President Bush task African Leaders on Priority

The 43^rd  President of the United states of America, President George Bush wants African Leaders to set new priorities on saving lives of Millions of people living with  HIV as well as protect the interest of vulnerable groups in the continent.

President Bush stated in Addis Ababa Ethiopia at the opening ceremony of the 16^th International conference on AIDS and STIs in Africa.

Radio Nigeria Correspondent  Timothy Bamidele in Addis Ababa reports that the 16^th international conference being attended by over ten thousand delegates from across the world provides an opportunity to promote sectoral achievement in AIDS response and to strengthen partnerships among governments, civil societies and development partners.

In a keynote Address President Bush who said investment in HIV is for preservation of life challenged African leaders to take practical step in sustaining efforts at combating hiv prevalence in the continent.

He  gave an assurance that America would not succumb to the temptation of abandoning nations battling with the disease

In an Address the Executive Director of the joint United Nations programme on HIV-AIDS UNAIDS,  Dr  Michel Sidibe  said the conference provides a sober moment to remember 24million Africans lost to the scourge, and to demonstrate solidarity for 34 million people living with the virus,

 While lamenting the declining fund from the donor agencies, Dr Sidibe said it will be tragic to let down effort at this point in the history of fighting the disease.

Speaking on the behalf of youth, women and people living with HIV Ms Melao Phillipus, from Namibia  who has been living with the virus since the age of nineteen stressed the importance of empowering youths with necessary information so that they would not be infected with the virus.

In his opening speech, the Prime minister of the  Republic of Ethiopia, Mr Melez Zenawi who said his country was honored to host the international conference buttressed the need for African leaders to develop innovative  and sustainable strategies for mobilizing new resources at the human , intellectual and material front at combating the disease

The 16^th International conference with the theme “own. Scale up and sustain has dignitaries including leaders of African countries and their wives, diplomats, donor agencies, development partners, civil societies, non-governmental organizations in attendance.

Highlights of the opening ceremony was award of distinguished leadership conferred on President George Bush for his initiative in 2001 on the scourge of HIV-AIDs in Africa .