Bush's lead on AIDS fight in Africa is commendable
By Chido Nwangwu

Special to USAfrica The Newspaper, Houston
USAfricaonline.com and CLASS magazine and The Black Business Journal

(This insight was written on January 28, 2003, in Houston, Texas)

No less a figure than the world's preeminent living statesman Nelson Mandela of South Africa who said at the 14th International AIDS Conference in 2002 "AIDS is a war against humanity." Then he added a chilling reminder of a harsh fact that AIDS is claiming more victims "than all wars and natural disasters.'' In fact, the United Nations has since warned that 70 million people could die in the next 20 years "unless drastic action is taken'' to tackle AIDS. Accordingly, I believe that U.S. President George W. Bush has initiated a very commendable action by announcing during his 2003 State of the Union address a pledge of $15 billion for Africa in the fight against AIDS. In seeking an appropriate, loft philosophical anchor for the challenge ahead, Bush called it a "work of mercy" - noting, "This nation can lead the world in sparing innocent people from a plague of nature."

At an international level, Bush has:

• cast the proper attention and light to the dark, dreary, lonesome and gripping lives of millions of continental Africans infected with the AIDS virus in some obscure village where neither ordinary vitamin C tablets nor disposable syringes for administering medication exist &endash; even as the continent's leaders buy multiple jet planes and live opulent, decadent lifestyles of tenured squandermaniacs;

• raised the moral and financial challenge for the colonial rulers of Africa, namely France, Britain, Belgium, Germany, and pre-colonial Arabist theocratic empire builders who practically raped Africa's resources and manpower.

• domestically, Bush has added the issue of AIDS in Africa (not 'African AIDS' as some ignoramuses in the media and the San Antonio-based right-wing "pastor" John Hagee have mis-defined and truncated the disease.

At the level of implementation, having traveled to different regions of the African continent and residing here in the U.S., I'll strongly recommend that accountable NGOs and reputable private agencies play active roles in this new "work of mercy" in battling the issue of AIDS.

When I served on Houston Mayor Lee Brown's transition committee in 1999-2000, I made the point that AIDS in Africa must be of policy and operational interest for Houston and other key cities in the U.S. Why? There are thousands of Africans in the Harris county, and native-born Americans who travel regularly across Africa for business and educational interests.

32 million Africans are infected with the HIV virus, almost 5 million of them are teenagers with less than 50,000 people getting the medicine required to manage whatever remains of their enfeebled lives.

In 1998, when I covered U.S. former president Bill Clinton's visit to Africa, we witnessed the ravages of AIDS inside Africa. Clinton has argued that "One hundred million AIDS cases means more terror, more mercenaries, more war, destruction, and the failure of fragile democracies.'' Translation: AIDS and its related complications will affect all of us, one way or another!

Fact remains that Africa suffers the scourge of the AIDS virus in a certain, frightening reality, a disaster of catastrophic proportions, devastating human beings who form the core of any definition of a country's future, its national security, actual and potential economic development and internal markets.

In the quest for some solutions and education, in recognition of the dangers of the AIDS virus and its catastrophic impact on our continents and peoples, almost 4 years ago I established the USAfrica FightAIDS project. We can do more, and better.

 Amidst all the devastation, it is startling and saddening that while Africans are facing the most serious threat to our collective existence, some African leaders misappropriate scarce resources and privatize public funds. Tell me the last time you read that any African leader devoted substantial money to a scientific health research foundation? The amounts spent for partisan political and ethnic power struggle is terribly atrocious, and disconnects from the basic needs of the majority of the people. For example, the scandalous 1998-1999 and January 2003 political auctions of votes called party primaries in Nigeria which bought, brought and has kept retired Gen. Olusegun Obasanjo in power is enough to create 53 modern healthcare centers in every capital city of the countries in Africa!

Ironically, the younger Bush who dismissed Africa during his 1999 election campaign as not being an area of priority, has set on a better, noble and compassionate march to which all who speak for the living and human decency must join. It was on the editorial pages of a number of American and African newspapers in 1991 - just a few weeks before Christmas - that I wrote an essay, America's cavalry of hope in Somalia, regarding the U.S. Marines who were sent on a "humanitarian mission" to Somalia by then president George H.W. Bush. He said they were there to do "God's work… saving thousands of innocents." His son, the 43rd president of the U.S., is returning to Africa, returning to deploy the moral power of the American republic, opening the challenging doors of history and compassion for a higher, more critical task. For that, on this issue, he gets my support and prayers!

God bless, America!

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