Garrett vs the African AIDS Epidemic

by: Juan Melli

Thu Feb 28, 2008 at 01:03:10 AM EST

This has to be a campaign commercial this year.

In his most recent post on Townhall.com, Representative Scott Garrett came out strongly against the compromise bill to re-authorize the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). Here are Garrett's thoughts:

More than 25 million people have died from AIDS and many lawmakers want to extend this compassionate effort, but sadly this proposal does not help the people of Africa, it only hurts them.

Okay, here are the results of the program thusfar:

• Prevention of mother-to-child HIV transmission services for women during more than 10 million pregnancies;
  
• Antiretroviral prophylaxis for women in over 827,000 pregnancies;
  
• Prevention of an estimated 157,000 infant infections;
  
• Care for more than 6.6 million, including care for more than 2.7 million orphans and vulnerable children;
  
• Over 33 million counseling and testing sessions for men, women and children.

Only hurts them? Really?