Bush's legacy in the Global Battle against AIDS

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/05/washington/05aids.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=In%20Global%20Battle%20on%20AIDS,%20Bush%20Creates%20Legacy&st=cse

Important Quotes from article:
"Yet the institute concluded that, over all, the program had made “a promising start.” And when
they step back, even critics like Mr. Zeitz concede that Mr. Bush spawned a philosophical
revolution. In one striking step, he put to rest the notion that because patients were poor or
uneducated they did not deserve, or could not be taught to use, medicine that could mean the
difference between life and death." (Page 2)

"Dr. Coutinho said Ugandans were terrified that when Mr. Bush left office, “the Bush fund,” as they call it, would go with him. “When I’ve traveled in the U.S., I’m amazed at how little people know about what Pepfar stands for,” he said. “Just because it has been done under Bush, it is not
something the country should not be proud of.” (Page 2)

Analysis of Article:
This New York Times article looks at an AIDS relief program that was begun by the Bush administration in 2004. Since the beginning of the program around 1.4 million AIDS patients have received lifesaving medicine that was paid for by the American dollars funding this program. This number increased from the 50,000 patients that were receiving this lifesaving medicine before Bush undertook this initiative. As announced in his 2003 State of the Union address, the goals Bush outlined for this program include treating 2 million people, preventing 7 million new infections and providing care for 10 million. These proposed goals of the number of patients to be treated included providing care to children and orphans who were considered to also be at risk for contracting the disease. The analysis as to whether or not these goals have been met will not occur until 2010, but Bush's global AIDS coordinator claims that they are on track to meet these objectives.
Along with presenting the facts and effects of this program under Bush the article's author Sheryl Gay Stolberg also considers the criticisms of this program and why it has not received more public attention. Stolberg argues that other unpopular Bush policies such as the war in Iraq, tax changes, education reforms, and his immigration policy have all cast a shadow on this admirable achievement of his administration. She says that this should not be a program that people are ashamed of or don't give worthy recognition to just because it was conducted under the Bush presidency. Therefore, the article reminds readers to not just get caught up in the popular opinions and polls that drag Bush's image down, but critics should also consider the positive legacy that this initiative will have on the global fight against AIDS.