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Copyright 1999 InterPress Service, all rights reserved.
Worldwide distribution via the APC networks.
*** 06-Dec-99 ***
Title: HEALTH: New Partnership in Fight Against AIDS
By Mithre J. Sandrasagra
UNITED NATIONS, Dec 6 (IPS) - A new international partnership -
involving governments, internationalgroups, businesses and non-
governmental organisations (NGOs) - has been set up to fight the
deadly disease AIDS.
The first meeting of the ''International Partnership Against
HIV/AIDS in Africa'' Monday heard from UN Secretary General Kofi
Annan that the world faced a humanitarian emergency in Africa
beyond the imagination of those who do not live there.
''The scale of the emergency requires us to act now and to act
decisively, with the full weight of the community of nations,''
Annan warned.
The initial meeting of the new group formulated strategy to
build still more partnerships in the ongoing battle against the
acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS).
Annan outlined what he believed should be the primary
objectives of the International Partnership, emphasizing the need
to break the ''conspiracy of silence,'' to ''meet the needs of
those already infected''.
The new partnership, he said, should also help find effective
methods of treatment ''at prices African societies can afford''
and "speed up work on developing a vaccine" against AIDS.
Additionally, he said, the partnership should try ''to use
every available means to halt the spread of the disease.''
Annan asked ''all UN agencies working in sub-Saharan Africa to
put this issue at the top of their agenda, and to seek guidance
and leadership from UNAIDS (the joint United Nations Programme on
HIV/AIDS)...The partnership should be more than the sum of its
parts.''
Monday's gathering was the first time in the ongoing battle
against AIDS that members of African Governments sat down with UN
donors, those from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and
Development (OECD) and the private sector, along with members of
international civil society.
The Secretary-General stressed the crucial role of local
community organizations and the private sector as partners to the
international community, governments and NGOs.
He reflected on the unique chance for each to learn from
others' experiences, to hear what others had to offer, and to
"understand what others need from us."
Twenty years ago, he said the global community had not even
heard of AIDS and now the deadly disease is killing millions of
people worldwide - mostly in Africa.
''Today the AIDS pandemic, unexpected, unexplained and
unspeakably cruel, presents us - especially in Africa - with a
tragedy we can barely comprehend let alone manage.'' Annan said.
He commended public, private and non-governmental programmes
and partnerships in Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, South Africa,
Zimbabwe, and Nigeria as trail blazers in Africa's fight against
AIDS.
Annan stressed, however, while ''encouraging work'' was being
done on the AIDS front, it was far from adequate to combat ''an
epidemic of this magnitude.''
''A Call to Action'' issued last week by UNAIDS, UNICEF, and
the National Black Leadership Commission on AIDS, Inc (BLCA) said
that, ''no single action can make a meaningful and lasting impact
on the AIDS crisis.''
The three organizations stressed that, partnerships were the key
to overcoming AIDS as were ''increased resources, policy
development, review and reform of laws, social mobilization and
coordination among various sectors of government, the private
sector and civil society.''
The Call to Action also urged governments to ''break the
conspiracy of silence'' surrounding the epidemic and to instead
act with ''openness and urgency'' to fight the discrimination and
ostracism that too often accompany AIDS.
At a recent symposium sponsored by the American Foundation for
AIDS Research (AMFAR) at the United Nations, Uganda's Ambassador
to the United Nations said that "openness" was a major factor in
his nation's successful approach to combating HIV/AIDS.
''As a result, Uganda is one of the first African countries
where levels of infection have been stabilized,'' Annan noted.
While 200,000 people died last year in Africa as a result of
conflict and natural disasters, two million had died because of
AIDS, Peter Piot, Executive Director of UNAIDS, told
corespondents here last week on World AIDS Day.
In her remarks, Annan's deputy, Louise Frechette, said:
''Believing AIDS is someone else's problem is simply not an
option anymore. The AIDS crisis requires all of us to work
together on all fronts.'' (END/IPS/mjs/td/mk/99)
Origin: ROMAWAS/HEALTH/
----
[c] 1999, InterPress Third World News Agency (IPS)
All rights reserved
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