Washington D.C., Dec 1, 2008 / 15:50 pm
President George W. Bush on Monday discussed his administration’s AIDS relief policies, announcing that the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, known as PEPFAR, has exceeded its goal of assisting millions of victims and their families.
In comments delivered at the White House on Monday to mark World AIDS Day, President Bush reported that PEPFAR has already exceeded its goal of supporting treatment for two million people in five years.
Previously, only about 50,000 HIV-positive people in sub-Saharan Africa had been receiving retroviral treatment for HIV.
Calling PEPFAR “one of the most important initiatives of my administration,” the president remarked that the program has supported care for more than 10 million people affected by HIV, including more than four million orphans and vulnerable children.