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CNN Sunday Morning
Interview With Peter Bell
Aired November 30, 2003 - 07:15 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CATHERINE CALLAWAY, CNN ANCHOR: Monday marks the 15th anniversary of the first World AIDS Day. And although awareness of the problem has increased, the numbers of infected and dead continue to rise.
And joining me to talk about World AIDS Day and the epidemic of HIV and AIDS is Peter Bell. He's president of Care USA.
Peter, it's nice to have you back with us today.
PETER BELL, PRES., CARE USA: Thank you, Catherine. I'm glad to be here.
CALLAWAY: It's a -- it's been almost 20 years now since the AIDS virus became so well known across the world. Where are we 20 years later? Are we worse? Are we better than expected?
BELL: I think it would have been hard for any of us to imagine how bad it would become and how bad it will be still. There are 40 million people in the world today who are infected. 8,000 people will die today from AIDS. And by the end of this decade, it's going to be even worse. It's likely they'll be 100 million in the world who are infected with HIV.
CALLAWAY: How does America statistics compile -- compare to some of the other countries in the world on controlling the disease?
BELL: We've done a good job in this country of getting hold of the disease. Remain ever vigilant. And there's still lots of work to be done here. But compared with what's going in Africa, it's -- we've done well here.
CALLAWAY: It is unimaginable, the numbers that we're hearing from Africa. Just millions and millions. Some two million died last year alone, they believe, from the AIDS virus in Africa.
BELL: Catherine, I feel this with all my heart and soul. This is the most devastating humanitarian crisis of our time, and perhaps of all times. The AIDS pandemic in Africa is almost unimaginable. To think that a 15 year old in South Africa has a 50/50 change of eventually dying from causes related to AIDS.
CALLAWAY: Wiping out an entire generation, isn't it?
BELL: It's absolutely incredible.
CALLAWAY: And what is Care doing in Africa alone?
BELL: Well, Care is on the frontlines. We are working with thousands and thousands of African communities and spreading awareness of the disease, helping to educate people to prevent the spread of disease, to try to take away the stigma that prevents people acknowledging their symptoms and being tested.
CALLAWAY: And Peter, although as you mentioned, America has done a fairly good job of -- with this disease, it will never be controlled. It will never be eradicated until it is worldwide?
BELL: It's -- we're all dependent on one another. That's absolutely true. And we hope that one day, a vaccine will be discovered. Certainly scientists are working on it, but it's still some years away.
And in the meantime, it's important that we just mobilize all the resources possible. President Bush came up with an initiative in his State of the Union message last January for $15 billion over five years. And we've -- the Congress has fallen short of that. They've provided -- senators approved a bill for $2.4 billion. We need to keep the pressure on all of us, so that this country fully delivers on the president's commitment.
CALLAWAY: All right, Peter, thank you very much for being with us again. And good luck in your work with Care USA. Peter Bell.
BELL: It's my pleasure.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired November 30, 2003 - 07:15 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CATHERINE CALLAWAY, CNN ANCHOR: Monday marks the 15th anniversary of the first World AIDS Day. And although awareness of the problem has increased, the numbers of infected and dead continue to rise.
And joining me to talk about World AIDS Day and the epidemic of HIV and AIDS is Peter Bell. He's president of Care USA.
Peter, it's nice to have you back with us today.
PETER BELL, PRES., CARE USA: Thank you, Catherine. I'm glad to be here.
CALLAWAY: It's a -- it's been almost 20 years now since the AIDS virus became so well known across the world. Where are we 20 years later? Are we worse? Are we better than expected?
BELL: I think it would have been hard for any of us to imagine how bad it would become and how bad it will be still. There are 40 million people in the world today who are infected. 8,000 people will die today from AIDS. And by the end of this decade, it's going to be even worse. It's likely they'll be 100 million in the world who are infected with HIV.
CALLAWAY: How does America statistics compile -- compare to some of the other countries in the world on controlling the disease?
BELL: We've done a good job in this country of getting hold of the disease. Remain ever vigilant. And there's still lots of work to be done here. But compared with what's going in Africa, it's -- we've done well here.
CALLAWAY: It is unimaginable, the numbers that we're hearing from Africa. Just millions and millions. Some two million died last year alone, they believe, from the AIDS virus in Africa.
BELL: Catherine, I feel this with all my heart and soul. This is the most devastating humanitarian crisis of our time, and perhaps of all times. The AIDS pandemic in Africa is almost unimaginable. To think that a 15 year old in South Africa has a 50/50 change of eventually dying from causes related to AIDS.
CALLAWAY: Wiping out an entire generation, isn't it?
BELL: It's absolutely incredible.
CALLAWAY: And what is Care doing in Africa alone?
BELL: Well, Care is on the frontlines. We are working with thousands and thousands of African communities and spreading awareness of the disease, helping to educate people to prevent the spread of disease, to try to take away the stigma that prevents people acknowledging their symptoms and being tested.
CALLAWAY: And Peter, although as you mentioned, America has done a fairly good job of -- with this disease, it will never be controlled. It will never be eradicated until it is worldwide?
BELL: It's -- we're all dependent on one another. That's absolutely true. And we hope that one day, a vaccine will be discovered. Certainly scientists are working on it, but it's still some years away.
And in the meantime, it's important that we just mobilize all the resources possible. President Bush came up with an initiative in his State of the Union message last January for $15 billion over five years. And we've -- the Congress has fallen short of that. They've provided -- senators approved a bill for $2.4 billion. We need to keep the pressure on all of us, so that this country fully delivers on the president's commitment.
CALLAWAY: All right, Peter, thank you very much for being with us again. And good luck in your work with Care USA. Peter Bell.
BELL: It's my pleasure.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
