Chicago Tribune - July 24, 2002
Sabrina L. Miller, Tribune staff reporter

"I see this AIDS issue the same way I see the fight against terrorism. I'm all for fighting and staying in Afghanistan and getting bin Laden and being tough about that--that's fine," Clinton said "But nobody believes that we can build a safe world just by preventing and punishing bad things. We have to make some good things happen too."

Wealthy nations like the U.S. can halt the surge of AIDS cases, which could number 100 million globally by the end of the decade, Clinton told an overflow crowd of more than 1,600 at Rev. Jesse Jackson's Rainbow/PUSH Coalition conference.

United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan has said an estimated $10 billion a year is needed to effectively handle the global AIDS crisis, with the U.S. responsible for about $2.5 billion, Clinton said.

"We're already spending somewhere between $800 million and $1 billion. So our share would be another $1.5 billion. That sounds like a lot of money, but it's less than two months of the Afghan war," Clinton said. "It's less than 2 percent of the requested increases for defense in America."

Clinton has become an influential player in the global AIDS struggle. His speech Tuesday followed a high-profile appearance at the International AIDS Conference in Barcelona, Spain, where he was named co-chair of an international AIDS trust with former South African President Nelson Mandela.

"Ten billion dollars may seem like a lot of money to you, but we just lost $7 trillion in the stock market," he said.

"We will spend a ton more than that if we go to 100 million AIDS cases," Clinton said.

This year's Rainbow/PUSH conference has placed a special emphasis on AIDS, particularly as it affects women worldwide. Stella Obasanjo, first lady of Nigeria, and American-born Mildred Aristide, first lady of Haiti, were honored for their work in the AIDS crisis at the luncheon.

Obasanjo, who brought a delegation of 70 Nigerian women to the conference, said the AIDS epidemic has been more devastating to Africa "than colonization and the slave trade combined."

So how, then, Clinton asked, would we explain to an extraterrestrial visitor that more than 40 million people, most of them poor women, children and people of color, are afflicted with a disease that is 100 percent preventable.

"I got involved in this because I don't want to keep coming to lunches 10 years from now and talking about AIDS, do you?" Clinton asked.

Jackson used the occasion of Clinton's speech to kick off a campaign for 1 million people worldwide to get tested for the AIDS virus. Jackson said he hoped that at least 1,000 would take HIV tests at a booth set up in the convention hall, where oral tests were administered. Clinton did not take the test, Jackson said, because Clinton did not want to create a media spectacle.

"He chose not to do it this way and I can respect that," Jackson said.

Jackson said that he has had several HIV tests, all with negative results, but that he planned to take another. Conventioneers began slowly trickling down to the booth, including Jackson's press secretary, Keiana Peyton.

"It's important that we practice what we preach. People need not fear the test. The results are anonymous, available only to them," Peyton said. "It's the first step toward awareness and toward removing the stigma associated with HIV."

020724
CT020710

Always watch for outdated information. This article first appeared in 2002. This material is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between you and your doctor.

AEGiS presents published material, reprinted with permission and neither endorses nor opposes any material. All information contained on this website, including information relating to health conditions, products, and treatments, is for informational purposes only. It is often presented in summary or aggregate form. It is not meant to be a substitute for the advice provided by your own physician or other medical professionals. Always discuss treatment options with a doctor who specializes in treating HIV.

Copyright ©1980, 2002. AEGiS. All materials appearing on AEGiS are protected by copyright as a collective work or compilation under U.S. copyright and other laws and are the property of AEGiS, or the party credited as the provider of the content. .