[afro-nets] Mandela urges Africans to acknowledge and speak out on AIDS

[A. Odutola <chpss_abo2@yahoo.com>]

Mandela urges Africans to acknowledge and speak out on AIDS
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Source: Datelinehealth-Africa News Service
By: Jafar Danesi, Volunteer Correspondent at XIV ICASA, Abuja
12/08/05

Elder statesman and former South African President, Nelson Man-
dela was one of several eminent personalities who graced the
opening ceremony at the XIV International Conference on AIDS and
STI's in Africa (ICASA), holding in Abuja, the capital city of
Nigeria.

Welcoming delegates and fellow activists, Mandela praised con-
ference organisers for choosing "HIV and the Family" as theme
and said: "My own family like millions across the continent felt
the impact of the pandemic. As a father, there is no shame in
acknowledging that your son died of AIDS. AIDS has been with us
for more than 25 years and it will still be with us for many
years to come".

Calling for a unified approach, Mandela said, "The only way for
us to confront the epidemic is for us as Africans to speak out
and stand proudly together to address the greatest crisis con-
fronting the continent".

Mandela urged conference participants not to forget the elderly,
and advocated for an inclusive and elderly-directed approach to
addressing the pandemic.

"Let us not forget the elderly, who use their meagre resource to
care for their own children who are sick of AIDS and their or-
phaned grandchildren. By ensuring that pregnant women have ac-
cess to ARVs to prevent their children from being born with HIV,
by providing children with AIDS treatment, by preventing more
people from being infected with HIV and by protecting and sup-
porting children affected by HIV and AIDS so that they can go to
school and also receive good nutrition, we can alleviate the
plight of the elderly".

"I am proud ICASA is focusing its attention on leadership, but
leadership has to move beyond mere speeches at conference rooms
to action. We can keep families together if we can ensure those
who need treatment have access to treatment. We can empower
those who know whether they are positive or negative to make in-
formed choices about how they live their lives and to choose the
means that best suits them to prevent the further spread of
HIV/AIDS", Mandela said.

The conference enters its final day of deliberations and ends
Friday with a closing ceremony.

Jafar Danesi is also Executive Director, Centre for Enlighten-
ment and Development Intervention (CEDI).

To review more DLHA daily reports from the XIV ICASA 2005 con-
ference, click here:
http://www.datelinehealth-africa.net/betav1.0/infocus/detailinfocus.asp?infocus_id=177

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A. Odutola
mailto:chpss_abo2@yahoo.com