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Bush's commitment to womenYOUR March 17 editorial, "How Bush Treats Women," seriously misrepresents the Bush Administration's positions. The administration continues to demonstrate its commitment to improving women's health worldwide. In Afghanistan, the United States financed health-care programs totaling more than $58 million, committed an additional $50 million, and provided basic health services to 2.25 million women and children.
The United Nations reports that 94 percent of Afghan women have no medical assistance at birth, with a direct result that Afghanistan has one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the world. So we rebuilt 140 health clinics and funded a pilot program to train Afghan midwives. The first class of 25 rural midwives graduates in April with six more classes underway throughout rural Afghanistan. President Bush remains committed to the key Cairo Programme of Action goals of reducing infant, child, and maternal mortality and providing universal access to education. The United States is the largest bilateral contributor to support the goals, spending nearly $500 million this year in developing countries on reproductive health and family planning, as well as programs to prevent maternal morbidity and mortality. This does not include US funding for AIDS. ELLEN R. SAUERBREY © Copyright 2004 Globe Newspaper Company.
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