President Clinton's Travel Diary.

February 21, 2006
Sydney, Australia Diary Entry: February 18th
February 19th

At nearly every stop on this trip, my Foundation has forged new
partnerships in the fight against the HIV/AIDS pandemic. In
Islamabad, I signed an agreement with Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz to
make my Foundation's low prices on AIDS medicines and diagnostic
tests available to Pakistan. In Goa and Delhi, I visited a drug
manufacturer producing discounted treatments for members of my
HIV/AIDS Initiative's consortium, and I announced a partnership with
the Indian government to help train nurses.

Today in Sydney, I'm proud to announce the launch of the South Asia
Pacific Business Coalition on HIV/AIDS, a partnership between my
Foundation and AusAid, the Australian Government's overseas aid
program. Together, we will fight the continued spread of the virus
in the Asia Pacific region. The government of Australia
will provide $25 million over four years to expand national care and
treatment programs in Vietnam, Papua New Guinea, and China's
Xinjiang Province. Their funding will support drug donations,
clinical training, improved infrastructure and supply management,
and programs to treat children living with HIV/AIDS.

I'm excited about this partnership, because the fight against the
pandemic doesn't stand a chance without active input from the
private sector. This isn't just the right thing for Australian
businesses to do; it's also the smart thing. It makes good economic
sense for them to combat the spread of HIV/AIDS in the Asia Pacific
region, because the disease has the potential to undermine the very
source of their success -- the sustained growth of markets in the
Asia Pacific.

On this trip, I've met many people involved in the global struggle
against HIV/AIDS. I spoke to heads of state, government ministers,
drug manufacturers, pharmacists, doctors and nurses, and patients at
clinics. They appreciated the reduced prices for medication and the
technical assistance made available by my Foundation, but there's
much more we can do for them. With your support, we can negotiate
cheaper drug prices, form partnerships with additional countries,
and help provide lifesaving care and treatment to more people with
HIV/AIDS around the world.

Source: <enewsletter@...>