Anti-AIDS Program Demands Broad-based National Effort, UNDP Says

The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) said December 1 that the prevention of HIV/AIDS, an unprecedented global challenge, demands a broad-based national effort involving all sectors and all types of organizations on the frontline of the fight against the killer disease.

UNDP administrator Mark Brown made the statement in a message marking the World AIDS Day, which falls on December 1.

Some 36.1 million people are living with HIV/AIDS, with 5.3 million infected within the last 12 months, according to a United Nations report issued this week. Sub-Saharan Africa is the hardest hit, but Asian nations, led by India, are catching up. Enditem

He said that AIDS is such a formidable challenge in large part because of the difficulty of transforming social, cultural and gender norms and creating open dialogue about sex, empowerment of women, and the recognition of the role of men in responding to the epidemic.

"No government decree or planning document can do this," he said. "It requires a broad-based national effort involving communities, churches, women's groups, trade unions, and all types of organizations on the frontline of AIDS prevention."

In January 1988, the World Health Organization (WHO) designated December 1 as the World AIDS Day in order to raise the public awareness of the serious AIDS impact. This year's theme for the Day is "AIDS: Men Make a Difference."

"By focusing on the role of men, it highlights the critical importance of changing male attitudes and behaviors, including a propensity for sexual risk-taking, if we are to successfully slow this epidemic," he said.

But even if this battle will be fought and won at the grassroots, governments have a responsibility to institute emergency measures to respond to the crisis. Sustained top-level political leadership is required, linked to strategic national AIDS plans that encompass all departments, not just the health department, he said.

"We are encouraged by the examples of some of the worst affected countries who have created national coordination bodies within the President's or Prime Minister's offices to ensure that the crisis is taken seriously by all government officials," he said.

"The international community must do its part, through debt relief and other actions, to help countries cope with the crushing impact of the epidemic," he said.

"Only with this kind of broad-based effort can we help ensure adequate national resources are allocated to prevention, care and broader efforts to mitigate the socioeconomic impact of the epidemic," he said.

"UNDP, a co-sponsor of UNAIDS, is in a unique position to support countries build the capacity to respond to these complex challenges, helping countries formulate national action plans and draw on best practices through broader South-South cooperation," he said.






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