Monday night, the (RED)™ UK team had the pleasure of attending Bill and Melinda Gates’ event showcasing their Living Proof Project presented by our sister organization ONE. Bill and Melinda are great friends of (RED) and we were excited to be there to mark the success of the campaign. Living Proof is about sharing real success stories of governments’ investments in global health and development.
Bill and Melinda gave hard facts to demonstrate the effectiveness of smart, targeted aid. Since 2002, nearly 4 million people in Africa have been given access to life-saving antiretroviral treatment for AIDS. Since 1988, the global number of polio cases has been reduced by more than 99%. In 2010, 98 million fewer people are suffering from hunger compared to 2009. The Global Fund, the organization we work with to put grant money on the ground in Africa, fights AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria – and saves 4,000 lives every single day from these three killer infectious diseases. These results would not have been achieved without the assistance of foreign aid.
Dr. Ebrewerk Zewdie, Global Fund Deputy Executive Director, spoke about breaking misconceptions about aid. “As an African, I can tell you that the people who receive aid are the first ones to strive for sustainability,” she said.
I left the talk with one thought in mind: the facts listed above are living proof that there has been real and dramatic progress in developing countries and this should encourage us to continue to support smart investment on health and development. You can help by choosing (PRODUCT)REDTM items - when you buy (RED), the company that makes the product (Apple, Gap, Dell etc.) sends a portion of the profits directly to the Global Fund to invest in HIV/AIDS programs in Africa. It’s simple and it works. Since its launch, (RED) products and events have generated more than $150 million to help eliminate AIDS and every penny goes to work on the ground in Africa.
You can learn more about the Living Proof through the event webcast on ONE’s website here
Eleonore de Bernis, (RED)
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