Mozambican Prime Minister Luisa Diogo on Friday called for strengthened measures of prevention against the HIV/AIDS epidemic, warning that, faced with this disease, "we are all vulnerable".
She was speaking at the official launch of an emergency programme against HIV/AIDS held in the town of Magude, about 90 kilometres north of Maputo.
Diogo stressed that, despite all the measures so far taken to control the epidemic, the disease continues to spread. "We can never accept the situation that is now happening in Mozambique", she declared, urging all sectors of society to step up preventive measures. But society must also care for those citizens who are already infected with HIV. Their relatives, neighbours and friends should not discriminate against HIV-positive people, "because AIDS is just a disease, like any other".
"When people are sick with malaria or tuberculosis, do we run away from them ?", asked Diogo. What was urgently needed was not fear and discrimination, but solidarity, she stressed.
The Prime Minister urged HIV positive people themselves to take a positive attitude, and follow strictly the advice given by AIDS activists and by doctors.
The Emergency Programme seeks to launch a series of activities throughout the country that will give visible results in holding back the spread of AIDS over the next six months.
This is an initiative involving massive interventions in the areas of prevention, of generating income for groups of HIV- positive people and affected families, as well as assistance and home care for people living with AIDS, and for children orphaned by the disease.
Joana Mangueira, the Executive Secretary of the National Council for the Fight Against AIDS (CNCS), said the initiative covers activities approved in each province that will be undertaken by experienced activists who are deeply rooted in their communities.
This programme will cost about 6.05 million US dollars for the new actions envisaged. Adding several smaller projects already under way, and the sum involved rise to 8.16 million dollars. Mangueira said this money is already available, from the World Bank, and from the Common Fund against AIDS.
The average funding for each of the 29 new projects included in the Emergency Programme is 240,000 dollars. Administrative costs will be held to 20 per cent, while 80 per cent is invested "in concrete activities".
At the Friday ceremony some of the organisations that will implement the projects received documents of certification from Diogo, in her capacity as chairperson of the CNCS. The ceremony was also attended by the governors of Maputo, Inhambane, Manica and Tete provinces.
Donte: AIM
