Speeches
Remarks by US Ambassador to Angola Cynthia Efird on the occasion of HIV/AIDS Awareness Day
Your excellency Honorable Vice Minister of Public Health Dr. Jose Van Dunem, Honored Guests here for HIV/AIDS Awareness Day:
It is my extreme pleasure to be here with you today. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Commodore Thomas S. Rowden and Captain Michael D. Budney of the USS Emory S. Land for their splendid hospitality, as well as our many volunteers helping out today.
The presence of such a wonderful and varied group at today's events continues to demonstrate that fighting HIV/AIDS is a priority for the Government of Angola, the business community of Angola, the FAA, and of course, Angola's youth. My government is proud to be part of this noble effort. We are happy to be able to take advantage of the visit of the Naval Vessel U.S.S. EMORY S. LAND to raise public awareness about HIV/AIDS and how it is a threat that touches each and every one of us.
There is no doubt that one of the first steps in fighting the spread of HIV/AIDS is to raise awareness and knowledge. The rate of HIV/AIDS in Angola, as compared to other parts of Africa, is presently low; however we must be vigilant to prevent the spread of the virus. Since the rate is low many people may not know how it can really affect them, or may not know of useful ways to prevent it. That is why we need to focus on prevention measures, particularly among the most vulnerable segments of society. We need to empower such vulnerable groups so that they can build alliances and partnerships among themselves and others to fight together against this deadly disease.
The USG is committed to supporting Angola in the fight against AIDS, and today's event is the continuation of this commitment. We are especially pleased to host this event, which has brought important sectors of society together: the youth, workers, the military, and representatives of the public health sector. We believe that interactions and partnerships such as these is the best way to combat HIV/AIDS.
The USG collaborates with the Angolan Government and other partners in various anti-HIV/AIDS programs, including by supporting 12 strategically placed Voluntary Counseling and Testing Centers and 4 youth centers, as well as the implementation of prevention campaigns, and the use of direct technical assistance in the fight against HIV/AIDS. We support the Ministry of Health, NGOs and some private companies in their efforts to prevent the spread of the disease, including by bringing millions of condoms to Angola.
The USG continues to develop and strengthen the technical capacity of laboratory health professionals in Angola in order to better contribute to the fight against HIV/AIDS and to develop needed technical skills to diagnose and combat other emerging health threats in Angola.
In addition, we have joined forces with the National Institute against HIV/AIDS of the Ministry of Health, the firm Odebrecht, and other businesses to promote the establishment of a business alliance to combat the spread of HIV/AIDS among their workforce and communities. We believe that this alliance when established and become operational would have the potential to truly touch the core of Angola's population.
We are pleased to be able to include this important issue as a focus of one of today's workshops, and I am particularly pleased that our business counterparts have spent this morning discussing and strategizing on how to leverage their efforts to reduce the impact of HIV/AIDS amongst Angola's workforce. I applaud the work that so many of you are already doing independently in this area and I am hopeful we can strengthen this budding partnership and even achieve greater results together.
Once again, it is my great pleasure to be here today and join you in the fight against HIV/AIDS. It is my strongest desire that by working together we will be able stem the spread of HIV/AIDS in Angola. Together, I know that we will make a difference.
Thank you all.
