I argue that humanitarian aid is no different from other American foreign policies because it serves the interest of the United States. The PEPFAR program is an example of humanitarian aid that was initially received as a merciful and generous program, but it soon showed many altruistic flaws. The United States could have donated the allotted AIDS relief fund to the United Nations to spend on AIDS relief, but instead created its own relief program. Some issues with PEPFAR are that it allocates a part of the budget to propagate conservative ideologies in Africa and the Caribbean, instead of treating even more individuals. Providing AIDS relief through PEPFAR was in the best interest of the US, unlike aid to Haiti during the 1993 Haitian
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With proof of failure of abstinence teaching programs, it is clear that the Bush administration’s PEPFAR act is heavily influenced by conservative ideology. President Bush himself is a devout Episcopal Christian, whose religion does not condone sex outside of marriage, prostitution, and homosexuality. In line with other conservative ideologies, many conservative interest groups and right wing members of Congress supported President Bush. In the same term, President Bush also implemented abstinence education programs throughout the education system in America. Abstinence education is now proven to be ineffective in America, and is predicted to be just as ineffective in Africa and the Caribbean in relation to the spread of HIV and AIDS. Not only was abstinence imposed, but PEPFAR was also prohibited from funding any organization that does not explicitly condone prostitution and sex trafficking. PEPFAR came with a “conscience clause” which stated that groups did not have to support methods and strategies of AIDS treatment and prevention such as proper sexual education. At the same time, President Bush was enacting a nation-wide abstinence education program. Many organizations that PEPFAR funded were religiously based and operated accordingly at the cost of proper sexual education. Approximately 20% of PEPFAR grants went to religious based organizations. The supposed goal of PEPFAR is to mitigate the spread of HIV and AIDS, however, President Bush’s ideological policies interfere with this mission. It cannot be denied that the PEPFAR program has been largely effective in providing treatment for HIV and AIDS, but it could be even more effective if funds dedicated to abstinence education were redirected to other preventative measures such as contraceptive education and the distribution of
With proof of failure of abstinence teaching programs, it is clear that the Bush administration’s PEPFAR act is heavily influenced by conservative ideology. President Bush himself is a devout Episcopal Christian, whose religion does not condone sex outside of marriage, prostitution, and homosexuality. In line with other conservative ideologies, many conservative interest groups and right wing members of Congress supported President Bush. In the same term, President Bush also implemented abstinence education programs throughout the education system in America. Abstinence education is now proven to be ineffective in America, and is predicted to be just as ineffective in Africa and the Caribbean in relation to the spread of HIV and AIDS. Not only was abstinence imposed, but PEPFAR was also prohibited from funding any organization that does not explicitly condone prostitution and sex trafficking. PEPFAR came with a “conscience clause” which stated that groups did not have to support methods and strategies of AIDS treatment and prevention such as proper sexual education. At the same time, President Bush was enacting a nation-wide abstinence education program. Many organizations that PEPFAR funded were religiously based and operated accordingly at the cost of proper sexual education. Approximately 20% of PEPFAR grants went to religious based organizations. The supposed goal of PEPFAR is to mitigate the spread of HIV and AIDS, however, President Bush’s ideological policies interfere with this mission. It cannot be denied that the PEPFAR program has been largely effective in providing treatment for HIV and AIDS, but it could be even more effective if funds dedicated to abstinence education were redirected to other preventative measures such as contraceptive education and the distribution of