Zwelinzima Vavi, the General Secretary of COSATU, was today part of a delegation of international trade unionists who met the Italian Prime Minister, Silvio Berlusconi - the host to G8 Summit taking place in Genoa. The General Secretary spoke on the HIV/AIDS crisis. He pointed out that no war has killed as many people as the HIV/AIDS epidemic has in Sub Sahara Africa and that projections and statistics tell us that HIV/AIDS is the single most potent threat to humanity.
Press statement issued by the Congress of South African Trade Unions.
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[Note to labour reporters - If this is not in your field,. please pass
this on to the health reporter. Thanks.]
“Yet,” he said, “resources released by governments and
capital from affected countries as well as from world leaders is
not matching the scale of the pandemic. We are aware and do
appreciate discussions to establish a global fund to fight the
scourge. We await with greatest anticipation for the details
and hope that we shall not be disappointed.”
He recognised the link between HIV/AIDS and poverty,
broader health challenges and underdevelopment: “The
response of the world must be comprehensive and include the
need to provide comprehensive treatment to those affected,
with the affordability of drugs at the centre of that. Education
and awareness, elimination of poverty, dealing with the
challenge of underdevelopment, cancelling of the odious debt,
etc. all have to be part of the total strategy.”
He concluded: “This is the message those dying of AIDS are
expecting from the industrialised countries.”
Patrick Craven and Moloto Mothapo
Acting COSATU Spokespersons
[email protected]
082-821-7456
339-4911
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