For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
July 12, 2003
President's Radio Address
Audio
PRESIDENT BUSH: Good morning. I've spent this week visiting
Africa, a continent of great challenge and promise. Throughout this
journey and in meetings with leaders of more than 10 countries, I have
reaffirmed America's strong commitment to a more peaceful and
prosperous future for all the peoples of Africa.
America supports democratic and economic reforms in Africa because
we know the power of freedom to lift whole nations and bring new
opportunities to millions. And in a time of growing commerce across
the globe, we are working to ensure that the nations of Africa are full
partners in the trade and prosperity of the world.
Progress in Africa depends on peace and stability, so America is
standing with friends and allies to help end regional wars. And
against the murderous ambitions of terrorists, the United States and
African countries are working in common purpose. We will not permit
terrorists to threaten African peoples, or to use Africa as a base to
threaten the world.
The United States is also committed to helping African peoples
overcome one of the gravest dangers they have ever faced, the spread of
HIV/AIDS. And the need is urgent. Across the continent today, nearly
30 million people are living with HIV/AIDS, including 3 million
children under the age of 15. In Botswana alone, where I visited on
Thursday, nearly 40 percent of the adult population has HIV.
People in Africa are waging a courageous fight against this
disease. In another nation on my trip, Uganda, urban and rural clinics
are providing vital medical care, counseling, sound and honest
information on AIDS prevention. Thanks to caring people and wise
government policies, Uganda has dramatically reduced its infection
rate. More Ugandan children are growing up with mothers and fathers,
and Uganda is reclaiming its future.
The tremendous progress in Uganda is showing that AIDS can be
defeated across Africa. Yet current efforts to oppose the disease are
simply not equal to the need. More than 4 million people require
immediate drug treatment, but just 1 percent of them are receiving the
medicine they require. Africa has the will to fight AIDS, but it needs
the resources, as well.
Over the next five years, the United States Congress has authorized
$15 billion to fight AIDS around the world, with a special focus on 14
nations in Africa and the Caribbean. Working with governments and
private groups and faith-based organizations, we will build on the
progress in Uganda by establishing a comprehensive system to prevent,
diagnose and treat AIDS.
We will support abstinence-based education for young people and
provide comprehensive services to prevent millions of new infections.
We will provide HIV testing and purchase anti-retroviral medications
and other drugs that are needed to extend lives. We will help
establish broad and efficient networks to deliver drugs. We will help
build, renovate and equip clinics and laboratories. We'll prepare
doctors, nurses, and other health care professionals to treat AIDS more
effectively. And the resources America provides will also help to hire
and train child care workers to look after orphans and provide care at
home to many AIDS patients.
This week, a committee of the House of Representatives took an
important step to fund the first year of this effort. I ask the Senate
to move quickly, as well. And I urge the entire Congress to fully fund
my request for the emergency plan for AIDS relief, so that America can
help turn the tide against AIDS in Africa.
All of our actions in Africa -- from fighting AIDS to promoting
security and prosperity across the continent -- represent the ideals
that have always guided America in the world. The United States is
committed to the success of Africa, because the peoples of Africa
deserve to live in freedom and dignity, and to share in the progress of
our times.
Thank you for listening.
END
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