Press Release

President George W. Bush, Dr. Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete, Dr. Condoleezza Rice, and Bill Gates discussed the impact of PEPFAR 20 years later at event hosted by the Bush Institute

Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Bono provided virtual remarks on the lifesaving program

WASHINGTON, D.C.— 66th U.S. Secretary of State Dr. Condoleezza Rice and former President of the United Republic of Tanzania Dr. Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete joined President George W. Bush for a conversation during PEPFAR at 20, an event marking 20 years of the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) hosted by the George W. Bush Institute at the United States Institute of Peace. The trio discussed the inception of PEPFAR, its enormous impact, and how the program is a win for partner countries and for U.S. foreign policy.

“We’re a big enough nation to do more than one thing,“ said President Bush. “To continue the fight against AIDS on the continent of Africa and to support Ukraine is not going to strain our capacity to help our own citizens. We are a compassionate country that cares deeply about people.”

Watch the discussion.

View photos.

In addition, Bono, lead singer of U2 and co-founder of ONE and (RED) provided virtual remarks where he describes PEPFAR as, “the most eloquent expression of American values anyone can think of in recent times.”

Watch his remarks and read the transcript.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken provided virtual remarks on the enormous impact PEPFAR has made since its inception 20 years ago.

Watch his remarks and read the transcript.

Bill Gates, co-chair of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, joined David J. Kramer, Executive Director of the Bush Institute, to discuss how PEPFAR’s successful program model can inform U.S. engagement in global health and development more broadly.

Watch the conversation.

Mrs. Laura Bush provided brief remarks and introduced Tatu Msangi and Faith Mang’ehe, Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation Ambassadors from Tanzania who attended the State of the Union address in 2008.

Watch the remarks and testimonials.

Other event participants included: Ken Hersh, CEO and President of the George W. Bush Presidential Center; Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, 52nd Speaker of the United States House of Representatives; Former Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, Member of Congress from 1989-2019; Ambassador Oksana Markarova, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Ukraine to the United States; Wendy Sherman, United States Deputy Secretary of State; Ambassador Dr. John Nkengasong, U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator and Special Representative for Global Health Diplomacy; The Honorable Senator Lizzie Nkosi, Minister for Health of Eswatini; Winnie Byanyima, Executive Director of UNAIDS; Peter Sands, Executive Director of The Global Fund; and Dr. Wafaa El Sadr, Founder and Director of ICAP at Columbia University. For a full list of speakers and additional information, click here.

PEPFAR at 20 is part of the Bush Institute’s body of work advocating for continued support of PEPFAR’s mission and U.S engagement in global health. To mark the 20th anniversary of the program, the Bush Institute released a series of reports examining lessons learned from PEPFAR written by Dr. Deborah L. Birx, Senior Fellow at the Bush Institute and former U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator, Dr. William R. Steiger, Global Health Consultant at the Bush Institute and former Director of the Office of Global Health Affairs at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and Crystal Cazier, Deputy Director of Global Health at the Bush Institute. In January, the Bush Institute released recommendations and short analyses on policy challenges facing the Nation and included briefs focused on PEPFAR.

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About the George W. Bush Institute

The George W. Bush Institute is a solution-oriented nonpartisan policy organization focused on ensuring opportunity for all, strengthening democracy, and advancing free societies. Housed within the George W. Bush Presidential Center, the Bush Institute is rooted in compassionate conservative values and committed to creating positive, meaningful, and lasting change at home and abroad. We utilize our unique platform and convening power to advance solutions to national and global issues of the day. Learn more at www.bushcenter.org.