The Zambia Red Cross Society is launching an appeal for 50 million US dollars as a massive expansion of its HIV and AIDS programme for the next five years. The launch which coincides with the UNAIDS Programme Coordination Board meeting will take place on the 5th of December 2006 in Lusaka, Zambia.

This comes at a time when the recently launched UNAIDS/WHO 2006 report estimates that at current levels of HIV prevalence and in the absence of treatment, young persons in Zambia face a 50% life-time risk of dying of AIDS.

"The statistics recently released by the UNAIDS are cause for concern, if Zambia is going to have a better future," said Charles Mushitu, the Secretary General of Zambia Red Cross society. "Almost half the population of our young people faces life-time risk of dying of AIDS and yet the country is currently showing signs of economic growth. If we don't invest massively in preventing the spread of the virus, and in care and support, then we are investing in our own down fall." He also appealed to the international community to stop reading too much into debt relief, while thousands of lives are lost on a weekly basis.

The programme will double the target to reach five million people with HIV prevention interventions and provide care and support to 22,600 people living with HIV and 71,000 orphans and vulnerable children by 2010.

"This may seem to be an ambitious target but, given the harrowing statistics, this is exactly what is expected by governments and more importantly by people affected by HIV and AIDS from civil organizations," said Patrick Couteau, the HIV and AIDS advisor to the Federation in Southern Africa "We need to join hands, walk the talk, join forces, if the goal of achieving universal access to prevention, care and treatment is to be achieved.".

The Red Cross HIV and AIDS programme in Zambia which has been going for more than a decade relies on a unique approach based on volunteers selected by their communities to empower households affected by HIV and AIDS in dealing with the devastating impact of the epidemic. It especially targets the most vulnerable groups and marginalized people at grassroots levels. Weakened education, lack of health and public services means that vulnerable people have less and less access to essential support and this is where the Zambia Red Cross with its network of volunteers all over the country can make a difference, by bridging the gap between health services and people, children affected by the epidemic.

"The Red Cross across southern Africa is particularly concerned by the situation of women who bear a disproportionate part of the HIV and AIDS burden: not only are they more likely than men to be infected with HIV, but in most countries they are also more likely to be the ones caring for people infected with HIV, hence the need to scale up our interventions in Zambia and other countries in the region to tackle the vulnerability of women and girls and empower them," says Dr Mukesh Kapila, the International Federation's Special Representative for HIV and AIDS. Dr Mukesh Kapila will also be attending the launch in Lusaka. He added that for over a decade Red Cross volunteers in Zambia, who are part of the communities, have shown that they have the capability to do their work only if they are given the necessary resources.

The launch of the programme is part of the new International Federation Global HIV and AIDS Alliance which aims to scale up massively its efforts to reduce vulnerability to HIV and its impact through preventing further infection, expanding care, treatment and support, reducing stigma and discrimination and strengthening the Red Cross societies.

For interviews please contact: For interviews please contact: James Zulu, Public Relations Manager for Zambia Red Cross society on +26097851669 or +26096755295 or Tapiwa Gomo on +26095755295 or +26099592316 or email to: tapiwa.gomo@ifrc.org

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