Obama AIDS Day Message Praises President Bush

CHICAGO — President-elect Barack Obama praised the Bush administration's effort to combat AIDS and pledged Monday to continue to fight the deadly disease when he takes office in January.

Obama discussed AIDS in videotaped remarks to the Saddleback Civil Forum on Global Health held in Washington. The remarks were released Monday while Obama was in Chicago to announce members of his national security team.

In the video, Obama noted advancements since the first World AIDS Day 20 years ago. Among the accomplishments was Bush's initiative of giving lifesaving antiretroviral treatment to people in sub-Saharan Africa.

"I salute President Bush for his leadership in crafting a plan for AIDS relief in Africa and backing it up with funding dedicated to saving lives and preventing the spread of the disease," Obama said. "And my administration will continue this critical work to address the crisis around the world."

He also urged people to recommit themselves to addressing AIDS in the United States with a strategy involving prevention, treatment and a focus on at-risk communities. Obama said everyone must help address the disease because "in the end this epidemic can't be stopped by government alone, and money alone is not the answer either."

More than one million people in the United States are living with HIV/AIDS, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

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World Aids Day

http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/resources/factsheets/us.htm

Comments

[HeatherLeila]

Sorry, but throwing all that money at abstinence and denying condoms is wrong and has created worse problems. We can only hope things will turn around with this new admin. http://heatherleila3.blogspot.com/search/label/public%20health

[Hawka]

Sure, give him his AIDS stick, might as well leave the sucker with some kind of bone, I mean the law of probability had to have him do something right at some point. Then I say take it, revamp it, and make it totally outshine his efforts in comparison. Don't think that will be too hard.

[soot]

That's good of him!

Pres. Bush's AIDS and HIV relief program has been one of the few successes of his administration, but I think credit is deserved where its due.

[AZterritory]

Fine and dandy, except since Reagan days USA support for family planning and now HIV/AIDS is predicated on abstinence only--I worked in South Africa and saw firsthand, abstinence only does NOTHING to realistically deal with this. I hope PE Obama overhauls the whole thing and dumps the far right wing agenda that is killing people and allows support for REAL science-based family planning.

[oldGunny]

That was classy of him.

[drsmc41]

He's "on it."

[Huffpoor]

What kind of ridiculous pandering is this? George W. Bush screwed up many things over the past eight years, and disease prevention and treatment was hardly the least among them. There are fewer things I find less praiseworthy than his "effort to combat AIDS." For example, funds allocated to abstinence only education meant that additional funds used for testing and treatment of STI's/STD's were choked. If prevention efforts were tied in with other educational resources that mentioned contraception in any form, they too were often prohibited. Furthermore, for all of his born-again rhetorical mandate to salvage African health, Bush made it nearly impossible for countries to access resources that are proven to aid in the prevention and spread of HIV and AIDS. Political games like advocating promise rings and purity balls at the cost of scientifically-accurate information in the United States is despicable, but enforcing these unrealistic and baseless requirements on the Congo or Somalia show nothing but lack Bush's lack of interest, curiosity, analytical skills and care for this region, the world and the diseases ravaging us.

Let's hope Obama meant this tongue-in-cheek, or else I'm thoroughly horrified.

[LesserFool2]

Obama also praised Bush for his AIDS efforts during one of the debates with McCain. I doubt it is tongue-in-cheek.

[harriscrl3]

Where have you been? During the campaign Obama was raking Bush over the coals for his foreign policy and economic policy. Now he is compelmenting him as he is worthy of as it pertains to HIV/AIDS

Carol

[canucklivinginUSA]

What part of being post-partisanship you didn't get?