President Obama has told African governments to change the behaviour of their citizens to prevent HIV spread, saying treating patients while others are catching the virus is untenable.
"We are never going to have enough money to simply treat people who are constantly getting infected," he said. "We've got to have a mechanism to stop the transmission rate."
Mr Obama, who held a meeting with 115 young African leaders at the White House on Tuesday, blamed the upswing in new HIV/Aids infections in Africa on retrogressive culture that makes females satisfy the pleasure of men.
"In Africa, empowering women is going to be critical to reducing the transmission rate because so often women, not having any control over sexual practices and their own body, end up having extremely high transmission rates," he said.
He said US has a huge interest in public health systems in Africa because reducing HIV/Aids transmissions, will have a positive effect on HIV rates internationally, due to transmigration of diseases.
The Aids pandemic has swept through Africa to devastating effect; snatching bread-winners and skilled, productive workers while generating orphans and other dependants.
In Uganda where the infection rate was about 30 per cent in the late 1980s, a politically-led three-themed campaign - for Abstinence, Being faithful and Condom use or ABC model - helped drive down the rate to an average six per cent.
The country became a global poster for success against HIV/Aids, attracting huge funds from the Presidential Emergency Plan for Aids Relief and Global Fund yet mixed messages, one emphasising abstinence for sexually-active citizens, have confused official response to the pandemic first causing stagnation and lately, experts say, signs of a raise in new infections.
Mr Obama said the US, the largest contributor to the global HIV/Aids purse, has not slashed its allocation as alleged by some critics but caring for people living with HIV.
The alternative, he said, is to explore workable preventive programmes; build greater public health infrastructure and institutionalise country-specific interventions as his administration increases funding under the Global Health Initiative.
In a one-hour question-and-answer session with the delegates from across Sub-Saharan Africa including two Ugandan women, Obama criticised corrupt, dictatorial leaders in Africa and challenged the youth to lead the turnaround of their communities.
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thank GOD, HE IS SO GREAT, i will use this opportunity , to thank PRISIDENT OBAMA AND THE FAMILY AND WISH ONE DAY I WILL BE ABLE TO SPEND TIME WITH THEM IN THE WHITE HOUSE, TO TALK MORE AND SAE ON THE FASTEST MEANS TO CHANGE africa,HIV, in africa is not the only problem but one of the problems africa has.frist i will advice the president that , AFRICA is sufferring, ECONOMICALLY , POLLITICALLY AND SOCIALLY.in terms of economy , there is pooverty, homelessnes, lack of jobs, low unemployment, but africa is a continent rich in resources but the poorest. while, colonailism has not finnish in africa, example, CAMEROON MY country is both ENGHISH AND FRENCH, but it has been FRANCHANIST, WE ALL HAVE EVERYTHING IN FRENCH NO THING IN english , when we ask questions as concerns that we need our english system to oppperate that resuilt to us been kill , lost of lifes , torture to death and rapand rape and distuction of our life , family and proparty, most are jail without any trial. i write this with tears in my eyes. it a pity that most youth rape and most contract HIV, SOME ARE UNABLE TO STAND THE SITUATION AND GIVE UP WITHOUT TAKEN DRUGS, NOW WE SEE THAT ON THE ECONOMY,MY TWO YEARS IN USA, i have reacived new on more than 20 friends who are death, tears come out of my eyes and fear and pains for what is happening to some of our sisters and brothers, ''tell more if details is need be for me''mr prisident africa needs you more than ever, and im ready to give you the best support in how you can help AFRICA,NO JOBS ,IN TERMS OF JOB OPPORTUNITIES, THOSE THAT DESERVE TO BE EMPLOYED FEW ARE EMPLOYED and in most casas those are not qualified for jobs and as such a bad resuil and worst seneries occure. example like the CAMEROON POLICE, WE KNOW THERE ARE OUT TO MAKE PEACE BUT IN MOST CASES MORE PROBLEMS ARE CREATED, LIKE IN PLACE OF PEASE TO BE CRY OUT , LOTS OF RAPES , KILLING AND DRISTRUCTION, i get up every morning and ask myself were is africa headind to, but now i know GOD IS NOT LIVING US BEHIND WITH YOUR PRESEND IN THE WHITE HOUSE.FROM CASES LIKE THIS I SEE ARICAN CONTRIES I WILL NOT BE SUPPRISE TO SEE MY COUNTRY WAS CALL SOMETIMES AS THE MOST CORRUPT COUNTRY IN THE WORLD.THIS GOES A LONG WAY INCREASING THE HIGH RATE OF hiv.in terms of politically, our african leadest are dictators we need to change the administrative system in africa, a leader should not rule for more than 8 years, embesselment , brabery, and gride is a common penominomium in AFRICA,IN TERMS OF SOCIALL ,AND CULTURAL , THIS NEED TO BE WORK ON, WE NEED CHANGE AND MY SELF BEEN A victim , i plead to prisident obame to help us and this is the time and fast.