US set to spend $50bn against HIV (in Africa)

The US is set to spend $50bn to battle HIV/Aids in the next five years. The US House of Representatives has passed a bill to more than triple government spending in Africa and other badly affected parts of the world.

It is a significant increase from the 15 billionn set aside by President Bush in 2003 and is the largest amount spent to combat any disease. The money will be used to treat approximately 1.5 million people.


news.bbc.co.uk...

Why are we still spending money that we don't have? I am all for helping with aids in Africa, but shouldn't we have some sort of fiscal responsibility as well?

I feel like someone has stolen my credit card and the bank won't let me cancel it.

This is a great idea! Let American (struggling in a recession) donate 50 billion dollars so we can buy each dictator in Africa a new yacht and palace. Apparently, we'll never learn our lesson with this continent and their unbridled corruption and blatant mismanagement of anything above tribal level. This is just ABSURB!

This money to "prevent AIDS", while on its own is fantastic, within the wider context, it's not going to help. Africa should post a No Vacancy sign, human beings many with AIDS are re-producing at a rate which can't be sustained by their (in)ability to grow food. This shortage of resources(mostly water). causes desperate feuds between different tribes, all struggling to get the resources they need to maintain their population. The feuds spiral into wars, genocide, mass rape and murder.

Please, dont misinterupt my sentiments. I feel for the helpless innocents and intellectual africans who live in the civilized remnants of colonial times, (the ones who long for freedom and equality, and look on as their countrymen perpetuate this paradigm of war, genocide, famine, and brutality before them).

But pumping my money into the region is not the answer! I would much rather waste this money in our own backyard. CHARITY STARTS AT HOME.

I heard this on the radio this morning, and wondered why the US is spending this much money. You don't invest $50Bn for the hell of it...what's expected in return??

I'm all for charity, but I think it should begin at home first. We have over 47,000,000 Americans without healthcare, almost a million homeless people, and 35 million people that live in households that are food insecure?

Let the rest of the World take care of their own people for a change, while we concentrate on ours.

I have no doubt that they will spend $50bn but if you believe that it will all be on HIV/Aids I have a bridge to sell you in Texas. I say its a front for them to take more money for other projects that they would rather not explain about.

[edit on 3-4-2008 by Digital_Reality]