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Date : 01/07/2006
Source: The Presidency
Title: Mlambo-Ngcuka: Gala Dinner of Partnership Forum of Global Fund to Fight AIDS


    Address by Deputy President Ms Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka at the Gala Dinner of the second Partnership Forum of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria, Durban ICC

Programme Director
His Majesty King Goodwill Zwelithini
Global Fund Board Members
Honourable Ministers of State for Health of various countries
Honourable Ministers from the South African Government
MECs of Health in South Africa
All of our specially invited international guests
Leaders and Members of Delegations
Ladies and gentlemen
Good Evening to you all

Good Evening

Thank you for the opportunity to welcome you this evening as the Chairperson of South African National AIDS Council, as well as the Chairperson of the Country Co-ordinating Mechanism, as we celebrate humanity in all its kind in South Africa.

It gives me a great pleasure to welcome all the participants from South Africa and various countries to the second Partnership Forum of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis (TB) and Malaria. This forum marks an important turning point in our interventions and will hopefully provide some answers on how best globally we can improve the lives of those affected and infected by AIDS, TB and Malaria.

This meeting comes at the right time as we globally work towards universal access to HIV and AIDS prevention, treatment, care and support, and especially accelerating HIV prevention interventions.

It also comes at a time when we have committed ourselves as Africa to eliminate Malaria by 2010, and at a time when Africa has declared TB an emergency. It is befitting therefore that as we deliberate on the Global Fund's Architecture and strategy, and explore ways of learning and improving from it, we very seriously think of how we allocate resources appropriately, to achieve better health outcomes.

We are very impressed by the progress that has been made at various consultations in as far as the United Nation (UN) system is concerned. The world is finally realising that unless we address the challenges of poverty and underdevelopment, hunger, illiteracy and gender inequality, we will not make an impact in curbing the spread of HIV infection and reducing the impact of AIDS, and other common communicable diseases like TB and Malaria.

The impact of HIV and AIDS is felt at different levels by different sectors of our communities. It places a heavy burden on our formal health care systems, it threatens to deplete the social security systems and denies our children of the love they so deserve. The burden of the HIV infection in South Africa has a devastating impact on families and communities throughout the nation.

Ladies and gentlemen, as I said earlier, Africa has declared TB an emergency. In an effort to support the declaration of TB as an emergency, South Africa has put together a TB Crisis Management Plan that targets the areas that are most affected. As we speak we are in the process of implementing this TB crisis plan to increase our efforts in TB management.

Programme director, Malaria is a disease that has plagued mankind for centuries. The major factor contributing to regional and local variability in malaria burden is once again differences in levels of socio-economic development. It is a hard fact that the poorest nations generally have the least resources for adequate control efforts. We are working at scaling up interventions that have been proven to work such as indoor residual spraying to manage Malaria.

For us, cross boarder transmission remains a big challenge, and therefore collaboration with our neighbouring countries is critical. The Lubombo Spatial Development Initiative, which was initiated by government and is now co-funded by the Global Fund, is a good example of how the Global Fund can support inter country collaborations to reduce the impact of disease.

As we meet here today and over the next two days, it is important for us to deliberate on how best we allocate our resources to improve the health of our citizens and citizens of the world. Speaking of allocation of resources, we are hopeful that the replenishment Mechanism meeting, which takes place after the Partnership Forum, will yield some results in as far as the pledging to meet the financial need towards fighting AIDS, TB and Malaria.

Based on the forum theme: “Celebrating Success and Overcoming Challenges”, I challenge the participants here today to come up with recommendations on how best Global Fund's performance, its strategy and effectiveness can be improved to make a sustainable and significant contribution to the reduction of infections, illness and death, to create better life for all.

Ladies and Gentleman I once again welcome you to our beautiful country and wish you a pleasant stay.

I thank you.

Issued by: The Presidency
1 July 2006

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