Statement by
H.E. MR. HARRI HOLKERI
President of the General Assembly
At the African Summit
on HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Other Infectious Diseases
26-27 April 2001
The topics of this Summit
of African leaders, HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and other infectious diseases, are
central to the Millennium Declaration, in which the world leaders not only decided
to halve the proportion of the world's people living in poverty, but also by
2015, to have halted and begun to reverse, the spread of HIV/AIDS, malaria and
other major diseases. The Millennium Declaration made specific reference to
Africa, which in the past and also today is plagued with many problems, including
slow economic growth and devastating diseases.
Poverty, health and social and economic development are all intimately linked.
The economic impact of tuberculosis alone is estimated at about 12 billion US
dollars in loss of income in poor communities. When HIV/AIDS prevalence in a
country is 20% or higher, it may cause a decline of 1% in its annual GDP. In
some African countries these figures are a reality today.
The spread of HIV/AIDS epidemic has exceeded all estimations. Largely due to
this disease, life expectancy in sub-Saharan Africa is declining: from 59 years
in early 1990 to only 45 years by the year 2010. At the same time, it is estimated
that the number of AIDS orphans will rise to 40 millions in Africa alone. These
simple figures illustrate the devastating impact of HIV/AIDS - it not only destroys
individuals, it destroys entire societies.
I believe that knowledge is power - also in combating the spread of infectious
diseases. Efforts must be strengthened to reach out to young people and those
who still have not contracted tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS or some other communicable
disease. Information and communication technologies must be utilized: new methods
of global knowledge sharing coupled with the use of community radios and other
traditional ways of communicating, are effective ways of sharing information
and experiences and learning from each other. Millions of people have died in
their prime because they did not know - they did not know how tuberculosis or
HIV/AIDS is transmitted, they did not know how to protect themselves, even if
opportunities may have been there, and they did not know that they carried the
disease and that they were spreading it. Schools may be used as vehicles for
knowledge. I believe that information on these killer diseases included in school
curricula, together with efforts to improve basic services and living and nutritional
conditions of people, may bring about positive change.
It has been indisputably proven that the single major contributor to better
health of children, families and nations at large, is raising the educational
level of girls and women. Therefore, any strategy to eradicate poverty and improve
people's health necessarily needs to include strategies for the education of
girls and women. Schools are more than just places to learn how to read and
write; they may be used for health education, inoculation campaigns and nutritional
programmes; they are places where children and young people should receive necessary
life skills.
This Summit of African leaders is a strong expression of the will of this continent
to tackle the problems of tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS and other communicable diseases.
There are success stories within African nations showing how strong leadership
can multiply the impact of meager resources, and harness the capacities of ordinary
people to fight disease. We know that prevention pays off. We have success stories
from low-income communities, where deaths from tuberculoses have been reduced
five-fold, and HIV infection rates reduced by 80%. These success stories can
and should be made known to serve as inspiration to others.
The General Assembly of
the United Nations decided last autumn to hold a Special Session on HIV/AIDS.
The outcome of this Abuja Summit will be an essential and invaluable input to
the final outcome document of this Special Session which is currently being
prepared through an intergovernmental process, facilitated by two distinguished
and able ambassadors, Ambassador Ka, the Permanent Representative of Senegal
to the United Nations, who is also here at this Summit, and Ambassador Wensley,
Permanent Representative of Australia to the United Nations.
The preparatory process of this Special Session is following an unusual modality
reflecting the urgency of addressing the epidemic of HIV/AIDS. Innovative approaches
using information and communication technologies are being utilized to involve
people from all parts of the world in the preparations.
The Special Session will hold interactive round tables which will assess and
discuss prevention, care and access to drugs, human rights aspects, economic
and social development, and resources. These topics represent the fundamental
values of all of us as spelled out in the Millennium Declaration: freedom, equality,
solidarity, tolerance, and shared responsibility.
The Special Session on HIV/AIDS will be an expression of partnership between
governments, multilateral and international organizations, non-governmental
actors, and the private sector. The outcome document of the Special Session
will be an expression of commitment by all to combat HIV/AIDS.
Fighting tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS and other major infectious diseases requires
more than willpower, it requires resources and capacities. This Summit and the
Special Session of the General Assembly on HIV/AIDS will be important inputs
to the preparatory process for the Financing for Development Conference, scheduled
to take place during the first quarter of next year.
Let me finish by mentioning another special session of the General Assembly,
the 5-year review of Habitat on human settlements, which will precede, in early
June, the HIV/AIDS session. In the Millennium Declaration the world's leaders
resolved to achieve significant improvement in the lives of at least 100 million
slum dwellers. By doing so we will also decrease the risk of the spread of infectious
diseases, including tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS. - The Millennium Declaration
is an expression of political will of world's nations - it is the duty of the
world's nations now to implement this will.