News Release No. WBMG/EXT/033108-2
Contacts
In Washington: Carol Hooks (202) 458 9346, chooks@worldbank.org
In Antananarivo: Erick Rabemananoro (261-20) 2256000, erabemananoro@worldbank.org
WASHINGTON, March 31, 2008 – The World Bank, in collaboration with the Government of Madagascar and UNAIDS, will hold its annual stakeholders consultation on HIV/AIDS in Africa from March 31 to April 4, 2008, in Madagascar. The meeting will be opened by H.E. Marc Ravalomanana, President of the Republic of Madagascar, and will take place at the National Leadership Institute of Madagascar. “ The choice of Madagascar to hold this important regional meeting is a recognition of the Malagasy efforts, under the strong leadership at the highest level of the State, to tackle the HIV/AIDS issue,” said Fenosoa Ratsimanetrimanana, executive secretary of the National Committee on HIV/AIDS.
This year’s meeting will emphasize strategic and action planning. The links between gender and HIV will be highlighted, since 60 percent of those infected in Africa are women. Better ways to integrate the strengths of civil society organizations into national AIDS efforts will also be a key topic during the discussions. During the week-long meeting, 165 people coming from more than 30 African countries and several development partners will share lessons learned, give feedback, and refine plans for the coming year. “This is a unique opportunity for countries to learn from one another about what worked, what didn’t, and why,” explained Elizabeth Laura Lule, the manager of AIDS Campaign Team for Africa (ACTafrica). “This meeting is important because we are now moving from an emergency response to sustainable and measurable programs to reduce HIV infection and its impact.”
“While HIV is clearly a health problem, there is worldwide recognition that it is also a cross-sector development problem that threatens human welfare, socio-economic advances, productivity, social cohesion and even national security,” highlighted Robert Blake, Country Manager of the World Bank office in Madagascar.
Sub-Saharan Africaremains the most affected region. According to UNAIDS, approximately 1.7 million people became infected with HIV in 2007, bringing the total number of people living with the virus to 22.5 million. More than two-thirds (68 percent) of all people infected with HIV live in sub-Saharan Africa, and more than three quarters (76 percent) of all AIDS-related deaths in 2007 occurred there. Adult HIV prevalence is highest in Southern Africa, at more than 20 percent in many countries.
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The World Bank, an institution dedicated to the reduction of poverty worldwide, was one of the first international organizations to respond to the HIV/AIDS global emergency. Since 2000, it has provided more than $1.5 billion to more than 30 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa to combat the epidemic. The AIDS Campaign Team for Africa (ACTafrica) was created to support implementation of the World Bank’s Multi-Country HIV/AIDS Program. This program assists countries by committing substantial Bank resources to affected countries and leveraging co-financing from others on a country-by-country basis.
For more information, please visit www.worldbank.org/afr/aids
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