Remarks

Ambassador’s remarks to launch the Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV/AIDS Program at the newly constructed Sebkha Health Center in Nouakchott

His Excellency the Minister of Health and Social Affairs, Vice-President of the National Commission to Combat AIDS
Excellencies Members of the Government
Mr. Executive Secretary of the National Commission to Combat AIDS
Excellencies the Heads of Missions
Representatives of International and Local Organizations
Ladies and Gentlemen:

 

I am so glad to be here in front of you today at this great celebration on the occasion of the launching of the “National Program to Prevent the Transmission of AIDS Disease from Mother to Child”, which is funded by many partners, including the United States.  This activity comes within the framework of the actions commemorating World Day to Combat Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome, known as AIDS.

 

Ladies and Gentlemen:

 

The number of persons suffering from the AIDS virus exceeded 40 million in 2005, which caused the death of more than three million individuals, including more than one-half million children, according to World Health Organization reports for this year.  Sub-Saharan African countries are still the most affected areas,  representing 65% of all the new infections in the world, despite the slight improvement of the situation of some of them.

 

Ladies and Gentlemen:

 

It is now possible to prevent, one hundred percent, the contagion from mother to child.  This has, in fact, been done in the United States and other developed countries.  The same thing should happen in developing countries, through providing various vaccines and preparing agreements easy to implement in any developing country.

 

Ladies and Gentlemen:

 

It is worth mentioning that stopping the AIDS virus from spreading throughout the world is a high priority for the United States.  In this regard, American support for AIDS programs provided services to 235,000 persons throughout the world in less than two years.  This shows that President Bush’s emergency strategy to relieve AIDS patients works, under programs established to provide vaccines that combat the virus to two million persons over the next coming years.

 

Mr. Minister,

 

Before I conclude my remarks, I would like to commend the great efforts Mauritanian authorities are making in cooperation with civil society and the Imams in order to keep the kind Mauritanian people safe from such disasters.

 

 I wish you full success.

 

Thank you,

 

Ambassador Joseph LeBaron

 

Nouakchott, December 1^st, 2005.