US embassy cable - 05KHARTOUM1945

UNCLAS KHARTOUM 001945 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958:  N/A 
TAGS: TBIO, KHIV, PGOV, SOCI, SU 
SUBJECT:  SUDAN MARKS WORLD AIDS DAY 
 
REF:  State 217347 
 
1. On December 1, Sudan marked the occasion of World AIDS Day 
with the Khartoum launch of the Global Campaign "Unite for 
Children, Unite Against AIDS" at Friendship Hall.  Sponsored 
by the Ministry of Health, the Sudan National AIDS Program, 
UNAIDS, and UNICEF, the event featured remarks by First Lady 
Widad Babiker, who called for mobilization of national and 
international efforts to protect children from AIDS.  She 
also noted that she would sponsor efforts to combat AIDS 
through a forum of African first ladies during the African 
Union Summit to be held in Khartoum on January 23 - 24. 
 
2. Minister of Health Tabitha Sokaya affirmed the 
government's combating of AIDS through its five-year action 
plan, which President Bashir signed last year.  UNAIDS 
Program Coordinator Musa Bungudu stated that Sudan had the 
highest rate of HIV infection in North Africa and the Middle 
East.  He called for the following actions: 
 
-- While the Sudan National AIDS Program is doing well with 
limited resources, the challenges it faces are enormous and 
require that its financial, human, and logistical resources 
be increased; 
 
-- Sudan's AIDS response is fortunately of a multisectoral 
nature, including both the public and private sector; they 
need adequate funds and other resources to strengthen their 
response; 
 
-- People living with HIV/AIDS are stigmatized in many ways 
in Sudan; they require recognition and support; and 
 
-- Finally, the First Lady is called on to serve as patron 
for Sudan's response to HIV/AIDS. 
 
3.  The event, and World AIDS Day in general, received 
extensive media coverage.  More than one thousand people 
attended the event, including hundreds of local school 
children. 
 
4.  Comment: Post used reftel text in a Dec 1 press release 
on HIV/AIDS awareness and related USG activities.  Post will 
review potential avenues of support for the AU First Ladies 
Forum on HIV/AIDS to take place in Khartoum during the 
January 23 - 24, 2006 AU Summit in Khartoum. 
 
HUME