Sunday, September 27, 2009

Bill and Melinda Gates making a case for foriegn aid


Bill and Melinda Gates new campaign, Living Proof, sets out to prove that the $8 billion dollars Americans invested in global health is actually working. This campaign will run over the next five weeks, and is aimed primarily at policy makers in Washington. Their message is this campaign proves the aid has saved millions of lives and those children and adults benefiting from the aid has led to more productive lives. U.S-supported initiatives aims to fight malaria, AIDS, and other diseases. Both Bill and Melinda Gates has seen the progress and optimism on their trips and wants to show the American public where tax payers money is going. The U.S. government spent about $30 billion on foreign aid since 2008, about 1 percent of the U.S. budget, and of the total foreign aid, about $8 billion goes toward health programs. Programs that will be highlighted by the Gates Foundation will include the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, which saved an estimated 1.2 million people by expanding access to HIV prevention and treatment. Other programs that will highlighted are U.S supported programs that delivered 88 million insecticide-treated bednets to protect children from Malaria, life-saving TB treatment programs in 41 developing countries, malaria prevention and treatment for 32 million people, and fortified food for tens of millions of children in developing countries.
Chris Kuntze
Source: Seattle Times