Foreign+Involvement+-+AIDS+-+F08+-+4

Sixty-nine countries throughout the world have populations in which 90% of the people have AIDS, and 6,000 Africans die each day from the disease. Fortunately, America is the leading country in helping and offering hope to these countries, especially those in Africa. Most funding for AIDS comes from foundations created by the government. The largest foundation is the Gates Foundation, which partners with major pharmaceutical companies to fund research, develop community projects, create new health infrastructures, and educates the public about preventing AIDS. Other important and major foundations are the Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation, the Abbott Fund, and the Clinton Foundation. Bristol-Myers has contributed $150 million to Lesotho, Swaziland, Botswana, Nambia, Burkina Faso, Mali, Cote d’Ivoire and Senegal. Bristol-Myer’s programs includes 4,000 local leaders that provide patient counseling, anti-retroviral drugs, and community based treatment. It has also created the Pediatric AIDS Corp., which provides Africa with 50 North American pediatricians each year to treat children with AIDS. The Abbott Fund puts in $40 million to expand Tanzania’s access to AIDS/HIV testing and treatment. It’s also helping orphans and vulnerable children who struggle with the virus. The Clinton Foundation (created by Bill Clinton during his presidency) puts price reductions on AIDS drugs and 1.4 million people can now afford the medicine and continue to benefit from it.

Hasson, Judi; American Firms Provide Help to Fight AIDS Epidemic; 31 July 2008; 22 September 2008; 

The American Red Cross (which consists of 97 million volunteers) has planted community gardens throughout Africa to improve the nutrition of AIDS sufferers. It also provides them with an additional source of income. The Red Cross installed an education program called “Together We Can.” It will educate more than 450,000 people between the ages of 10 and 24 with “edutainment,” AIDS prevention, curriculum and peer-to-peer outreach.

Action in Africa: Mobilizing the Power of Humanity; 23 September 2008; 