Gasheegu Muramila
27 August 2007
Kigali — A senior U.S. government official has called for sustainable ties between his government and Rwanda.
Michael Leavitt, the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HSS) who arrived in the country yesterday, reiterated his government's desire to contribute towards anti-malaria and the HIV/Aids campaigns in Rwanda.Flanked by Michael Arietti, the U.S. Ambassador to Rwanda, Leavitt said: "We know that there are challenges in Africa and around the world with Aids and malaria. We are committed to do our part to overcome the scourge of Aids and to defeat malaria."
After laying a wreath at one of the Gisozi Genocide Memorial Centre mass graves, Leavitt sounded remorseful in his tone, saying that the world needs to unite and fight against such tragedies in future.Leavitt, who is on a two-day visit in the country, has been to South Africa, Mozambique and Tanzania as part of his tour in Africa aimed at assessing health initiatives supported by the U.S.
Before his scheduled departure tomorrow, Leavitt will inspect projects supported by the U.S. President's Malaria Initiative (PMI) in Gasabo District today and also meet members of HIV/Aids associations supported by PEPFAR in Kibuye, Western Province.In Rwanda, the U.S. government has injected $130 million through initiatives like the President's Emergency Plan for Aids Relief (PEPFAR) and the President's Malaria Initiative in fight against Aids and Malaria. HSS is the U.S. government's principal agency for protecting the health of all Americans and providing essential human services, especially those who are least able to help themselves.
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