allAfrica.com: Africa: Daily HIV/Aids Report (Page 1 of 3)

Global Challenges

U.N. Launches Workplace HIV Program

[May 07, 2008]

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Tuesday launched U.N. Cares, a new workplace HIV program that will provide such services as training, counseling and testing for U.N. staff and their families, Xinhua/China View reports. The program aims to meet 10 minimum standards -- such as insurance coverage and condom access -- by the end of 2011 by making staff, time and resources more available. U.N. Cares will work in conjunction with the organization's advocacy and support network for HIV-positive employees, as well as address workplace stigma and discrimination. Fifteen U.N. bodies to date have pledged about $1.3 million to U.N. Cares, and Ban on Tuesday said that the U.N. Secretariat will provide about $350,000 as part of an initial contribution.

"Since the early 1990s, the impact of the virus on our work and on the communities we serve has been historic in magnitude," Ban said, adding, "At the same time, our workplace, our staff and our families are profoundly affected." According to Ban, the launch of U.N. Cares represents a "milestone in the U.N. response to HIV." Ban also pledged to make the United Nations a model workplace in its response to HIV/AIDS, adding that the organization's "performance will be only as good as the commitment and contribution of every one of us." In addition, Ban called on U.N. staff to learn essential information about HIV, take measures to protect themselves from contracting the virus and participate in U.N. Cares programs (Xinhua/China View, 5/6).

Link to this story.

British Prime Minister Brown Holds Conference on Role of Businesses in Efforts To Meet MDGs

[May 07, 2008]

Multinational companies need to increase their efforts to address development issues worldwide, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said on Tuesday ahead of a conference on global businesses and the United Nations Millennium Development Goals, AFP/Google.com reports. The MDGs include targets to curb the spread of diseases such as HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. "This year must be a year of action if we are to tackle the development emergency we face," Brown said in a statement released ahead of the London conference, which will include the heads of more than 80 global businesses and leaders from countries such as Ghana and Rwanda.

The conference will highlight work being done by more than 12 companies, such as Citi, Coca-Cola, Diageo, Microsoft, Sumitomo Chemical, Thomson Reuters and Vodafone. Brown said that he hopes such work will inspire other businesses to help reach the MDG targets by the 2015 deadline. Kemal Dervis from the U.N. Development Programme said in a statement that the private sector is "one of the greatest untapped resources" to help meet MDG targets (AFP/Google.com, 5/5).

Brown in December 2007 called on at least 20 of the largest multinational companies to help global efforts aimed at meeting the MDGs. Brown said he will call for an MDG meeting during the U.N. General Assembly in September 2009 to galvanize efforts to accomplish the targets. Brown also will use a meeting of the Group of Eight industrialized nations in Japan this summer to provide incentives to meet the MDGs (Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, 12/11/07).

Link to this story.

Government, Businesses Should Cooperate To Mitigate Effects of HIV/AIDS in Papua New Guinea, Conference Delegate Says

[May 07, 2008]

The government and businesses in Papua New Guinea should work together to alleviate the effects of HIV/AIDS and avoid a "catastrophic health burden," Australian Parliamentary Secretary for Pacific Island Affairs Duncan Kerr said Monday at the start of the 24th Papua New Guinea-Australia Business Forum, Papua New Guinea's Post-Courier reports.

Kerr acknowledged current efforts by the Business Council of Papua New Guinea, with help from the Australian government, to fight the spread of HIV but said that increased cooperation between the government and businesses is needed to effectively address the issue. "HIV/AIDS is a very significant threat to the strength of the economic future of Papua New Guinea," Kerr said, adding, "It's a very difficult territory. ... It is one of those areas that could significantly retract on the economic opportunities" for the country. According to Kerr, HIV/AIDS will pose an "unthinkable" health burden on Papua New Guinea, adding that the disease has already "penetrated" the country "quite widely" (Post-Courier, 5/6).

There are about 64,000 recorded HIV/AIDS cases in Papua New Guinea, but experts believe the actual number to be between 80,000 and 120,000. Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has said the number is expected to rise to at least 220,000 by 2025, even with increased HIV/AIDS education and prevention. According to experts, the number could rise to more than 500,000 by 2025 if increased efforts are not made (Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, 3/10).

web allafrica.com	Enter your search terms	Submit search form
OR subscribers use AllAfrica's premium search engine


Use our pull-down menus to find more stories