George Bush to return to DC for 20th anniversary of AIDS relief program
Misty Severi
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Former President George W. Bush will return to Washington, D.C., later this month to celebrate the 20th anniversary of his President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief program.
Bush, the 43rd U.S. president, will be joined by his Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, former President of Tanzania Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete, and Bill Gates on Feb. 24 at an event hosted by the George W. Bush Institute. David Kramer, executive director of the Bush Institute, will also attend the celebration.
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“PEPFAR is arguably the most successful U.S. foreign assistance program ever, having saved more than 25 million lives to date,” Kramer said in a press release.
“PEPFAR has also strengthened health systems, emboldened democracies, supported economic growth, and advanced progress on human rights. Congress and the American people should continue to support PEPFAR until AIDS is no longer a threat,” he added.
Bush, Rice, and Kikwete will discuss how the PEPFAR program has affected the world, including foreign policy and the countries that have been part of it, according to the release.
The program operates in 65 countries.
Gates and Kramer will discuss how PEPFAR’s successful program model can inform U.S. engagement in global health and development more broadly.
Former first lady Laura Bush will provide brief remarks and introduce two Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation ambassadors from Tanzania who attended the State of the Union address in 2008.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken will deliver remarks virtually.
Politicians on both sides of the political aisle have praised Bush’s leadership in creating the program in 2003. President Joe Biden recently commented on the 20-year-anniversary during his State of the Union address Tuesday. Biden said he wanted to apply Bush’s idea and motivation to cancer. Biden’s eldest son, Beau, died of brain cancer in 2015.
“Twenty years ago, under the leadership of President Bush and countless advocates and champions, he undertook a bipartisan effort through PEPFAR to transform the global fight against HIV/AIDS. It’s been a huge success,” Biden said. “He thought big. He thought large. He moved! I believe we can do the same thing with cancer. Let’s end cancer as we know it and cure some cancers once and for all.”
U2 lead singer Bono, a longtime AIDS activist who is credited with helping garner support for PEPFAR, was a guest of first lady Jill Biden at the State of the Union.
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Bush is also expected to push Congress to reauthorize PEPFAR before funding for the program runs out in September, the end of the fiscal year.