Bush Earns Medal for AIDS Efforts

Today, the twentieth anniversary of World AIDS Day, George W. Bush received the first "International Medal of P.E.A.C.E." for his contribution to world peace via HIV/AIDS funding. Starting in 2003, Bush’s President’s Emergency Plan For AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) gave $15 billion to international programs to fight HIV/AIDS, but the programs were widely panned for their focus on abstinence-before-marriage and be-faithful-to-one-partner education. The medal was awarded by Pastor Rick Warren's new P.E.A.C.E. organization, which honors "ordinary people empowered by God."

According to a 2006 year-long study by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, the ideological bent of PEPFAR made the programs ineffective in countries with high HIV rates like Uganda and South Africa. South Africa's HIV prevalence rate among adults has increased from 18.8% in 2005 to 25.5% today. And in Uganda, the infection rate nearly doubled between 2003, just after PEPFAR began implementing programs there, and 2005.

Until this year, PEPFAR recipients were required to spend a third of their prevention funds on abstinence education. In the most recent PEPFAR legislation from July 2008, these requirements are more lenient, but still require recipients to notify Congress if they plan to spend less than half its funding on sexual-transmission prevention on abstinence and faithfulness programs. Barack Obama’s website says that the President Elect plans to “dramatically increase funding for global HIV and AIDS programs through the President’s Emergency Program for AIDS Relief,” and that he will use “the best practices—not ideology—to drive funding for HIV/AIDS programs.”

Check out more MoJo coverage of Bush’s AIDS policies here: Affordable Treatment, Mixed Signals, Bush's Biggest Achievements, and Bush’s Mixed Record.

— Tay Wiles

Comments

Rick Warren is a snake oil salesman and someday he will have to reckon with this fact before his own G-d. If he has any luck, it will be tearfully during his life instead of woefully after his death.

Posted by: anon on 12/01/08 at 3:59 PM Respond

How convient, Bush receives an award for HIV/aids after stating that he felt part of his legacy should include his work in HIV/aids! And what exactly did he do for HIV/Aids? A photo op? Cut funding? Insist on abstience and refuse to give condoms to insure the disease is not transmitted?
I do not know who this Rick Warren is, but he must be part of the faith based coalition that our taxes are funding, he evidently has no conscience or intelligence, but is well paid.
=
These Christians Crack Me Up!

Ibett

Posted by: Ibett on 12/01/08 at 5:22 PM Respond

Let the mass stamping of phony medals from conservative nutcases commence in their attempt to disguise the Bush administration's utter lack of accomplishments.

Posted by: Gary on 12/02/08 at 5:04 AM Respond

As a true Hawk, Bush is against any death not related to battle injuries-Good for him! His legacy can now include becoming a shoe salesman-he seems to have a knack for getting them for free!

Bush Earns Medal for AIDS Efforts

Comments

ARCHIVE

RECENT COMMENTS

THE CURRENT ISSUE

SEARCH MOTHER JONES

PHOTO ESSAYS

TODAY ON...

SPECIAL REPORTS

INTERVIEWS

LETTERS

BLOG LINKS

Blog Reader Project Survey

IN PRINT

DONATE TODAY