Date: 06/07/2004
Source: The Presidency
Title: J Zuma: Kaiser Family Foundation gala dinner
ADDRESS BY DEPUTY PRESIDENT JACOB ZUMA AT THE KAISER FAMILY FOUNDATION GALA DINNER WESTCLIFF HOTEL, Johannesburg, 6 July 2004
The President and Chief Executive Office of the Kaiser Family Foundation
Dr Altman, and Board Members of the Foundation
Cabinet Ministers and Deputy Ministers
Health MECs from all Provinces
Business Leaders
Members of the Diplomatic Corps
Distinguished Guests
It is an honour and privilege for me to be here with you tonight on such an august occasion, to welcome the Board of Kaiser Family Foundation to our shores, and to celebrate the announcement of yet another winner of the Nelson Mandela Award for Health and Human Rights.
We are also tonight celebrating 17 years of partnership between our country and the Kaiser Family Foundation, a partnership that has been extremely beneficial in promoting the health of our population.
We truly appreciate the role that the Kaiser Family Foundation has played in our country over the past 17 years. This relationship is made more special by the fact that the Foundation has no other international involvement.
Over the past 17 years, the Foundation has committed nearly two hundred million US dollars in support of South African efforts to build an equitable health system.
This is obviously a very considerable amount of money by any measure and we are deeply grateful for that investment, and also for the unwavering commitment of successive generations of Kaiser Trustees to our processes of building a successful and prosperous South Africa.
Ladies and Gentlemen, you are all aware of the challenges that our country faces, in the health sector, especially with regards to combating the spread of HIV and AIDS.
The support of the Kaiser Family Foundation in the struggle against AIDS is therefore very important, and falls within our objectives of building strong public-private partnerships to meet our socio-economic responsibilities.
Over the past 12 years, the Foundation has made a major contribution to our efforts to understand the scale of HIV and AIDS epidemic in our country and to our efforts to prevent the spread of the epidemic, especially among young people, through the loveLife programme.
LoveLife has been most visible in getting messages across to the youth, promoting positive and healthy lifestyles.
It has made some tremendous progress in reaching over 85% of young people.
Distinguished Guests, while appreciating the role of loveLife, we cannot ignore the fact that it has also often stirred controversy. There are constituencies in our country who have at times argued that loveLife promotes promiscuity among youth, and who lobby Government to withdraw financial support for this programme.
Others were even horrified at my role in participating in loveLife's campaign encouraging parents to talk more openly with their children about relationships to prevent the spread of HIV. Debates have raged in the media and even in Parliament.
But I think in stirring such controversies, loveLife has contributed to a more open debate about the connection between HIV and sexual behaviour.
If the discussion influences target audiences to look at how their behaviour makes them vulnerable to infection, then the debate is useful.
We are pleased with the successful partnerships at other levels as well with the loveLife programme, with Department of Health, Social Development and Sport and Recreation.
The Ministry of Health and LoveLife have for example embarked on the National Adolescent Friendly Clinic Initiative, involving about 200 clinics.
This partnership aims to establish youth friendly clinics, to ensure better youth access to health care centres, and to train health workers on how to handle and deal with youth.
We continue to do the best we can to make a difference, working as various sectors in the South African National AIDS Council, as well as with invaluable partners such as the Kaiser Family Foundation.
Slowly but surely, the results are becoming visible.
Recent surveys by Government, the Human Sciences Research Council and by loveLife confirm that HIV rates among populations under 25 years appear to be stabilising.
We cannot say this is the result of any one program, and should surely be the contribution of many. All sectors therefore need to appreciate this achievement, and redouble efforts in fighting the epidemic.
Distinguished Guests, we know that such achievements are the results of the efforts of many dedicated South Africans as well, who work hard to improve the health of our nation and individual communities.
We therefore wholeheartedly congratulate this year's winner of the Nelson Mandela Award for Health and Human Rights.
Tonight's winner, as has been the tradition, continues to inspire many people, especially youth, in critical contribution to the fight against the spread of HIV and AIDS. We congratulate this hard-working and selfless individual.
Dr Altman and all Trustees let me in closing, once again express our appreciation of the support the Foundation has given us over the last 17 years.
It is a valuable partnership, which has worked tremendously for this country. We urge you to continue working with us in this second decade of our freedom.
We believe that if we continue to work together, we can make a visible impact in the fight against HIV and AIDS.
I thank you.
