‘Odd Couple’ of Treasury Secretary Paul O’Neill, Rock Star Bono Scheduled to Leave for Africa Next Week on Fact-Finding Mission
The "odd couple" of U.S. Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill and Irish rock star Bono will leave on Monday for an 11-day fact-finding mission to sub-Saharan Africa in an attempt to focus world attention and resources on "a continent where poverty is endemic, disease rampant and economic growth elusive," the South Florida Sun-Sentinel reports (Vieth, South Florida Sun-Sentinel, 5/14). The pair plans to visit schools, World Bank development sites and HIV/AIDS clinics in Ghana, Uganda, South Africa and Ethiopia (Crutsinger, AP/Ft. Worth Star-Telegram, 5/14). In addition, a variety of media reporters, including an MTV camera crew, will catch the trip on film. "If having an odd pair together means people will pay more attention, then that's of great benefit," O'Neill aide Michele Davis said, adding that O'Neill has said that "when we can show that the money is making a difference in people's lives, then Americans will open their hearts and their wallets" (South Florida Sun-Sentinel, 5/14). In South Africa, O'Neill is expected to meet with business leaders and representatives of the nation's financial sector to discuss the economy and how the country is "coping" with the HIV/AIDS epidemic. He is also scheduled to attend the annual meeting of the African Development Bank in Ethiopia before returning to the United States on May 31 (Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, 4/25).
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