Addis Ababa — Commission on HIV/AIDS and Governance (CHGA) patron and First President of Zambia, Dr. Kenneth D. Kaunda who is attending the 4th African Development Forum (ADF) in Addis Ababa has proposed nutrition as a new move to fight HIV/AIDS in Africa. Dr. Kaunda was speaking on Thursday at a panel held on the "Impact of HIV/AIDS on Africa's capacity to govern and the challenge of scaling up treatment".

Dr. K. Kaunda told the gathering of experts and academics that nutrition was a critical factor in the management of HIV/AIDS, which the world has been unable to get any medicine for since the epidemic was found 20 years ago.

"I must confess that references to nutrition, in the fight against HIV/AIDS have re-enforced what our researchers at the clinic have also concluded. This clinic operates under the auspices of the organization I established in 2000 known as the K.K. Children of Africa Foundation. The researchers have noted the remarkable role that nutrition plays in helping patients on ARV's to get better," Dr. Kaunda said.

Kaunda also asked the Commission to look into the issue seriously, which he said was a "critical factor in the managements of HIV/AIDS." "This is an important discovery, which should be pursued aggressively. I have noted with keen interest that several speakers in the Commission have spoken on the importance of nutrition in the fight against HIV/AIDS," Kaunda added.

However, he said that Africa still needed the support and assistance of the international community in order to be able to scale-up treatment programs in a sustainable manner. Kaunda also appealed to African leaders to commit some financial resources to fight against AIDS and strive to attain the capacity to implement the programs for prevention, treatment and care.

"To be effective, our governments need to work with other important players like NGOs. This should be done with the participation of the people not only at national level but also at district and local levels," he added. "As an old freedom fighter, I am obliged to urge our governments to wage a relentless fight against HIV/AIDS with similar vigour and determination, which characterized the struggle against colonialism and apartheid."

Meanwhile, commenting on Tony Blair's Commission for Africa initiative, Dr. Kaunda said it has become increasingly difficult for him to trust and believe in Blair after the war in Iraq. "By going to war with Iraq the two B's Blair and George Bush) went wrong miserably, but I still remain hopeful that they will recover from the tragedy," he lamented.

The Forum will close its deliberation today where World Bank high officials and others are expected to attend the closing ceremony.