WORLD AIDS DAY 2007 - LEADERSHIP

Dear All,

The world Aids Day 2007 is here , Saturday 1st December, 2007 is the big day and this time the the theme is "Leadership" . It is time to look at our score card. How have we fared compared to last year.

According to UNAIDS there are 33.2 million people living with HIV in whole world and everyday 6800 people get infected. I know you dont believe in statistics but hey they give you some picture, and the picture might be grimmer in reality!

Millions have been spent on sensitisation and awareness creation on HIA/AIDS issues and a lot of strides have been made but the battle is not yet worn. Millions still die in Africa and Asia because they cannot get access to Anti-retroviral drugs because they are either too poor or bad governance.

This has me edgy whenever I come across an NGO that deals with HIV/AIDS. Dont get me wrong, I applaude the genuine organisations and individuals for their hard work, but I also abhore the idea that millions of HIV-related funds have found their way into greedy peoples pockets, or is it stomach?

Last years theme of accountability is close to my heart because of obvious reasons but perhaps this years theme is even more on point. We need good leadership and direction in this fight. Without a good commander we cannot win the war! Leadership does not just mean government, leadership means anybody with power to influence a decision and that is both you and me.

Last year the United Nations High Level Meeting on AIDS, which reviewed the progress on the 2001 Declaration of Commitment on HIV/AIDS – an important blueprint for reaching the Millennium Development Goals on AIDS marked the fifth year anniversary of the African Abuja Declaration. 2006 was also the year in which national targets were set, or should have been set, by governments for achieving Universal Access to Treatment, Prevention, Support and Care by 2010. In addition, at 2006’s International AIDS Conference, “accountability” was the buzzword throughout the global forum, reflecting the conference’s theme,“Time to Deliver.”

Despite the efforts to hold leaders accountable in 2006, progress in halting HIV is falling far short of targets. Over 25 million people have been lost to AIDS so far, and 4.3 million people were infected with HIV 2006. The spread of HIV is quickening – with more people infected in 2006 than in any previous year. This is despite the number of promises by world leaders to provide services to curb the rates of infection and to bring down death rates, no deliveries have been made on the commitments made.

Promises are not being kept because there is a lack of leadership at every level. It is time to make an about turn and that can only be done by our collective effort. How have our leaders scored in matters of HIV/AIDS? And are we holding them accountable? HIV/AIDS is still a big problem so let us STOP AIDS and KEEP THE PROMISE

Just my thoughts, talk to me!

Linda

Climate Change : Africa at crossroads!

A lot of hullabaloo has been raised on climate change , a matter many people at first especially in Africa considered as rubbish, until they started feeling the slight temperature and climate changes.

At first this seemed like another false alarm from over zealous environmentalists or "greenies" as they were known in the early days. But now being a "greenie" actually makes you somebody.

Back to climate change. As I pen this, the world is meeting over this crucial issues. emerging reports from IPPCC say that Africa will feel the effects of climate change more though its the least contributor of green house gases. You may ask why? Because we people in Africa live under very vulnerable conditions. Poverty has led to growth of slums with half of our population living in non-formal settlements thus are prone to flooding and pollution.

Our economic state also make use hugely dependent on the environment and for may of us survival comes before the environment. This is clearly shown by a recent remark by the Ugandan President who justified giving away a huge portion of forest cover for sugar plantation when he said "Environmental issues are a luxury that most Africans cannot afford".

You may ask "What to do now?"- Yes we need to survive, we need to eat but whats the point of filling our stomachs today and dying tomorrow from none. Sustainable development, a term coined in Stockholm in 1972 during a World Environment Meeting has never been more meaningful than it is now. We have to use the resources now in a way that does not jeopardize the future generations means of survival.

Africa has to stop and think. How valuable are our forest, lakes, wetlands, wildlife, minerals? What kind of leadership do we entrust with our natural resources. As Environmentalist and Nobel Laureate Wangari Maathai says "Nature is very unforgiving", if we mess up with it now, we will pay in the future. Lets not invite to dinner a beast we cannot feed.

Africa wake up , climate change is here now!!!

Linda Ogwell