EAC strives to attain HIV and AIDS free population as region prepares to commemorate World AIDS Day on 1 December
ARUSHA, Tanzania, November 26, 2010/African Press Organization (APO)/ — The EAC Deputy Secretary General (in charge of Productive and Social Sectors), Mr. Jean Claude Nsengiyumva has disclosed that the EAC region is harmonizing the existing policies, protocols, plans, strategies, and legislation in the various Partner States in regard to prevention, treatment, care and management of HIV and AIDS. While addressing the Press yesterday at the EAC Media Centre on the forthcoming occasion of the World AIDS Day, which is observed on Dec. 1 worldwide, the Deputy Secretary General said Partner States were striving to rid the region of the pandemic in order to attain an HIV and AIDS free population.
He said HIV and AIDS challenge is cross-cutting and multi-sectoral in character hence the need for concerted efforts by all key stakeholders. Mr. Nsengiyumva reiterated that the EAC Treaty lays strong emphasis on joint regional strategies and interventions for the prevention and control of HIV and AIDS in the East African Community Partner States. He said EAC plays a coordination role of activities within the Partner States in support of the existing National policies on HIV/AIDS.
The Deputy Secretary General affirmed that Partner States were currently undertaking joint action towards the prevention and control of communicable and non-communicable diseases including HIV and AIDS, among others that is endangering the overall health and welfare of the citizens of the EAC Partner States. He noted that HIV and AIDS poses a serious threat to sustainable development in the region, and the integration agenda.
“The focus is on the prevention of HIV and AIDS, care and the mitigation of its impact in order to ensure sustainable human development within Partner States,” said Mr. Nsengiyumva.
The EAC official noted that HIV and AIDS affects everyone, irrespective of their status in society and generally productivity and Governments cannot undertake this initiative of fighting the pandemic alone and thus need to seek private sector partnerships. In this regard, the Deputy Secretary General said that EAC, being people-centred and private sector driven, is partnering with Private Sector through the East African Business Council to promote and achieve HIV/AIDS free population.
In an effort to stimulate corporate response to HIV pandemic, Mr. Nsengiyumva said the East Africa Business Council organized a regional CEO Testing Day on November 11, 2010. The one-day event was simultaneously carried out in each of the five capitals cities across East Africa. The aim of CEO testing was to ensure that the CEO’s lead by example and thus also help reduce stigmatization that is associated with HIV/AIDS especially at the workplace. It also aimed at making HIV/AIDS testing a routine activity to promote reduction in the spread of the disease. It involved full service with pre- and post-test counseling.
World AIDS Day was founded in 1988 to increase awareness, raise funds, fight prejudice, and improve HIV/AIDS education.
SOURCE
East African Community (EAC)
