First ladies hold HIV/AIDS conference in Kigali

First ladies from five African countries began a meeting on Friday in the Rwandan capital, Kigali, to map out strategies for combating the HIV/AIDS pandemic that has devastated millions on the continent. Under their association, the Organisation of African First Ladies Against HIV/AIDS (OAFLA), the group, together with other stakeholders, is meeting to review achievements over the past year and also come up with priorities and strategies for the next two years. "We want to move from compassion and advocacy to action," Jeannette Kagame, Rwandan first lady and current OAFLA chairwoman, said. "We are determined to use all means at our disposal to combat this killer disease." First ladies from Burundi, Ghana, Mali and Zambia are attending the conference. Each African block - east, west, north and south - are expected to make presentations on activities, challenges and plans of action for 2005 in the fight against HIV/AIDS. Participants at the conference have emphasised inadequate financial resources, limited access to anti-retroviral treatments, stigmas and discrimination of those living with HIV/AIDS, as some of the key challenges. At another meeting held in early 2003 in Kigali also, the first ladies adopted a five-year strategic plan that provided a framework to be implemented in their respective countries. OAFLA was created in Geneva in July 2002 to reinforce the ability of first ladies to respond effectively to the challenges presented by HIV/AIDS. It aims at advocating for increased HIV/AIDS awareness and to mobilise resources for the development of leadership, polices, strategies and actions to fight the pandemic at national, regional and international levels.