OPEN INVITATION TO
Your Excellencies Ambassadors of the key most affected countries by HIV and TB, policy makers, professors, UN agencies and representatives of NGOs and the civil society,
As a performer, advocate, and tuberculosis survivor, I am writing to ask for your gracious participation in an important event that will give voice to women, young people and communities affected by HIV and tuberculosis (TB), an otherwise forgotten and preventable disease that jeopardizes the treatment of HIV patients and kills nearly 3,800 people every day.
TB is a global pandemic, yet still mistakenly considered a disease of the past. In many countries, the loss of human life due to TB is staggering. TB claims many lives namely among women worldwide, affecting some 3.2 million of them globally. It is the single biggest killer of people living with HIV. Up to 70,000 children die annually due to TB and more than 10 million more have been orphaned by the death of a parent from TB. Yet TB can be treated in just six months for a cost of $25 per person!
I was diagnosed with TB ten years ago. While I was successfully treated for the disease, I gained poignant insight into the discrimination, rejection, and isolation that so many people with TB suffer. Since then, I have been a fervent advocate for simple, practical and efficient test, treatment, and care for all people affected by the disease.
If your country has one of the highest TB and HIV disease burdens and is making great strides to address this challenge, I would be deeply honoured if you and your Minister of Health if in town would participate in a live-webcasted talk show that I will be hosting on the occasion of the AIDS 2012 International Conference in Washington DC.
The event will take place at the Newseum from 12:00 – 13:00 on 22 July in Washington DC just on the eve of the International Aids Society Conference. Details can be found in this link: http://www.ifrc.org/PageFiles/96069/Tuberculosis_HIV_talkshow.pdf
I will bring together a dynamic group of women and young people who have suffered from TB and HIV to share their experience, as well as a number of prominent entertainers and experts to help inspire action.
In conclusion, I renew to you the assurances of my highest consideration and reiterate our strong interest to have you among us.
Sincerely yours,
Gerry Elsdon, IFRC Goodwill Ambassador*
RSVP: Seating is limited. Confirmation should be received no later than Friday, 6 July by email haselmanng@who.int or telephone +41 22 7915875. A buffet lunch will be served following the talk show.