Orlando Sentinel: Commentary: AIDS, Africa and foreign aid: George W. Bush’s vision
Holly Kuzmich, executive director of the George W. Bush Institute and senior vice president of the George W. Bush Presidential Center

“…Aid that addresses both humanitarian crises as well as security is something we should all care about and support. … PEPFAR is proof that the U.S. government can run a highly effective, results-oriented program that puts taxpayer dollars to work where the return on investment is lives saved. … [E]fforts like PEPFAR, while seeming to be only altruistic, also have an important effect on our own national security. According to the World Bank, since 2004, PEPFAR countries in sub-Saharan Africa reduced political instability and violent activity by 40 percent, compared with only three percent among non-PEPFAR countries in the region. … There is no doubt that the generosity of the American people has been transformational and necessary in reversing the HIV/AIDS crisis in sub-Saharan Africa, and ending investments prematurely puts this progress at risk. … Continued investments in global health, economic growth, and increased trade with Africa are vital. What happens overseas matters more than ever here in the United States, especially to our security and stability” (8/16).