The Commission on HIV/Aids and governance in Africa (CHGA) is chaired by K Y Amoako, the executive secretary of the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA).
ECA is the regional arm of the United Nations established in 1958 to support economic and social development of its member states, foster regional integration, and promote international cooperation for Africa's development.
A statement from ECA said world leaders, including former President Kenneth Kaunda and Prime Minister Pascoal Mucumbi of Mozambique, two of the Patrons of CHGA, would attend the event.
CHGA is an initiative announced by UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan in February.
It is mandated to complement UN's vital work on transmission and prevention and other agencies with policies and programmes to mitigate the socio-economic impact of HIV/Aids on African states.
According to reports, the epidemic is concentrated in Africa, which has some 70% of the people living with HIV/Aids across the world.
According to the latest Unaids figures, an estimated 20-million Africans have died since the start of the HIV/Aids epidemic. A further 29,4-million are presently living with the virus.
Speaking on the economic impact of the disease recently, CHGA programme director Alex de Waal said a study in South Africa had indicated that by the year 2020, the level of GDP could be lowered by 17% due to HIV/Aids; while the level of per capita GDP could be lower by seven per cent.
“The core challenge for CHGA research is to capture the complex linkages between human capacity losses at the micro level (households), their relationship to the core indicators of economic growth at the macro level and crucially, their likely implications for inter-generational survival of families, communities and states,” the Commission said in a statement.
CHGA's work will culminate in a Final Report in June 2005, to analyse the governance and development threats posed by the pandemic and contain policy options for mounting an effective response.
CHGA will also address the implications of scaling up antiretroviral therapies for health systems capacity and structures in Africa and advise African policy makers on how to address the profound structural impacts that HIV/Aids is having on their abilities to tackle Africa's development challenges.
The commission said work would also focus on a range of issues, including the requirements for resource mobilisation, economic policy choices and capacity building. “The report will also be a key tool for further advocacy and policy engagement,” it said.
CHGA's advocacy work will be channeled through the 20 commissioners appointed by Annan to support K Y Amoako.
Among the 20 commissioners are Richard Feachem, the executive director of the Global Fund to Fight Aids, TB and Malaria, the director-general of Opec Fund Seyyid Abdulai, Peter Piot, the executive director of Unaids, Mamphele Ramphele, managing director of the World Bank and Joy Phumaphi, the assistant director-general of the World Health Organisation (WHO). – BuaNews.
EMAIL THIS ARTICLE SAVE THIS ARTICLE FEEDBACK
To subscribe email subscriptions@creamermedia.co.za or click here
To advertise email advertising@creamermedia.co.za or click here