Issued by: The Presidency
6 July 2004
Source: SAPA
Source: The Presidency
Title: J Zuma: Kaiser Family Foundation gala dinner
ADDRESS BY DEPUTY PRESIDENT JACOB ZUMA AT THE KAISER FAMILY FOUNDATION GALA DINNER WESTCLIFF HOTEL, Johannesburg, 6 July 2004
The President and Chief Executive Office of the Kaiser Family Foundation
Dr Altman, and Board Members of the Foundation
Cabinet Ministers and Deputy Ministers
Health MECs from all Provinces
Business Leaders
Members of the Diplomatic Corps
Distinguished Guests
It is an honour and privilege for me to be here with you tonight on such an august occasion, to welcome the Board of Kaiser Family Foundation to our shores, and to celebrate the announcement of yet another winner of the Nelson Mandela Award for Health and Human Rights.
We are also tonight celebrating 17 years of partnership between our country and the Kaiser Family Foundation, a partnership that has been extremely beneficial in promoting the health of our population.
We truly appreciate the role that the Kaiser Family Foundation has played in our country over the past 17 years. This relationship is made more special by the fact that the Foundation has no other international involvement.
Over the past 17 years, the Foundation has committed nearly two hundred million US dollars in support of South African efforts to build an equitable health system.
This is obviously a very considerable amount of money by any measure and we are deeply grateful for that investment, and also for the unwavering commitment of successive generations of Kaiser Trustees to our processes of building a successful and prosperous South Africa.
Ladies and Gentlemen, you are all aware of the challenges that our country faces, in the health sector, especially with regards to combating the spread of HIV and AIDS.
The support of the Kaiser Family Foundation in the struggle against AIDS is therefore very important, and falls within our objectives of building strong public-private partnerships to meet our socio-economic responsibilities.
Over the past 12 years, the Foundation has made a major contribution to our efforts to understand the scale of HIV and AIDS epidemic in our country and to our efforts to prevent the spread of the epidemic, especially among young people, through the loveLife programme.
LoveLife has been most visible in getting messages across to the youth, promoting positive and healthy lifestyles.
It has made some tremendous progress in reaching over 85% of young people.
Distinguished Guests, while appreciating the role of loveLife, we cannot ignore the fact that it has also often stirred controversy. There are constituencies in our country who have at times argued that loveLife promotes promiscuity among youth, and who lobby Government to withdraw financial support for this programme.
Others were even horrified at my role in participating in loveLife's campaign encouraging parents to talk more openly with their children about relationships to prevent the spread of HIV. Debates have raged in the media and even in Parliament.
But I think in stirring such controversies, loveLife has contributed to a more open debate about the connection between HIV and sexual behaviour.
If the discussion influences target audiences to look at how their behaviour makes them vulnerable to infection, then the debate is useful.
We are pleased with the successful partnerships at other levels as well with the loveLife programme, with Department of Health, Social Development and Sport and Recreation.
The Ministry of Health and LoveLife have for example embarked on the National Adolescent Friendly Clinic Initiative, involving about 200 clinics.
This partnership aims to establish youth friendly clinics, to ensure better youth access to health care centres, and to train health workers on how to handle and deal with youth.
We continue to do the best we can to make a difference, working as various sectors in the South African National AIDS Council, as well as with invaluable partners such as the Kaiser Family Foundation.
Slowly but surely, the results are becoming visible.
Recent surveys by Government, the Human Sciences Research Council and by loveLife confirm that HIV rates among populations under 25 years appear to be stabilising.
We cannot say this is the result of any one program, and should surely be the contribution of many. All sectors therefore need to appreciate this achievement, and redouble efforts in fighting the epidemic.
Distinguished Guests, we know that such achievements are the results of the efforts of many dedicated South Africans as well, who work hard to improve the health of our nation and individual communities.
We therefore wholeheartedly congratulate this year's winner of the Nelson Mandela Award for Health and Human Rights.
Tonight's winner, as has been the tradition, continues to inspire many people, especially youth, in critical contribution to the fight against the spread of HIV and AIDS. We congratulate this hard-working and selfless individual.
Dr Altman and all Trustees let me in closing, once again express our appreciation of the support the Foundation has given us over the last 17 years.
It is a valuable partnership, which has worked tremendously for this country. We urge you to continue working with us in this second decade of our freedom.
We believe that if we continue to work together, we can make a visible impact in the fight against HIV and AIDS.
I thank you.
Issued by: The Presidency
6 July 2004
Source: SAPA
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