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Aids has claimed the lis of 25 million people, orphaned 15 million children
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May 27, 2006, 19:45
New York is a hive of activity as thousands of aids activists from across the globe descend on the UN headquarters to take stock of the progress made in fighting the HIV/Aids pandemic.
Several heads state, first ladies, health ministers and several role players will be participating in a week-long conference on HIV/Aids. The summit will begin on Wednesday will also mark the 25th anniversary since the deadly disease was discovered. Analysts say the disease has claimed more lives than the Second World War. Women Aids activists, who gathered in Washington ahead of the main event in New York, say they and their children are the hardest hit by the pandemic.
Yolanda Richardson, an official at the Centre for Development and Population Activities, says: “The world will not turn around the epidemic unless we take bold actions that redirect policies, funding and programmes to reflect the global face of Aids, which is increasingly women and girls." Monday's conference is aimed at reviewing the effectiveness of prevention, care and treatment of the disease. But if statistical details that have been revealed here are anything to go by - these strategies are failing to yield expected results.
Dr Pauline Muchina, from the UNAIDS Global Coalition on Women & Aids, says: “Aids has claimed the lives of 25 million people, 15 million children have been orphaned by Aids. Nearly 40 million people, including children are living with HIV.” Laura Bush, the American first lady, will be leading an American delegation to the summit along with Manto Tshabalala-Msimang, the health minister, who heads the South African delegation.
Kofi Annan, the UN secretary general, will be joined by over a dozen heads of State that include Festus Mogae, the Botswana president, and Robert Mugabe, his Zimbabwean counterpart, -who's countries are among the highly affected by scourge. The summit ends on Friday.
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