UN Envoy Warns of Impact of Potential Iraq War on Fight against AIDS

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Friday, February 14, 2003

UN Envoy Warns of Impact of Potential Iraq War on Fight against AIDS

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It would be an "unspeakable humanitarian tragedy" if the rumor of war, or an actual war, in Iraq subverts the struggle against AIDS in Africa, the United Nations special envoy on HIV/AIDS in Africa warned Thursday.

"It would be the ultimate triumph of conflict over the human imperative," Stephen Lewis said at a press briefing on his trip tosouthern Africa late last month.

Drawing attention to the report of the mission, which visited Lesotho, Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe, Lewis said it contained verystrong and uncompromising language because there was no room for ambiguity -- 40 million people worldwide, 30 million of them in Africa, were at risk due to the AIDS epidemic.

"HIV/AIDS is the most fundamental underlying cause of the southern African crisis," he stated, referring to the on-going debate about the role of drought in the food shortage.

The findings during the mission, he said, conclusively support the new variant of a different kind of food shortage and agricultural decimation significantly caused by HIV/AIDS.

Quoting from the report, Lewis said, "The apparent lack of urgency, leadership, direction and responsibility in the response of the United Nations, national governments, and the internationalcommunity to the pandemic's effects on women and girls is deeply troubling."

In the report, Lewis recommended that the United Nations must provide a powerful and energizing leadership, at the highest levels of the agencies, funds and programs, in order for the pandemic to be confronted urgently at the country level.

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