Bono, the frontman from U2 is the first person to receive the George W. Bush medal for “Distinguished Leadership.”
The rock icon received the medal in recognition of his work to help fight poverty and preventable diseases like HIV. He was presented the award by the former president himself.
Bono’s relationship with Bush started back in 2002 when he lobbied the former president at the White House to lend financial support to a group of humanitarian organisations that would help provide financial aid to poorer countries and actively help stem the AIDS crisis.
“It’s a huge honour to [win] this award, and I’m here to honour your leadership on the greatest health intervention in the history of medicine,” Bono said to Bush.
“That’s what I’m not sure people understand: 13 million from PEPFAR [President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief], and if you add the Global Relief Fund, it’s probably been 21 million lives have been saved by this work that you began and led and I’m here to honor that.”
Congratulations, Bono!
