AIDS and National Security
Abstract
Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) has become a rapidly spreading pandemic. Over 22 million people have died of AIDS since the epidemic began in the 1970s. In 2001, 3 million people died and an estimated 60 million people have been infected with the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) suspected of causing the disease. The rapid spread of AIDS and the related deaths pose a significant threat because of the destabilizing effect of the disease on those regions it has hit the hardest. In the short term, AIDS will continue to destabilize Africa. As the disease spreads through Asia and Eastern Europe, the impact will be global. The scale of the HIV/AIDS pandemic and the potential for disruption of the internal security of many nations makes this disease a clear and direct threat to U.S. national security. Recognizing the threat of the disease, President George W. Bush outlined a plan to expand the U.S. global HIV/AIDS programs and their funding levels in the National Security Strategy of 2002. Elements of the Bush international HIV/AIDS policy include increasing U.S. development assistance, expanding prevention and treatment programs, and relaxing protection of intellectual property rights for pharmaceutical patents in order to increase access to expensive drugs in developing nations.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Apr 07, 2003
- Accession Number
- ADA413446
Entities
People
- David S. Baldwin
- Tami Biddle
Organizations
- United States Army War College