Search
  1. Home
  2. Africa
  • News

AIDS song to accelerate MDGs

    JOHANNESBURG

    Salif Keita is one of 18 African musicians who released a song this week to spark action against poverty and HIV/AIDS on the continent.

    The song 'We are the drums' is part of the Africa 2015 initiative led by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to help mobilise support for the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) adopted by governments in 2000.

    Collaborating Algerian artist Cheb Mami said: "We cannot accept that AIDS and poverty should create such ravages and be so widespread in our societies. This is an opportunity to bring together Africans from the North, South, East and West ... we can and must take our destiny into our own hands over the long term."

    The MDGs cover eight major commitments to be achieved by 2015, including halving poverty and hunger, halting the spread of HIV/AIDS and ensuring that all children have access to full primary education.

    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

    Share this article

    Our ability to deliver compelling, field-based reporting on humanitarian crises rests on a few key principles: deep expertise, an unwavering commitment to amplifying affected voices, and a belief in the power of independent journalism to drive real change.

    We need your help to sustain and expand our work. Your donation will support our unique approach to journalism, helping fund everything from field-based investigations to the innovative storytelling that ensures marginalised voices are heard.

    Please consider joining our membership programme. Together, we can continue to make a meaningful impact on how the world responds to crises.

    Become a member of The New Humanitarian

    Support our journalism and become more involved in our community. Help us deliver informative, accessible, independent journalism that you can trust and provides accountability to the millions of people affected by crises worldwide.

    Join