At the Group of Eight summit at Sea Island, Ga., the agenda of the leading industrial nations was largely dominated by Iraq and the rise of terrorism worldwide. But a small and promising initiative to support the development of an AIDS vaccine got a needed boost, thanks to the endorsement by President Bush.
Setting aside the president's obsession with abstinence-only prevention methods, Bush has been a leader in committing the United States to significant contributions in the fight against the HIV/AIDS pandemic. Last year, he committed $15-billion over five years to address the octopus of needs that arise when more than 40-million people around the world are stricken with a disease that, if left untreated, is terminal. Each year, 3-million people die from the disease.
During the summit, members of the G-8, including Italy, France, Japan, Germany, Russia, Canada, Britain and the United States, agreed to cooperate in a key area: development of an AIDS vaccine. Efforts to find a vaccine have been grossly underfunded, and it is encouraging to see some new commitments made by the world's biggest players.
The G-8 agreement essentially brings all scientific efforts under one big tent, allowing for coordinating research, standardizing laboratory measurement systems and creating a network of clinics for trials. The agreement also promotes the development of greater capacity for the manufacture and distribution of any vaccine discovered.
The president didn't get commitments at the summit for NATO troops to help in Iraq, but the agreement to make an AIDS vaccine an international scientific priority was an important achievement.
