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More than 300 organisations on Tuesday said they would call on US President George W. Bush to announce "a bold and comprehensive plan" to combat HIV/AIDS during his visit to South Africa next month, the Star newspaper reported on Thursday.
The campaign initiated by the international Stop Global AIDS Action Network, appealed to the public to support the initiative by contacting the White House in Washington or sending faxes and e-mails to the president.
"Through this we hope to ensure a commitment by the US government to contribute at least US $2.5 billion to the Global Fund for the fight against HIV/AIDS", Network of AIDS Communities in South Africa (NETCOM) programme director Sihle Mlaba, told UN news agency Plusnews.
Bush is due to spend several days in a number of countries, including South Africa, to drum up support for the war against terror and to discuss development assistance for HIV/AIDS-ravaged countries.
Mlaba said very little was being done in the way of HIV/AIDS treatment and hoped that the American president's visit would pressure South African President Thabo Mbeki "into properly addressing the issue of HIV/AIDS treatment".
The latest UNAIDS report said the daily death toll figures from HIV/AIDS is expected to rise substantially unless health systems in poor countries are substantially improved and those living in poverty are given access to antiretroviral drugs.
Among the measures called for during the US president's visit was the commitment to funding and implementing an equitable percentage of a global plan to provide comprehensive treatment to 3 million people with HIV/AIDS by 2005.
This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions