PRNewswire - November 10, 2008

WASHINGTON, Nov. 10 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- World Vision, a leading international humanitarian aid agency, congratulates President-elect Barack Obama on his win as the 44th President of the United States, and urges his leadership and commitment to making global poverty, disease and injustice among his top priorities.

"This is a critical juncture in our nation's history and a pivotal time for the U.S. to remain a leader in foreign humanitarian assistance," said Joseph Mettimano, World Vision's vice president of advocacy. "Poverty is one of the greatest terrors facing our world today. It enslaves one-third of the world's population and results in the needless deaths of nearly 10 million children under age 5 each year," Mettimano said.

"As the U.S. prepares to transition to the Obama Administration and begins to tackle the domestic and global economic crisis, we urge the new administration to make poverty alleviation a top foreign policy priority," said Mettimano. "In doing so, we are caring for people in need who live beyond our borders, and reflecting the spirit and generosity of the American people."

While there are enormous domestic challenges facing the new administration, World Vision is calling on President-elect Obama and Congress to commit to the following four areas as global engagement priorities:

-- Increase funding to fight the global AIDS pandemic

-- Provide the resources needed to eradicate malaria

-- Increase development assistance and food aid for the poor

-- Fulfill U.S. commitments to achieving the Millennium Development Goals

As an advocate for children, families, and communities affected by the AIDS pandemic, World Vision urges the new president to continue the global fight against AIDS by fully funding the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief over the next five years by providing at least $7 billion in the next fiscal year. In addition, the aid agency is advocating for 10 percent of these funds to be set aside to support children who have been orphaned or made vulnerable by HIV and AIDS.

Given the deadly link between AIDS and malaria, World Vision also urges the new administration to continue building on the President's Malaria Initiative and fulfill the commitment to provide at least $1 billion a year for malaria over the next five years. Providing these resources will help ensure we reach the goal set by President-elect Obama to "end all deaths from malaria by 2015."

Good health is fundamental to breaking the cycle of poverty, and remains the critical component to maintaining a child's overall well-being. Child malnutrition is a major underlying cause of half of the preventable childhood deaths each year. For children less than 5 years of age, and especially those under 2, nutrition is critical to prevent wasting and ensure their proper mental and physical development.

"The U.S. and other heads of state are urged to continue increasing development and food aid assistance for the poor - particularly in this time when people are struggling more than ever to afford a basic meal," said Mettimano. "While the U.S. is the largest governmental donor of food and hunger assistance, there is still much to be done to improve short-, medium-, and long-term responses to food security."

Another urgent priority is fulfilling the U.S. Government's commitments to achieving the Millennium Development Goals. The world is off-track in meeting its goals related to hunger, poverty, health and literacy promised by 2015, and without a more focused effort to fully fund and coordinate related activities, hundreds of millions of children and adults will continue to suffer in extreme poverty. The new administration and other national leaders have a moral obligation to deliver on the promises we have made as a nation to help the world's most vulnerable individuals.

"Because the world's poor are hit the hardest by current financial trends, now would be the worst possible time for the new President to scale back on foreign assistance programs that put children in school, fight disease, end hunger, and bring clean water to the poorest of the poor," said Mettimano.

Note to editors:

World Vision is an international Christian relief, development and advocacy organization dedicated to working with children, families and communities to overcome poverty and injustice. Motivated by our Christian faith, we are dedicated to serving the world's most vulnerable people. World Vision serves all people regardless of religion, race, ethnicity or gender.

World Vision works in almost 100 countries worldwide, including food programmes in 35 countries where 450,000 metric tons of food help feed millions each year.

For more information, please visit www.worldvision.org/press

For an interview with Joseph Mettimano, contact Cynthia Colin at +1-202-572-6595, ccolin@worldvision.org or Geraldine Ryerson-Cruz at +1-202-572-6302, gryerson@worldvision.org.

Source: World Vision

Web Site: http://www.worldvision.org/press

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