Ambassador's Op-ed's

The Promise of Partnerships: World AIDS Day 2006
Op-Ed by Ambassador Terence McCulley
December 1, 2006

World AIDS Day is an opportunity to remember the more than 25 million people who have died from AIDS and support the over 38 million people who are currently living with HIV.  It is also a time to recommit ourselves to compassionate action and the promise of partnerships that are creating new hope.

The international theme for World AIDS Day this year is "Stop AIDS: Keep the Promise," and the United States is doing just that. This year we are focusing on the “Promise of Partnerships."    President Bush promised to lead the fight against global HIV/AIDS in 2003 with the launch of the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief – a $15 billion initiative to fight the disease around the world.  America followed through on this commitment and now leads the world in its level of support for the fight against HIV/AIDS thanks to our partnerships around the world.

The heart of President Bush’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief is to work shoulder to shoulder with partners in host nations in support of the national strategy in each country. This is true in Mali, where the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is supporting prevention efforts throughout the country.  USAID has partnered with 23 Malian NGO’s, as well as with the Ministry of Health and Muslim and Christian religious associations  across the country, to educate populations at the community level about HIV and AIDS.  In 2006 alone, these prevention efforts reached over 600,000 people.  One of our most significant and solid partners has been the Haut Conseil National de Lutte contre le SIDA, which has helped to build a locally-driven response to the pandemic. 

The US Centers for Disease Control in Mali is additionally working closely with the Malian Ministry of Health to support a surveillance system of HIV in the country, while US Peace Corps Volunteers are providing important community outreach to villages around Mali on the subject of HIV/AIDS.  The American National Institutes of Health is also partnering with the Malian government in studies aimed at finding effective vaccines for AIDS.  The US Department of Defense is working with the Malian Ministry of Defense to train medical personnel, renovate health-care facilities, and provide voluntary counseling and testing services to the members of the Malian Armed Forces and their families.

Local people around the world, in partnership with the American people, are turning the tide against HIV/AIDS in their own nations and communities.  Results have been achieved by the work of dedicated people throughout Mali, including those in faith-based and community-based organizations.  Malians living with HIV have also been instrumental in planning, delivering, and monitoring the effectiveness of HIV/AIDS programs. The leadership and commitment to fighting AIDS in Mali is strong and growing, and the American people are committed to standing with the Malian people as partners until the fight is won.