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United States President George W. Bush on Saturday postponed a trip to Africa during which he was to have visited Senegal, Nigeria, South Africa, Mauritius and Kenya between 10 and 17 January.
South African AIDS lobby group, The Network of AIDS Communities i(NETCOM) told UN news agency Plusnews that more than 300 organisations would call on Bush to announce "a bold and comprehensive plan" to combat HIV/AIDS during his visit to South Africa next month.
Among the measures called for during Bush'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.
NETCOM programme director, Sihle 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".
According to the British Broadcasting Corporation, earlier this year Bush vowed that the US would help African nations with responsible policies to help combat disease, poverty and illiteracy.
The latest UNAIDS update on the pandemic worldwide said the daily death toll figures from HIV/AIDS is expected to rise substantially unless health systems in poor countries are improved and those living in poverty are given access to antiretroviral drugs.
A White House statement said the trip would take place later in the year and that Bush "looks forward to visiting Africa in 2003".
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