The
Executive Director of the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS
(UNAIDS) Michel Sidibé and Mozambique’s Minister of Youth and Sports
Pedrito Caetano launched the UNAIDS Give AIDS the Red Card initiative
today at the Joaquim Chissano International Conference Center in
Maputo. The announcement was made on the eve of the 10th
All-Africa Games, the continent’s largest multi-sports tournament, under
the patronage of Dr. Aires Aly Bonifácio, Prime Minister of Mozambique.
“Reducing
the numbers of new HIV infections is nowhere more imperative or urgent
than in Africa,” said Mr Sidibé. “The All-Africa Games are a great
occasion to raise wide awareness about intensifying efforts to reach
UNAIDS’ vision of Zero new infections, Zero discrimination, and Zero
AIDS-related deaths.”
“Sport
brings people together and is especially popular among young people. I
urge all the participants and fans across Africa watching the All-Africa
Games to learn the facts about HIV prevention and give AIDS the Red
Card,” said Mr Caetano.
Among
prominent personalities expected to attend the launch are former
Mozambican President Joaquim Alberto Chissano, Graça Machel, wife of
former South African President Nelson Mandela, and leading athletes.
The UNAIDS Give AIDS the Red Card
campaign was introduced at the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa with
the support of 28 team captains. Captains of six teams at the 2011 FIFA
Women’s World Cup in Germany also endorsed the initiative.
At the
Maputo event, the first Africa-wide launch of the initiative, the heads
of national delegations to the Games, including presidents of National
Olympic Committees and Ministers of Sport from 47 participating
countries, are signing a pledge to support the Give AIDS the Red Card campaign for Zero new infections, Zero discrimination, and Zero AIDS-related deaths. The
campaign aims to raise awareness and mobilize action to strengthen the
response to HIV and accelerate progress across Africa.
“By
signing the pledge, each delegation is agreeing to set up a national
plan of action on the UNAIDS Give AIDS the Red Card in consultation with
UNAIDS offices and national AIDS councils upon return in their
respective countries,” said Dr. Djibril Diallo, Senior Adviser to the
UNAIDS Executive Director. “The 2012 Africa Cup of Nations hosted by
Equatorial Guinea and Gabon will be the next platform for pan-African
mobilization of the initiative,” he added.
Mozambicans are welcoming 5,000 athletes who will compete in 23 sports during the Games, including: athletics (track and field events), badminton, basketball, boxing, canoeing, chess, cycling, football, gymnastics, handball, judo, karate, netball, rowing, sailing, shooting, swimming, table tennis, taekwondo, tennis, triathlon, volleyball and weightlifting.
Sub-Saharan
Africa continues to be the region most affected by HIV, with an
estimated 22.5 million people living with the virus in the region
representing 68% of the global total. However significant progress is
being made in the region. In 22 countries, the HIV incidence rate
declined by more than 25% between 2001 and 2009.
World
leaders meeting in New York at the 2011 UN High-Level Meeting on AIDS
agreed on far-reaching targets to halve new infections through sexual
transmission and drug use, eliminate new HIV infections among children,
and reduce TB-related AIDS deaths by half—all by 2015. The Political
Declaration on HIV/AIDS also urged countries to embrace treatment for
prevention, put 15 million people on treatment and reinforced the call
for universal access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support by
2015.
UNAIDS, the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS, is an innovative
United Nations partnership that leads and inspires the world in
achieving universal access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and
support. Learn more at unaids.org.
SOURCE: Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS)
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