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TechnoratiThe AIDS program, Bush explained, is part of a larger “freedom agenda” of the administration that includes freedom from tyranny, disease, hunger and deprivation.
“If you believe that we are all God’s children and believe that there is God-given talent in every single person, one should not be surprised by a policy that elevates the individual, that focuses on the individual and doesn’t focus on bureaucracies but tries to get help into the hands of individual people,” he said.
At the end of the forum, videos were shown of world leaders and HIV/AIDS activists who offered praise to President Bush for battling AIDS.
Among the list was President-elect Barack Obama, who pledged to continue PEPFAR when he becomes head of state.
"I salute President Bush for his leadership in crafting a plan for AIDS relief in Africa and backing it up with funding dedicated to saving lives and preventing the spread of the disease," Obama said in taped remarks.
Others that complimented Bush, who steps down from office in January, included former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, President Paul Kagame of Rwanda, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, and rock star and activist Bono.
Warren ended the forum by stating that “a lot has been done but a lot still needs to be done.” The pastor, who along with his wife, Kay, have been spearheading the church effort to tackle HIV/AIDS, reminded listeners that fighting the disease is not “just a nice thing” to do, but a “matter of life and death.”
The HIV/AIDS pandemic has claimed more than 25 million lives, with an estimated 33 million people currently living with HIV worldwide.
In July, Bush approved the re-authorization of PEPFAR to expand it to up to $48 billion over the next five years.
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