NEW YORK (AP) — President George W. Bush is doing far less to fight AIDS worldwide than his pledge that the United States would put $15 billion into the effort implies, AIDS activists and development experts say.

They fear Bush will use his coming five-day trip to Africa as a “victory lap” to celebrate the pledge to spend the $15 billion over the next five years to fight HIV/AIDS in 14 African and Caribbean countries — a promise that drew high praise when he made it in January. And they say Bush’s choice of a former drug company chief to run the program raises questions about conflict of interest.

Bush began his first trip to sub-Saharan Africa on July 7.

“I don’t think that this administration understands the magnitude of the calamity” of HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria in Africa, said Jeffrey Sachs, head of Columbia University’s Earth Institute and a special adviser to the United Nations on development.

Bush introduced his choice for Global AIDS coordinator in Washington on July 2 — Randall L. Tobias, a former head of Eli Lilly and Company.

“Randy Tobias has a mandate directly from me to get our AIDS initiative up and running as soon as possible. We’ll work quickly to get help to the people who need it most by purchasing low-cost, anti-retroviral medications and other drugs that are needed to save lives. We will set up a broad and efficient network to deliver drugs to the farthest reaches of Africa, even by motorcycle or bicycle,” Bush said.

Paul Zeitz, head of the Washington-based Global AIDS Alliance, said Tobias is likely to be “a figurehead for the pharmaceutical industry” who has no expertise in Africa or in public health.

“We’re calling for a full congressional investigation to make sure there is no kickback arrangement from the Bush administration to the pharmaceutical industry,” he said.

Zeitz said that if the White House were serious about fighting AIDS, it would have asked Congress to release the full $3 billion earmarked for this year, including the $1 billion authorized for the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. Instead, it has asked for $2 billion, of which only 75 percent would go directly for AIDS and $200 million would go to the Global Fund.

“They are cutting programs in other areas of health to make way for the meager first installment on the AIDS program,” Sachs said.

Milly Katana from the Health Rights Action Group in Uganda said that “the only mechanism that can give us a breakthrough” is the Global Fund, which has commitments of $1.5 billion for projects in 93 countries.

“We call to those who organize the president’s visit not to send him to see dancing queens and children,” Katana said. “There is nothing to sing about when people are dying. We hope they send him to the huge cemeteries (of AIDS victims) in South Africa.”