US to fight HIV/AIDS with 15 Billion dollars

Accra, Dec. 20, GNA - The United States Secretary of Labour, Dr Elaine L. Chao on Saturday disclosed that the Bush Administration had voted a whooping 15 billion dollars for the next five years to fight HIV/AIDS pandemic worldwide with special focus on Africa.

She said the packaged contained in President Bush's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief initiated recent with Congressional support offers opportunity of hope for the world's fight against the pandemic. Dr Chao, who was in the country to officially launch U. S.

Department of Labour (DOL) funded HIV/AIDS Workplace Initiative Project in Ghana said since 2001 DOL had contributed 29 million dollars to support 21 projects in 25 countries to reduce the impact of the HIV/ADIS.

The USDOL had voted 9.5 million dollars grants for the prevention of HIV/AIDS at the workplace in Ghana.

USDOL, International Labour Organisations (ILO) and the Ministry of Manpower, Development and Employment (MMDE) jointly initiated the Ghana Workplace HIV/AIDS project.

Dr Chao said the goal of DOL was to assist Ghana develop a sustainable national Workplace HIV/AIDS project to ensure that employers reduce health costs, gain productive labour force while workers improve their quality of life.

The workplace HIV/AIDS project aimed at reducing its spread, through education, promotion of conducive working environment where people living with HIV/AIDS are free from discrimination.

The U. S. Secretary of Labour said ignorance, fear and discrimination are the greatest enemies to mankind in the battle against the pandemic, adding, "we all want to fight the virus not the people who are living with it."

She therefore, urged Governments, religious and political leaders, and the general public to commit more resources to projects of care and treatment for infected people.

"In the worldwide fight against HIV/AIDS, I believe every nation, large or small, developed or developing, must be both a leader and partner," she said and therefore commended Ghana for the partnership in adopting a sustainable prevention, treatment and care strategies. Mr Yaw Barimah, Employment Minister called for transparent and fair disbursement of funds towards eradication of the pandemic saying the disbursement modalities which turned to focus on high prevalence nations against the lesser ones is detrimental to the fight.

He said Ghana as the low prevalence nation should be assisted financially to map-up strategies to combat its spread. Mr Barimah commended the United States for the partnership and said already the country had developed policies against Child Labour and trafficking, HIV/AIDS and other endemics.

The UNDP Resident Representative, Mr Alfred Sallia Fawundu called for adherence on the ILO standards on the treatment of AIDS victims and appealed to all stakeholders to conform and established workplace code of conduct on treatment of HIV/AIDS victims.

The launch, which officially ended a two-day National Stakeholders Workshop on HIV/AIDS was attended by Professor Sakyi Amoa, Director-General of the Ghana AIDS Commission, Mrs Rose Karikari, Executive Director of Ghana Employers Association and Mr Cornelius Gyakpasu, ILO Director based in Nigeria.