Bush: AIDS Fight in Africa Is American Way

When George W. Bush became president, “much of sub-Saharan Africa was on the verge of catastrophe” thanks to the HIV epidemic. So America took action, and now millions are on AIDS medication. The relief effort served US interests in helping to stabilize a region on the brink; but what’s more, taking action reflected “American character and beliefs,” Bush writes in the Washington Post.

Great progress has been made since Bush took office, including a recent UN announcement that “the world has begun to halt and reverse the spread of HIV/AIDS,” Bush notes. But the fight is far from over. Some “friendly advice” to Congress: “A thousand pressing issues come with each day. But there are only a few that you will want to talk about in retirement with your children.” This is one.