sponsors a voluntary counseling and testing training program, supports local NGOs, assists in designing behavior change and communication programs, helps detect trends in the transmission of HIV, and supports efforts to halt mother-to-child transmission of the disease. 

The new Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief is a work of mercy beyond all current international efforts to help the people of Africa. President Bush asked Congress to commit $15 billion over the next five years to turn the tide against AIDS in the most afflicted nations of Africa and the Caribbean.  The President received bipartisan support from Congress, and passed the appropriations bill with unprecedented speed. 

Implementation of the Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief will be based on a "network model" being employed in countries such as Uganda. This involves a layered network of central medical centers (CMCs) that support satellite centers and mobile units, with varying levels of medical expertise as treatment moves from urban to rural communities. The model will employ uniform prevention, care, and treatment protocols and prepared medication packs for ease of drug administration. It will build directly on clinics, sites, and programs established through the U.S. Agency for International Development, the Department of Health and Human Services, non-governmental organizations, faith-based groups, and willing host governments. 

Last week, President Bush announced his choice of Randall Tobias, a former chief executive of Eli Lilly & Company, to serve as the coordinator for the Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief.  Tobias is a superb leader who knows a great deal about lifesaving medicines, and who knows how to get results.  As Global AIDS Coordinator, he will have the rank of ambassador, and will report directly to Secretary of State Powell.

To top this off, President Bush announced on July 9 that he would be asking Congress for even more AIDS funding.

In March 2002, President Bush announced that the United States would increase its economic development assistance to developing countries by 50% over the next 3 years, resulting in a $5 billion annual increase over current levels by FY 2006. This increased assistance will go to a new Millennium Challenge Account (MCA) that funds initiatives to improve the economies and standards of living in qualified developing countries. The goal of the MCA is to reward sound policy decisions that support economic growth and reduce poverty.  The President submitted the bill to Congress in February, and the appropriations committees of the House of Representatives and the Senate are now reviewing it. 

The United States is a proud leader in foreign assistance in Africa.  I take heart in the words of President Thabo Mbeki, who met with President Bush in Pretoria on Wednesday: "I must say, President, that at the end of these discussions, we, all of us, feel enormously strengthened by your very, very firm and clear commitment to assist us to meet the challenges that we've got to meet domestically and on the African continent."