Giuliani Says He Would Continue PEPFAR Program, Attempt To ‘Dramatically’ Increase Trade With Africa
Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, who is running for the Republican presidential nomination, last week after a speech in Columbia, S.C., said if elected he would renew the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, which is scheduled to expire in 2008, CNN.com's "CNN Political Ticker" reports. "I would continue [PEPFAR], and if necessary expand it," Giuliani said.
Giuliani said he would develop a plan to fight global HIV/AIDS "[o]ver the course of the campaign." He added, "You sort of develop it one piece at a time. But it's something we are very committed to." When asked whether he would provide money to train health care workers in Africa, Giuliani said that his plan "would be to continue what [President Bush] has done."
Giuliani also said he would attempt to "dramatically" increase trade with Africa, which would help "the problems, the issues, everything" facing the continent, adding that "what we're really trying to do is help Africa get to the point where the African countries can take care of this problem themselves." He added, "There's nothing better than to help to make people self-sufficient, and aid helps them get through crisis, but then trade helps them to self-sufficiency" (Hamby, "CNN Political Ticker," CNN.com, 11/13).