Massive cash boost for Africa's Aids battle

[Guest guest]

http://iol.co.za/index.php?click_id=68 & art_id=qw1070530380925B232 & set_id=1

Massive cash boost for Africa's Aids battle

 

December 04 2003 at 11:33AM

 

 

 

Nairobi - Seven multinational companies, which operate in developing

countries, have promised to step up HIV and Aids treatment and prevention

programmes in Africa to combat the pandemic, according to a statement

obtained by AFP on Thursday.

 

The statement said the firms would invest millions of dollars in developing

or improving infrastructure and healthcare training programmes, as well as

building clinics and training healthcare workers to help support the public

sector in the war against HIV and Aids in Africa.

 

Africa south of the Sahara is the region severely hit by the pandemic, where

about 26,6 million people were infected in 2003 by the HIV virus that causes

Aids , more than half of the 40 million worldwide.

 

The continent has 11 million Aids orphans, about four-fifths of the world's

total.

 

'The firms would invest millions of dollars'

The seven firms, Anglo-American, Chevron-Texaco, DaimlerChrysler, Eskom,

Heineken, Larfage and Tata Steel, are working under the Global Business

Coalition on HIV and AIDS (GBC-HIV/Aids), a group of more than 120 firms

worldwide, which was launched on Wednesday to fight the pandemic in Africa.

 

" This is a partnership we have not done enough to incorporate, the business

community, " United States Secretary for Health and Human Services Tommy

Thompson said in Nairobi on Wednesday night. " We need everybody to join with

us in this fight, a fight and a war that we cannot afford to lose. "

 

" We came to Africa to increase private sector engagement in the war against

HIV and Aids and this announcement is exactly the kind of innovative idea we

want to promote, " Thompson said, urging African governments to work in

partnership with the firms in order to access funds from the United Nations

Global Fund for Aids, tuberculosis and malaria.

 

" Leveraging the resources of companies in this way is a great new

opportunity for communities to realise the opportunity for the Global Fund, "

he added.

 

" The continent of Africa has been ravaged for far too long by this HIV virus

scourge. Millions of people have died and millions of children have been

left as orphans, " Thompson explained.

 

'The continent has 11 million Aids orphans'

The firms have set up pilot programmes in Ghana, Cameroon, Nigeria, Kenya,

and South Africa, ranging from giving Aids patients anti-retroviral drugs to

setting up effective preventive mechanism, the statements said.

 

UNAids chief Peter Piot welcomed the move, saying the contribution from the

private sector would make it possible to achieve the World Health

Organisation (WHO) goal of treating around three million HIV and Aids

patients in the world by 2005.

 

The US Global Aids Co-ordinator Randal Tobias, said: " As we work to more

broadly engage resources to address the HIV and Aids pandemic, the private

sector has an enormous important role to play. I applaud the leadership

demonstrated by the seven companies. "

 

" We can beat this pandemic if we work together, " concluded Richard Feachem,

Executive Director of the UN Global Fund.

 

GBC-HIV/Aids President Richard Holbrook said: " This is only the beginning of

what companies can do. I urge the companies around the world to join these

seven and other members of GCB-HIV/Aids in the fight against Aids. "

 

The International Labour Organisation (ILO) and World Economic Forum also

pledged to help in the drive against Aids in Africa, according to the

statement. - Sapa-AFP

[Guest guest]

Hmmmm, Not one of the companies mentioned has any altruistic record whatsoever.

I wonder what their angle is?

 

>http://iol.co.za/index.php?click_id=68 & art_id=qw1070530380925B232 & set_id=1

> Massive cash boost for Africa's Aids battle

>

>December 04 2003 at 11:33AM

>

>

>

>Nairobi - Seven multinational companies, which operate in developing

>countries, have promised to step up HIV and Aids treatment and prevention

>programmes in Africa to combat the pandemic, according to a statement

>obtained by AFP on Thursday.

>

>The statement said the firms would invest millions of dollars in developing

>or improving infrastructure and healthcare training programmes, as well as

>building clinics and training healthcare workers to help support the public

>sector in the war against HIV and Aids in Africa.

>

>Africa south of the Sahara is the region severely hit by the pandemic, where

>about 26,6 million people were infected in 2003 by the HIV virus that causes

>Aids , more than half of the 40 million worldwide.

>

>The continent has 11 million Aids orphans, about four-fifths of the world's

>total.

>

>'The firms would invest millions of dollars'

>The seven firms, Anglo-American, Chevron-Texaco, DaimlerChrysler, Eskom,

>Heineken, Larfage and Tata Steel, are working under the Global Business

>Coalition on HIV and AIDS (GBC-HIV/Aids), a group of more than 120 firms

>worldwide, which was launched on Wednesday to fight the pandemic in Africa.

>

> " This is a partnership we have not done enough to incorporate, the business

>community, " United States Secretary for Health and Human Services Tommy

>Thompson said in Nairobi on Wednesday night. " We need everybody to join with

>us in this fight, a fight and a war that we cannot afford to lose. "

>

> " We came to Africa to increase private sector engagement in the war against

>HIV and Aids and this announcement is exactly the kind of innovative idea we

>want to promote, " Thompson said, urging African governments to work in

>partnership with the firms in order to access funds from the United Nations

>Global Fund for Aids, tuberculosis and malaria.

>

> " Leveraging the resources of companies in this way is a great new

>opportunity for communities to realise the opportunity for the Global Fund, "

>he added.

>

> " The continent of Africa has been ravaged for far too long by this HIV virus

>scourge. Millions of people have died and millions of children have been

>left as orphans, " Thompson explained.

>

>'The continent has 11 million Aids orphans'

>The firms have set up pilot programmes in Ghana, Cameroon, Nigeria, Kenya,

>and South Africa, ranging from giving Aids patients anti-retroviral drugs to

>setting up effective preventive mechanism, the statements said.

>

>UNAids chief Peter Piot welcomed the move, saying the contribution from the

>private sector would make it possible to achieve the World Health

>Organisation (WHO) goal of treating around three million HIV and Aids

>patients in the world by 2005.

>

>The US Global Aids Co-ordinator Randal Tobias, said: " As we work to more

>broadly engage resources to address the HIV and Aids pandemic, the private

>sector has an enormous important role to play. I applaud the leadership

>demonstrated by the seven companies. "

>

> " We can beat this pandemic if we work together, " concluded Richard Feachem,

>Executive Director of the UN Global Fund.

>

>GBC-HIV/Aids President Richard Holbrook said: " This is only the beginning of

>what companies can do. I urge the companies around the world to join these

>seven and other members of GCB-HIV/Aids in the fight against Aids. "

>

>The International Labour Organisation (ILO) and World Economic Forum also

>pledged to help in the drive against Aids in Africa, according to the

>statement. - Sapa-AFP

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

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