New York, Sep 29 2009 7:11PM
Botswana – where nearly one quarter of people between the ages of 15 and 49 are living with HIV – is taking steps with the help of international assistance to combat the devastating AIDS pandemic, an official from the Southern African nation told the General Assembly today.
"HIV/AIDS undoubtedly continues to be one of the most daunting challenges of our time," Charles Thembani Ntwaagae, Botswana's Ambassador to the United Nations, <"http://www.un.org/ga/64/generaldebate/pdf/BW_en.pdf">told the Assembly's annual high-level gathering.
According to the Joint UN Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), out of a population of nearly 2 million, some 300,000 people are living with HIV.
The agency also estimates that 11,000 children under the age of 17 have been orphaned because of the virus.
Last June, world leaders gathered at UN Headquarters for a mid-term review of goals laid out in 2001's Declaration of Commitment on HIV/AIDS.
That gathering, Mr. Ntwaagae said, "revealed that despite heightened political momentum and national and global response to HIV/AIDS, not much progress has been made towards mitigating its effects."
With only a handful of countries on track to achieving some of the targets, there is an urgent need for ramping up efforts to ensure universal access to HIV prevention, treatment care and support, he stressed.
He voiced concern that the current global economic turmoil has put people living with HIV and AIDS at further risk due to slashed budgets for health programmes.
"It is essential that we as governments should renew our commitment to put people first in the kind of policies and programmes we formulate and implement."
Sep 29 2009 7:11PM
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