Earlier today, UNAIDS released its 2008 report on the global AIDS epidemic. The report, which is published every two years, takes a detailed look at the state of the epidemic and progress towards scaling-up access to treatment, prevention and care around the world.
An important finding in this year’s report is that some progress is being made on the prevention side. BBC reports:
“The report says prevention programmes have seen changes in sexual behaviour, and a drop in infection rates in countries such as Rwanda and Zimbabwe. Condom use is also increasing among young people with multiple partners in many countries. This has been seen in seven of the most affected countries: Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Ghana, Malawi, Uganda and Zambia…. The report also reveals that the percentage of HIV-positive pregnant women receiving antiretroviral drugs to prevent transmission of the virus to their child rose from 14% in 2005 to 33% in 2007.”
The report also found that expanded access to life-saving antiretroviral treatment is helping to reduce deaths. In 2007, the number of AIDS-related deaths dropped to 2 million, down from 2.2 million in 2005.
Stay tuned here for a closer look some of the report’s findings.
I am delighted to let you know that we have just launched the ONE Africa Award, an exciting new $100,000 grant for African individuals and organizations, based in Africa, leading the fight against poverty. ONE aims to showcase civil society working on bringing about change amongst the poorest people in Africa. This award for best practice will consider accountable organizations that can demonstrate their commitment and success in assisting Africans to meet the Millennium Development Goals.
African civil society has an extremely important role to play in advancing the development agenda, either through their own action, or as a monitoring body of government implemented programs, ensuring that money goes where it is most needed. We launched the call for applications on July 15th and will continue to receive applications until August 15th. This is our first award, and through this effort, we hope that we can best showcase the individuals and organizations that are doing amazing work, everyday, for African people.
I would be delighted if you could pass on this information on to individuals and organizations that you think would qualify. More information is available here.
-Edith Jibunoh, ONE’s Africa Outreach Manager, Abuja, Nigeria
Saturday was a big day for me. Not only was it my first time officially volunteering for the ONE Campaign, it was also my very first live concert! Dierks Bentley, along with Miranda Lambert and Halfway to Hazard, played a concert at the Jones County Fair in Monticello, Iowa. Dierks is a big fan of ONE and invited us to set up a ONE table at the show. There were over 15,000 people there so we spoke to many concert-goers about ONE and how they can get involved.
Many fans were really excited to see Dierks Bentley’s new CD where he is clearly wearing his ONE band in 3 photos! We even (more…)
Tom Gavin just passed along another video clip from last week’s Rwanda trip.
This one is of our CEO David Lane talking to journalists about the ONE Campaign and why it’s so important that we listens to Africans so that we can become more effective advocates.
“We don’t pretend to speak for Africans. We can’t. It would be inappropriate for us to. Which is why listening to Africans is extremely important, and that’s the purpose of our visit this time…”
“Here’s the thing I want to say in Rwanda, just about this trip in particular. Much has been said about President Kagame. I met with him myself in November when I was here and he’s a very impressive man. What I think has our entire delegation dazzled is the quality of leadership at the working level. From the nurses at this hospital to the leaders of this hospital to the ministers and the mayors. It’s not an overstatement to say that we are dazzled by the quality of leadership.
And that’s one of our messages as well: it’s not appropriate to impose. We may think we have the answers in the United States, but an important part of our advocacy is to say that we want to support African leadership that’s working.”
Thanks to all the ONE members who rallied and contacted their elected officials in support of PEPFAR reauthorization. Last week’s action by Congress will bring hope to millions of children living in countries hit hard by the AIDS crisis. If you are curious about how your actions will trickle down to the country and community level, let me share the stories of four young boys orphaned by AIDS in Africa. PEPFAR is helping them cope with their loss and look to the future.
One country that has been particularly hard-hit by the AIDS crisis is Ethiopia, struggling to meet the needs of four million orphans nationwide. This year, a popular children’s television show, “Tsehai Loves Learning,” has helped orphans deal with grief, while changing attitudes among other young children about children made vulnerable by AIDS. PEPFAR funding made it possible for Whiz Kids Workshop, in partnership with Save the Children, USAID and other partners to produce and broadcast four episodes devoted to helping the youngest Ethiopians understand the issues faced by children orphaned and affected by AIDS.
You only have to see the changes in a little boy named Yonatan, now 8 years old, and his half-brother, Dagmawi, 16, to appreciate how PEPFAR funding is benefiting countless children in Ethiopia. Yonatan was only five when his mother died, but he recalls her death as if it happened yesterday. “He always remembers her, tells stories about her and cries,” says Dagmawi.
Through simple puppets, a little animation and a lot of imagination, “Tsehai Loves Learning” has taught both brothers some valuable life lessons. “That was emotional for me,” said Dagmawi, who watched the first episode about coping with grief with his younger brother. “Not to exaggerate, but tears came up. But it gave me the idea that whenever I’m sad about my mom, I can imagine that I’m talking to her and can tell her that I’m doing ok.” (more…)
Cindy McCain penned an op-ed for today’s Wall Street Journal about her recent trip to Africa and the “women are at the forefront of the physical, emotional and spiritual healing that is moving Rwandan society forward.”
Some excerpts:
“It is a humbling experience to be in the presence of those who have such a capacity for forgiveness and care. It is also instructive. If wealthy nations want their assistance programs to be effective, they should look to the women who form the backbone of every society. With some education, training, basic rights and empowerment, women will transform a society — and the world.”
“Women today make up a disproportionate percentage of the Rwandan population. In the aftermath of the genocide, they had to head households bereft of fathers. They had to take over farms, and take jobs previously done by men. But there were opportunities, too: Today, 41% of Rwandan businesses are owned by women…Rwanda today has the world’s highest percentage of female legislators.”
“Perhaps it is fitting that a nation so wracked by death could give birth to a vibrant new age. I know that one thing is clear: Through their bold and courageous actions, these women should inspire not only their fellow Africans, but all individuals — men and women — across the globe.”
Last week a crew of ONE staff and American leaders took a trip to Rwanda to see effective-U.S. aid at work. I just got in this clip of former Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist and Center for the American Progress President John Podesta talking about their visit to a specialty-coffee-washing station just outside of Kigali.
Senator Bill Frist, MD:
“We’re at a specialty-coffee-washing station in Rwanda, Kigali,- just outside of Kigali, Rwanda. Why is it important? It is because of economic development. In a country that is mainly plagued by poverty, what you see behind me, the employment of over 200 women, women who double their income by working at this specialty-coffee-washing station will now have that opportunity to put their kids in school, to put a roof over their head, to empower their family to earn an income in the future that indeed can capture their dreams and translate their hopes and dreams into a reality.”
John Podesta:
“Rwanda has a “Rwanda 2020 Plan” to try to really make sure that growth is widespread and that it affects everyone. And you saw a real spirit of entrepreneurship here today. We saw women sorting coffee earning about 50% more than they were earning in their livelihood. Before that we saw a young Rwanda entrepreneur who had built that coffee-washing station. The focus in on specialty coffee. Rwanda has always produced a lot of coffee, but now they’re producing for the high-end, and that’s a team effort, but just there’s just a lot of spirit and optimism about the capacity to get this country really moving again. And get the kids in school. Get the people working. And get some income into people’s pockets.
ONE is campaigning to ensure that the Congressional budget does not cut foreign assistance programs like Feed the Future that help people break the cycle of poverty and hunger.
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2011 marks 30 years since the first cases of AIDS were documented. Take a closer look at the specific, achievable goals we must hit by 2015 to make this year the beginning of the end of AIDS.
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