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MAPUTO, Mozambique, Dec 2, 2008 — Approximately 200 employees of the U.S. Mission to Mozambique and members of the local community celebrated HIV/AIDS Awareness Day on December 1, 2008 at the Miramar Compound in Maputo.

With the theme of "HIV/AIDS doesn't care We have to," Embassy and local friends, colleagues, and families joined together to address the realities of this debilitating disease and to discuss opportunities for awareness, prevention, and education.

The afternoon event opened with remarks from Todd Chapman, U.S. Embassy Charge d'Affairs, who discussed the importance of AIDS awareness and taking steps to address this critical issue. Additional speakers included representatives from the U.S. Agency for International Development, the Center for Disease Control, and the Peace Corps. Display booths with products for education and awareness were also located at the festival site.

HIV is a worldwide debilitating disease, one which greatly affects the nations of sub-Saharan Africa. Last year, approximately 33 million people were living with HIV worldwide in 2007, with 22 million in sub-Saharan Africa. In this same year, there were roughly 2.3 million new infections and 2 million deaths globally. In Mozambique, specifically, 16 percent of Mozambicans between the ages of 15 and 49 are infected with HIV.

The Mozambican government has taken steps to counter HIV by launching a strategy geared towards reducing the number of new infections. "Strategy to Accelerate Prevention of HIV Infection" focuses on changing attitudes and behaviors through the following areas of priority: health counseling and testing; condoms; high risk groups; early detection and treatment of sexually transmitted infections; male circumcision; prevention of mother-to-child HIV transmission; access to anti-retroviral treatment; and biosecurity.

The U.S. government has also contributed to the fight against AIDS through the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), which is the largest commitment by any nation to combat a single disease in human history. When President George W. Bush launched this initiative in 2003, approximately 50,000 people in all of sub-Saharan Africa were receiving anti-retroviral treatment.

• Ahead of schedule, the United States has fulfilled the President's commitment to support treatment for two million people. As of September 30, 2008, PEPFAR supported life-saving antiretroviral treatment for more than 2.1 million men, women, and children living with HIV/AIDS around the world, including more than 2 million people in sub-Saharan Africa.


• As of September 30, 2008, nearly 9.7 million people affected by HIV/AIDS in PEPFAR's focus countries had received compassionate care, including nearly 4 million orphans and vulnerable children. Globally, the United States is supporting care for more than 10.1 million people, including more than 4 million orphans and vulnerable children.


• Nearly 240,000 babies have been born HIV-free due to the support of the American people for programs to prevent mothers from passing the virus on to their children.

In the spirit of positivism and motivation for a better future for his countrymen, Mozambican musician Stewart Sukuma, one of the most popular musicians in Mozambique, entertained the crowd with his eclectic blend of African and Brazilian rhythms.

"We know that one in eight Mozambicans are affected, and the large majority of persons know that this is a disease that exists," said Sukuma. "The problem therefore isn't so much of education. We need consensus and union between us, and between the organizations fighting this disease, to come to an agreement in this fight, on how to carry this fight forward." (Translated from the Portuguese)

For additional information on HIV/AIDS, visit UNAIDS; President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief; or World Health Organization.