Global AIDS Pandemic Spreading at Alarming Rate While Bush Administration Impedes Access to Life-Saving AIDS Treatment

Interview with Salih Booker, executive director of Africa Action, conducted by Melinda Tuhus

Dec. 1 marked World AIDS Day, and the big news this year was that the government of China has finally publicly acknowledged its AIDS crisis and promised to take steps to combat it. Less than a week before World AIDS Day this year, the UN released its annual report on the state of the HIV/AIDS crisis, which revealed that the pandemic is continuing to spread at an alarming rate worldwide. New figures show that more people were infected with HIV, and more people died of AIDS, this year than ever before. Currently, more than 40 million people are living with HIV/AIDS across the globe, with two-thirds of them on the African continent.

Africa Action, a non-governmental organization based in Washington, D.C., organized World AIDS Day events on 20 U.S. university campuses as part of the group's Africa's Right to Health campaign, which seeks to end the social injustices that have given rise to the HIV/AIDS crisis. Africa Action's "Most Wanted" campaign has condemned the Bush administration's policies for failing to improve access to life-saving AIDS treatment.

Between The Lines' Melinda Tuhus spoke with Salih Booker, executive director of Africa Action, about how his organization observed World AIDS Day and their goal of tearing down the obstacles which stand in the way of more progress on combating the AIDS pandemic.

For more information, call Africa Action at (202) 546-7961 or visit their website at www.africaaction.org

Related links:

The Global Health Access Gap www.healthgap.org

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