Red Cross Red Crescent meeting the challenges in Africa
18 September 2000

"HIV/AIDS poses the greatest threat to the future of Africa. We've had the debates, but only by dealing with it as a long term disaster on a massive scale, can the battle be won," says Madame Bana Maiga Ouandaogo, President of the Burkinabe Red Cross Society.

The fight against the disease is the most urgent priority identified by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies as it launches a 10 year public health initiative in Africa. All 53 African Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies are expected to sign up for a plan of action at the 5th Pan African Conference in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.

The conference, which takes place on September 21-25, 2000, brings together all the African Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and other international organisations such as the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) and the United Nations (UN). More than 500 participants will discuss the two major challenges facing the continent - public health and food security. The conference will culminate with the launch of the African Red Cross Red Crescent Health Initiative (ARCHI 2010) on September 24.

ARCHI 2010 focuses on the 10 most pressing issues in public health in Africa, including vaccine preventable diseases, malaria, malnutrition and HIV/AIDS. Millions of Africans die each year from preventable or curable diseases while some sectors of the population no longer have access to basic health care. But it is HIV/AIDS which has had a particularly devastating impact on the continent, killing 11 million people so far, according to UNAIDS. That is 83% of the total number of people killed by the disease in the world while another 4 million people are infected each year. By 2010, one third of all children in Sub-Saharan Africa are expected to have lost their mother or both parents through HIV/AIDS.

The disease has also had a huge socio-economic cost as a generation of educated men and women become ill or die and food production falls on a continent already affected by famine, natural disasters and war. In Zimbabwe, illness or death through AIDS has reduced subsistence farm production by 50%.

"ARCHI 2010 will make a major difference to the lives of millions of people by using the Red Cross Red Crescent's unparalleled network of volunteers who come from the community and who speak the language. By mobilizing them, by dramatically scaling up our HIV/AIDS programmes and by intensifying our collaboration with other partners in the field, we can turn the corner," says Dr Astrid Heiberg, President of the International Federation. "The situation is bad, but there is hope."

Through the nearly 2 million volunteers across Africa, the Red Cross Red Crescent aims to radically change the behaviour of people at community and family levels. In partnership with ministries of health, Red Cross Red Crescent action will focus primarily on disease prevention by using volunteers to promote safe sex, voluntary testing and to break the taboos around those with the virus.

A fear of being stigmatised or at worst, being killed, means people are too often frightened to admit to having the virus which has facilitated the rapid spread of the disease. Breaking the silence would have a dramatic effect on preventing the transmission of HIV.

"Advocating openness and the elimination of discrimination against those with the disease, is a prerequisite for any campaign to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS," says Alvaro Bermejo, the International Federation's Director of Health.

By acknowledging also that the Red Cross Red Crescent Movement itself has been affected by the spread of HIV/AIDS, the organization will be one of the first international aid bodies to end the silence around the disease. Based upon estimated country prevalence of HIV/AIDS among those aged between 15-49, the International Federation has calculated that about 146,000 Red Cross Red Crescent members and volunteers may be infected.

A PRESS CONFERENCE following the launch of the Plan of Action concerning HIV/AIDS and other issues relating to public health in Africa will be held on September 24th in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.

Time: 1700 hr
Venue: Conference Centre Ouaga 2000, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso

VIDEO footage of Red Cross Red Crescent health campaigns on HIV/AIDS and other diseases in Africa is available on BETA tape upon request.

For further information, or to set up interviews, please contact:

Media Service, Geneva + 41 22 730 4377 or +41 79 416 3881

From September 18, 2000, the following people will be contactable in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso:
Numbers have to be confirmed
- Marie-Francoise Borel
- Christopher Black
- Jemini Pandya
- Caroline Hurford

The Geneva-based International Federation promotes the humanitarian activities of 181 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.