President George Bush’s greatest success was the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPfAR), his signature program to assist poor countries afflicted with AIDS. According to a Standford study, between 2004-2008, the program saved 740,000 lives.
That benefit has continued under President Obama’s watch. Subsequent studies show that PEPfAR has saved 1.2 million lives. From a 2010 study published in Clinical Infectious Diseases:
PEPfAR I averted 1.2 million deaths, and HIV-related mortality decreased by 10% in PEPfAR focus countries, compared to those without such support [2]. The perception that PEPfAR is at odds with dedicated efforts toward maternal and child health ignores the massive direct and indirect benefits PEPfAR has achieved already for mothers and children. It may be that PEPfAR—by providing health infrastructure, HIV prevention, parental survival, and the opportunity to sustain economic growth—is the most generous gift the United States can provide to future generations of those countries most in need.
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