(AFP) GODINO JITU, Ethiopia: Former US president Bill Clinton on Friday pledged more support to combat HIV/AIDS in Ethiopia, where he started a four-nation African tour.
His Clinton Foundation announced the Horn of Africa nation will receive five million dollars over three years to help prevent the spread of AIDS, which kills around 370 Ethiopians each day, according to UN figures.
“I want to personally make sure that every baby born here will not be HIV-positive,” Clinton said on a visit to a health centre in Godino Jitu, 70 kilometres (43 miles) south of Addis Ababa.
“This centre is one of several hundred that have received help from the foundation, but will soon be one of thousands,” Clinton told hundreds of residents.
The Clinton Foundation launched an anti-AIDS initiative in 2002 and this month has reached an agreement with several pharmaceutical companies to slash the price of the top anti-malaria treatment by 30 percent.
Clinton will also visit Rwanda, Liberia and Senegal, as part of a trip to promote his foundation’s efforts to tackle AIDS and malaria.
Former President Shines Light on AIDS, Povery in Support of Clinton Foundation
By KATE SNOW and DANA HUGHES
DEBRA ZEIT, ETHIOPIA —Nearly eight weeks after his wife dropped out of the presidential race, the former president has returned to Africa on what has become an annual pilgrimage to check in on the work of his Clinton Foundation.
“Oh yeah, I love this stuff,” he told ABC News with a grin, as he visited a new health clinic in Debre Zeit, Ethiopia.
Leaving Presidential Politics Behind
Ethiopia is a long way from New York or South Carolina. People here might know his wife ran for president, but few know much about the controversies and criticisms that haunted the former president during the primary season back home.
Here in Africa, they tend to focus less on Bill Clinton’s politics, and more on things like money and much-needed AIDS medicines and health clinics. They know the Clinton name because his foundation has invested in things that help people.
And so it was no surprise that Clinton’s visit to see the new clinic Friday drew a crowd.
AIDS Devastates Ethiopia
In Ethiopia, health care clinics are few and far between.
There is one clinic for every 120,000 people. The roads are so bad and transportation so limited, that many people who are HIV-positive simply can’t access life-saving antiretroviral drugs.
The clinic the former president visited Friday has just nine workers on staff, and sees 60 patients a day, many of whom walk several hours to get there.
To improve the situation in this region, Clinton announced that the Clinton Foundation would spend $5 million over three years to refurbish 50 new clinics.
“You deserve to have a healthy life,” Clinton told a crowd of hundreds.
“It’s a big deal. It’s a big deal,” said Kassahun Mogus, one of the nurses at the Debre Zeit clinic. “He was the leader of the world. Then he comes here, in a small village, poor and uncomfortable place to visit, to see us, to help us our problems. I don’t know how I can tell you (how I feel). I have no words.”
The Future of Solar Power in the Third World
In the tiny village of Rema on Thursday, Clinton and daughter Chelsea sipped Ethiopian coffee in a small hut.
The village runs entirely on solar power — a project funded under the auspices of Clinton’s Global Initiative. For about $10 a house, families who live way off the electric grid have power.
The local school teacher told Clinton that before solar power her students couldn’t study at night. Now she’s opened up a night school for children and adults.
“This is the real future of solar energy,” Clinton said.
Bill Clinton: First Tourist
It hasn’t been all work. As one aide reminded us, some of the former president’s trip is like a vacation.
Clinton and his delegation spent Wednesday touring one of the world’s most famous Christian landmarks. For years, he said, he wanted to see the carved stone churches of Lalibela. With time on his hands, he finally had his chance.
Removing his shoes — in keeping with Orthodox Christian tradition — Clinton and his daughter admired frescos and ancient symbols carved into the rock. Some of the churches date back 900 years.
“All these churches are still in use,” Clinton said in awe.
He apologized that he couldn’t stay longer.
2 thoughts on “Clinton pledges more support to fight AIDS in Ethiopia”
Mr. Clinton,
I can’t believe that you personally went and pledged to give the money to the Weyane illegitimate government that is killing millions of Ethiopians including babies, youth, senior citizens more than HIV/AIDS does. Mr. Clinton for your information why don’t you visit the human rights watch report recored on the Ethiopian illegitimate government that has carried out several innocent killings along with the genocides that was ignored by the westerns.
Mr. Clinton if you remember only during your presidency time the weyane illegitimate criminal government has taken several cruelty actions against humanity in Ethiopia. You may think and assume that the weyane illegitimate government might allocate the budget to the areas that are totally affected by HIV/AIDS, but the fact is that the weyane government will use the money to tighten up their own companies and use the rest of the money to strengthen their own military security forces that are destroying currently the somolian region along with many parts of Ethiopia. At the same time the weyane criminal government is responsible for deliberately spreading the HIV virus during the aftermath of election 2005, by using the one blade to shave hounderes and thousands of prisionoers that was suspected to be the supporters of CUD ( the party who entirely won the 2005 election throughout the country).
Mr. Clinton do you know how many civilians will be killed by the money you just pledged to weyane, while you ultimate goal was to save millions in Ethiopia. I am not a fortune teller but I guarantee you Mr. President you will hear more atrocities that will be done on the Ethiopian people just because weyane is getting a financial and political support from the westerners for prolonging its brutal life span in Ethiopia.
Mr. Clinton I strongly believe that we Ethiopians are the one who have to play the major role for removing of the Weyane illegitimate government that is killing our people every day, however We urge you that to keep your eyes on and find out about weyane which is one of the worst criminal and corrupted government in East Africa.
FYI: read the recent human rights watch report,
Death to weyane supporters and members!!!
Hagos Let us not rush to criticize one who is doing what we are unable to do.We have to learn to see the big picture.This time he is there to do the right thing.