Zambian first president Kenneth Kaunda has urged world leaders to respond positively to the plight of people in Africa where the HIV/AIDS is decimating communities, according to Sunday Mail.
The local newspaper quoted him as saying in Lusaka recently that poverty, under-development, illiteracy, ignorance, orphans and diseases like malaria, TB and HIV/AIDS have had an adverse impact on many economies.
"Let us be mindful that the AIDS pandemic has over the years spread across our continent at an alarming rate. This alarming situation should in my humble view serve as a call to action for all of us rise to the challenge in order to make a difference in our one world," he said.
The founding father of Zambia said Africa is facing an extremely serious situation, which requires all stakeholders including governments and NGOs to mount a sustainable multi- sectoral response to the pandemic.
He said the grim reality is that Africa is facing a disaster and yet no clearly defined strategies for mounting a formidable challenge to the pandemic have been developed.
He said the millions of people lost should be a cause for global concern and that these are not just numbers in abstract but figures that represent real people who are dearly missed by their family members.
"Today our graveyards are expanding at a much faster rate than before. This is a disaster. If we do not act now, posterity will judge us harshly for the world has the capacity and resources to reverse this pandemic," he said. |
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