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“Southern
Africa deserves better than promises”, says the International
Federation’s new Special Representative for HIV and AIDS 2 October 2006 “Southern Africa deserves better than promises. With more than 11 million people living with HIV, including 500,000 children, Southern Africa needs urgent action to turn words into deeds.” This is the clear message sent from Harare, Zimbabwe by Mukesh Kapila, Special Representative for HIV and AIDS of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies who is visiting southern Africa for the first time since his appointment last month. Dr Kapila is in Harare to launch the new training initiative for community-based care workers to provide prevention, care, treatment and support to people living with HIV. “Southern Africa is pioneering a major new alliance in which Red Cross/Red Crescent joins forces with key partners to reduce the burden of HIV and AIDS,” Dr Kapila adds. The training initiative brings together the Southern Africa AIDS Information Dissemination Service (SAFAIDS), the World Health Organisation and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies in southern Africa to give people life-saving knowledge and skills. “This comes at a time when the International Federation is launching a new five-year programme to support Red Cross societies in southern Africa in fighting HIV/AIDS”, says Françoise Le Goff, Head of the International Federation’s regional delegation based in Harare. “With adult prevalence rates now exceeding 20 % in most countries in the region, and reaching more than 38 % in some areas, there is an urgent need to take the Red Cross work to a new level both in terms of preventing further infection and greater support for those already infected,” she adds. The new integrated long-term HIV/AIDS strategy focuses on prevention for vulnerable groups through more education combined with support for people living with HIV. It aims to strengthen home-based care programmes built up over the last decade using the network of community-based Red Cross volunteers in southern Africa who provide support services to the chronically ill and family members. It also targets the growing number of orphans who have lost one or both parents due to AIDS. Some 225,000 children will be supported over the next five years. “The availability of anti-retroviral therapy will change the shape of home-based care programmes from helping people to die with dignity to positive living,” explains Bernard Gardiner, manager of the Global HIV/AIDS programme for the International Federation in Geneva. The launch of the training package, the first in the world ever produced to address all these needs, comes at the right time as it will empower people living with HIV, care givers and family members who provide care and support and improve backup for their humanitarian work. For further information, or to set up interviews, please contact: In Harare: Tapiwa Gomo, Regional information officer Tel : + 263 91 345 936 Jean-Luc Martinage, Press officer for Global Health Tel (mobile): + 41 79 217 33 86 In Geneva: Duty phone Tel: + 41 79 416 38 81 The Geneva-based International Federation promotes the humanitarian activities of 185 National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies among vulnerable people. By coordinating international disaster relief and encouraging development support, it seeks to prevent and alleviate human suffering. The Federation, National Societies and the International Committee of the Red Cross together, constitute the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. © International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies |
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