How George W. Bush Saved Millions of Africans by Gregory Hilton

In April researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine released an in-depth report on former President George W. Bush’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief. The report credits the former President with saving over 10 million African lives, but it has received almost no press attention. Bush spoke about AIDS on June 17th during his first post-presidential speech, but the media ignored his remarks.
One participant at the conference said “If a Democratic Party president had done this, he would be feted as both a national hero and international hero on his way to a ceremony with the Nobel Committee.” Rock star Bob Geldof asked Bush “Why doesn’t America know about this?” Bush answered: “I tried to tell them. But the press wasn’t interested.”
The Bush Administration did contribute to the deficit. The former President quadrupled foreign aid, he spent $15 billion on AIDS treatment and prevention, and $10 billion on his Millennium Challenge Account. This was not a handout but a partnership restricted to responsible nations. Amid poverty and disease this money has been an investment for growth. In many countries the aid is being replaced by trade pacts, business deals and home-grown income.
According to Paul Kengor the author of God and George W. Bush (HarperCollins, 2004), “Bush understood the financial cost — and said so explicitly. Nonetheless, he judged that only America could carry out this ‘act of compassion’ at that critical juncture. He also judged, apparently, that only he, as a Western leader, had the will to do this. Millions of lives have been spared or bettered due to President Bush’s intervention.”