Dream for Africa Event - June 2005

Thursday, June 30, 2005
University of Swaziland

Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,

I appreciate being asked to address this Dream for Africa group, not the first time I have done so with DFA.  Your presence in Swaziland speaks volumes about the will and determination of Americans of all stripes to contribute to an undertaking greater than yourselves—in the great tradition of community service, volunteerism and faith of good US citizens around the world. You are one of the good and honorable faces of America and I thank you for your service.

My wife and I have been in Swaziland less than a year and we are struck by its beauty, its gentle people and its potential for economic development. Since the last country where I served was Iraq, I am especially grateful for the relative peace and tranquility offered by lovely place.

But the beautiful surroundings of Swaziland mask another reality: the reality of poverty, unemployment, hunger and HIV/AIDS. Swaziland has the world’s highest incidence of AIDS in the world at 42.6%. AIDS is killing Swaziland: some 20,000 died of complications of the virus last year, there are currently some 70,000 AIDS-related orphans with the projected number of orphans up to 120,000 by 2010—in a country of about a million. That’s an eighth of Swaziland’s entire population--- an astounding statistic. There are communities in rural Swaziland where whole generations are missing.

Thousand of families are headed by an aging grandmother or by orphans themselves. Life expectancy is down to 33 years. Swaziland is in trouble.

The world’s response to the recent SE Asian tsunami six months ago both fascinating and gratifying. The outpouring of international concern and generosity is laudable and gives testimony that decency among a good portion of humanity has not been found wanting. Within three weeks of the tragedy, world government had raised about $6 billion—almost exactly the same amount as the $5.9 billion currently in the Global Fund---to fight the pandemic of HIV/AIDS.

Without the slightest negative intent, it is really important to recall that today, at this very minute, there are six million people dying of AIDS, four million one hundred thousand of them here in Africa. We can’t begrudge a penny to the victims of the tsunami in SE Asia, but how can somehow tolerate the slow and unnecessary deaths of millions whose lives would be rescued with treatment; or the millions that can be saved in the future with different patterns of sexual behavior?

I think about the news coverage of Iraq—which was my life for 15 months—and I recall the relentless media coverage of, say, attacks on convoys or car bomb explosions or IEDs. There is so much less coverage of AIDS—unlike car bombs, AIDS make no noise, it is the silent killer, it is less intrusive, it is away from the glare of television. I say all the time that AIDS needs to make more noise, manifest in tidal waves, occupy our attention through television and newspapers and sear itself indelibly into our minds.

To be fair, there is some good news here too: 

• Swaziland’s National Emergency Response Council on HIV/AIDS (NERCHA) and the Ministry of Health are trying their best—they are trying to get 13,000 people on ARVs  by the end of the year. 
• The WHO is moving impressively on treatment programs
• World Food Program also is providing tons of food in support of tens of thousands of orphans and AIDS effected communities
• The USG has 6 USG agencies working here—including USAID/CDC, the African Development Foundation, the Depts of Labor & Defense and Peace Corps has 80 PCVs in rural Swaziland communities working entirely on AIDS programs. Our bilateral funding is double what it was last year—about $10m--way up.
• And the USG contribution to the Global Fund is a third of the total provided worldwide, putting the contribution to GF programs in Swaziland at about $20m.

So, the USG is determined to do our share on AIDS in Swaziland---hopefully more—and increasing the funding and effectiveness of our programs is our highest priority in this country. The money needed is not insignificant—but if the world’s generosity and awareness that is being shown for the tsunami victims can carry over to the AIDS epidemic, there is truly hope.

A final word to the young volunteers participating in this important program—some of you overseas or in the developing world, or in Africa for the first time. As you consider what to do with as your life’s work, consider work where you can make a difference to the live of people overseas. Our world needs more understanding, better health, democracy, economic development and faith, backed and bolstered by the good works of capable men and women. There are many ways to make this happen.

Thank you again for asking me to be here.