Mozambique: African Delegates Gather to Plan Joint Response to AIDS Pandemic

Representatives from Kenya, Ethiopia, Congo and Zambia gathered Tuesday in Maputo to discuss a common strategy against the HIV/AIDS pandemic. "The disease threatens development, social cohesion, stability and food security," Mozambican Prime Minister Luisa Diogo said as she opened the three-day meeting of the Commission for HIV/AIDS and Governors in Africa. Nearly 30 million people in Africa are currently living with HIV, and life expectancy has dropped below 40 years in many countries, including Mozambique, Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Rwanda and Zambia, said commission Chair Kanu Amoako. Meeting participants will assess the impact of AIDS on the economy, society and governance of their respective countries. Delegates will also visit AIDS treatment sites around Maputo.

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