By Вen Li
Africa is a primary focus of both the G8 and G6B summits. As such, Stephen Lewis, United Nations Special Envoy for HIV/AIDS in Africa and former Canadian ambassador to the UN, delivered a keynote address on Fri., June 20 at the G6B conference. He addressed the 673 million people in sub-Saharan Africa, of whom more than 23 million are infected with HIV/AIDS.
“The development goals of sub-Saharan Africa are an impossible hope unless the AIDS pandemic is defeated,” said Lewis. “This single pandemic can undermine development in Africa for one generation.”
Lewis feels development in Africa can only come from a healthy population, contrary to current beliefs that social services such as health care will develop around a successful economy. Lewis noted previous pledges of leading industrial nations from as far back as the 1970s to invest 0.7 per cent of each nation’s GDP to African countries in aid for AIDS treatment and prevention.
“The G8 is guilty of a profound moral default,” he said. “By any calculation, we would have enough money to stop the continuing spread of AIDS.”
Lewis cited several G8 nations’ commitments to using established formulae to calculate funding for the UN in general.
“There has so often been a chasm between pledge and incarnaty. Whereas we should be giving $250 million (U.S.) per year, we are only giving $150 million Canadian over three to four years,” said Lewis, noting the $500 million cost of the upcoming G8 leaders summit in Kananaskis. “That is the depressing gap between need and reality that is bedeviling Africa.”
Lewis called on western leaders to support financial initiatives allowing African nations to prevent and treat AIDS with new lower-cost medications.
“We know everything we need to know to rescue between 700 and 800 million people,” he said. “What has to be done is to take prevention to scale. It is possible only if Africa has the resources.”
Citing personal experience, an emotional Lewis was hopeful the situation could be resolved favorably.
“When funerals are more pervasive than any other form of social interaction, the life force of a society is slowly being strangled.
“Africa remains a tremendous vibrant continent, with people committed to each other. There is a tremendous sense of decency in Africa.”