Ex-President Speak On Aids

FORMER Ghanaian President who is also a United Nations Volunteers (UNV) Eminent Person, Jerry Rawlings arrived here yesterday for a five-day visit in the country and his first speech he has urged African leaders to seriously take part in the war against HIV/AIDS.

At the Dar Es Salaam International Airport (DIA), Rawlings met with his hosts including Minister for Labor, Youth Development and Sports, Professor Juma Kapuya, the country Representative for UNICEF, Dr. Bjorn Ljungqvist of UNDP Dr. Inyang Ebong-Harstrust and the Dar Es Salaam Regional Commissioner, Yusuf Makamba.

At a news conference at the DIA shortly after arrival in Tanzania for promoting voluntarism in the fight against the killer disease, he urged African leaders to summon courage and get tested for HIV/AIDS and face up to the truth.

He said not only leaders, but every one must fight against AIDS in his/her own capacities. "Since the scourge do not discriminate the rich from the poor, children from adults and the youth from elderly, all groups and individuals regardless of their social status must take part in the war against AIDS," he said.

There is a need to move from curative to preventive one, he said noting that he has come with nothing new that has not been said before, but to speak against things such as traditional tendencies perpetuating the disease. He dismissed as false reports indicating that there was a cure in retroviral drugs, saying this only generated false hopes.

Rawlings is in the country as an eminent person for the International Year of Volunteers (IYV) under United National Volunteers (UNV) program.

His busy scheduled from yesterday to November 5 would include meeting with President Benjamin Mkapa and the Zanzibar President Aman Abeid Karume. HIV/AIDS-related issues will be discussed. He is also expected to speak on the pandemic with non-government organizations, UN Agency staff, volunteers and University of Dar Es Salaam students. His trip to Tanzania as an eminent person for the IYV follows recent similar visits in Kenya and Ethiopia.

While in the country, Rawlings is also scheduled to tour central Tanzania where he will attend the launch of Tanzania's National AIDS Policy and later address the Parliament. The National Assembly on Tuesday endorsed a bill to establish the Tanzania Commission for Aids (TACAIDS). Rawlings was President of Ghana for 19 years and is renown for spearheading and engaging in many volunteer activities for the development of his country.

Selection as Eminent Person for the united Nations 2001 IYV is in recognition of his efforts on behalf of his community groups, independent voluntary organizations striving to improve social and economic conditions in Ghana.

He left office in January 2001 and is one of four eminent persons joining with the UNV to help raise the profile of millions of volunteers working for peace and development around the world. The others are former Executive Director of the UNFPA, Dr. Nafis Sadik, Anita Roddick, the founder of the Body Shop and Spain's crown Prince of Asturia.