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HIV positive woman makes history at UNGASS

    JOHANNESBURG

    South Africa's Khensani Mavasa on Wednesday became the first HIV-positive person to address a special session of the UN General Assembly.

    In a speech during the opening session of the UN High Level Meeting on HIV and AIDS, Mavasa called for action rather than "empty promises" on the pandemic, especially in Africa, where women constitute 77 percent of all new infections.

    "I call on African leaders sitting here to protect and promote the human rights of all people in vulnerable groups, particularly women and girls," she said.

    The purpose of the UN gathering, which attracted 10 heads of state and about 80 cabinet ministers, is to adopt a blueprint for realising universal access to AIDS prevention, care and treatment by 2010.

    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

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