WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Global Leadership Coalition (USGLC) today announced President George W. Bush and Mrs. Laura Bush as 2022 honorees for its Tribute Celebration, an annual event honoring champions and leaders working to build a better, safer, and healthier world. President and Mrs. Bush will receive USGLC’s “Global Leadership Award” on December 1, 2022 – World AIDS Day – in Washington, DC for their extraordinary leadership in launching PEPFAR – the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief – 20 years ago.

“It is an extraordinary privilege for our community to honor President Bush and Mrs. Bush for their transformational leadership in launching PEPFAR 20 years ago, and to recognize their continued inspiration and commitment over the years that has helped save over 21 million lives,” said Liz Schrayer, USGLC President and CEO. “To do so on World AIDS Day adds to this remarkable moment, as we pay tribute to their unprecedented impact in bringing people together – Democrats and Republicans, business, faith, and NGO leaders, and communities across the world – to save lives and improve how we deliver global development programs. USGLC is humbled and honored to bring together this historic moment to celebrate one of the most significant achievements in global health in our lifetime with President and Mrs. Bush.”

Established under the leadership of President Bush in 2003, PEPFAR is the largest commitment by any nation in history to address a single disease, with unparalleled success enabled by strong bipartisan support across four presidential administrations and 10 congresses. In the past 20 years, the U.S. Government has worked with partners in over 50 countries to accelerate progress in combatting HIV/AIDS, saving an estimated 21 million lives and preventing millions of infections.

President and Mrs. Bush will be honored in-person on December 1 before hundreds of event attendees, including Democratic and Republican Members of Congress; Executive branch leadership; federal, state and local officials; and USGLC business, non-profit, and military community members.

Past USGLC tribute honorees have included then-Vice President Joe Biden, Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Secretaries Bob Gates and Condoleezza Rice, the late General Colin Powell and Secretary Madeleine Albright, among many other distinguished officials.

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