I’m all set up to watch President Bush’s final State of the Union address – and have located an advance version of the speech. An important excerpt for our work:

“America is leading the fight against global poverty, with strong education initiatives and humanitarian assistance. We have also changed the way we deliver aid by launching the Millennium Challenge Account. This program strengthens democracy, transparency, and the rule of law in developing nations, and I ask you to fully fund this important initiative.

America is leading the fight against global hunger. Today, more than half the world’s food aid comes from the United States. And tonight, I ask the Congress to support an innovative proposal to provide food assistance by purchasing crops directly from farmers in the developing world, so we can build up local agriculture and help break the cycle of famine.

America is leading the fight against disease. With your help, we are working to cut by half the number of malaria-related deaths in 15 African nations. And our Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief is treating 1.4 million people. We can bring healing and hope to many more. So I ask you to maintain the principles that have changed behavior and made this program a success. And I call on you to double our initial commitment to fighting HIV/AIDS by approving an additional $30 billion over the next 5 years.”

The address should be starting at 9 p.m. EST.

-Virginia Simmons
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UPDATE: Ok. I watched. The above text was verbatim – and ended in applause.

At 9 p.m. EST tonight, President Bush will address the nation with his final State of the Union speech. We’ve caught word that Tatu Msangi, a 35-year-old, HIV-positive Tanzanian woman, and her 2-year-old daughter, Faith, will be among the president’s guests.

From this morning’s White House Press Release:

“Tatu Msangi is a 35-year-old single mother from Tanzania. When Tatu became pregnant, she went to the antenatal clinic at KCMC and discovered she was HIV-positive. Tatu enrolled in a Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission (PMTCT) program and delivered a healthy daughter, named Faith. As part of her treatment, Faith received a dose of nevirapine after she was born. She is now over two years old, and she is HIV-free.

As part of her work at KCMC, Tatu counsels HIV-positive women and encourages them to participate in the PMTCT program. KCMC is supported by the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief’s (PEPFAR) through the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation. Tatu and her daughter Faith are examples of the hope and compassion that is transforming lives with support from PEPFAR. PEPFAR, which was announced by President Bush in his 2003 State of the Union Address, is the largest commitment ever by any nation for an international health initiative dedicated to a single disease.”

As we watch tonight, we hope to hear more on PEPFAR, as well as on The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, The President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI) and The Millennium Challenge Corporation.

-Virginia Simmons