AMERICA/UNITED STATES - US asks for Collaboration of Catholic organisations in the Global fight against AIDS: video-conference organised at American embassy to the Holy See

Wednesday, 28 July 2004

Rome (Fides Service)- The United States calls for the collaboration of Catholic organisations in the ambit of their strategy to fight the spread of AIDS in the world. This was said Ambassador Randall Tobias, co-ordinator of the global programme to fight AIDS, at a video-conference organised by the American Embassy to the Holy See in Rome. Among the participants representing the Holy See Cardinal Javier Lozano Barragan, President of the Pontifical Council for pastoral care of health care workers and the sick; Mons. Frank Dewane, under-secretary of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace; Mons. Bernardito Auza, representing the Secretariat of State; Mons. Antonio Guerrero Soto, of the Pontifical Council for pastoral care of health care workers and the sick, and Mons. Jacques Suaudeau, representing the Pontifical Academy for Life.
Also present Mario Marazziti, Massimo Magnano and Leonardo Palombi of the S. Egidio; Community and Karel Zalenka of Catholic Relief Services and Duncan MacLaren della Caritas Internationalis. The discussion was moderated by the US Ambassador to the Holy See Jim Nicholson.
The US government calls for collaboration because 27% of health structures in poor countries are run by Catholics. Ambassador Tobias said the United States intends to assign 15 billion dollars in the next 5 years to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS which he said causes “at least three times as many dead at the September 11 attacks”. The head of the global anti-AIDS programme said the US government will pressure the market to reduce the price of anti-AIDS drugs. It will exploit competition between companies to lower the selling price of antiretroviral therapy. Washington has asked pharmaceutical companies to have their new products tested by the US Food and Drug Administration in order to be purchased and distributed in global anti-AIDS programme.
The Catholic health care representatives said drugs must be distributed to poor countries and that the problem of tackling the pandemic must go hand in hand with programmes for development.. Ithe representative of the S. Egidio Community which is working in Africa to prevent and treat AIDS said that as well as distributing treatment it is necessary to provide training for local medical and paramedical personnel. Mario Marazziti underlined the role of the media in the struggle against AIDS: “When African people realise that AIDS can be cured taboo and prejudice disappear” the S. Egidio representative concluded. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 28/7/2004 righe 38 parole 458)


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