Though a new generation of effective drug therapies has helped prolong the lives of nearly one million Americans infected with HIV, those treatment advances are of little comfort in African countries where more than 17 million Africans have died from AIDS – three-quarters of the world’s toll since the epidemic began. The disease has left behind a generation of orphans in the hardest-hit areas, and few Africans can afford the drugs that could help save lives.
But there’s good news: The crisis in Africa compelled President George W. Bush to propose $688 million more in AIDS funding, including $200 million for an international trust fund to fight AIDS as part of a “Marshall Plan” for Africa. Much of the money is expected to be used in AIDS vaccine research.
For information on how you might help people in Africa with AIDS through donations or volunteering, check out these sites:
AfriCARE
Joint United Nations Program on AIDS