GERMANY: AHEAD OF WORLD AIDS DAY U.S. HEALTH SECRETARY TOMMY G. THOMPSON LEAVES FOR AFRICAN TOUR TO OBSERVE HIV/AIDS

Record ID: 222831

  • Title: GERMANY: AHEAD OF WORLD AIDS DAY U.S. HEALTH SECRETARY TOMMY G. THOMPSON LEAVES FOR AFRICAN TOUR TO OBSERVE HIV/AIDS
  • Date: 2nd December 2003
  • Summary: (EU) FRANKFURT, GERMANY (NOVEMBER 30, 2003) (REUTERS) 1. SLV ROOM PRIOR TO NEWS CONFERENCE; SLV INTERIORS NEWS CONFERENCE (6 SHOTS) 0.35 2. (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES SECRETARY TOMMY G. THOMPSON, SAYING "At the present time we are losing about three million people in the world dying from AIDS. That's terrible but the worst problem is that five million more are coming down each year with HIV/AIDS. So we are not gaining, we're actually losing. And it's time for all of us to recognise that and it's time for all of us to stand up and see what we can do and our part, our role in order to prevent it and to contain it and start reducing it." 1.06 3. MV JOURNALISTS 1.11 4. (SOUNDBITE) (English) THOMPSON, SAYING "It's a serious problem, but using Noverapain you can cut that down to about 45-50 percent. By using Noverapain, which is a drug to prevent the passage of the virus, as well as anti retro virus drugs, you can reduce that somewhere in the neighbourhood of ninety percent. So we went back and we developed a plan, and we went to the President, we asked the President to consider it, the President did and then after he listened to us and came back with a much further, grander plan than what we had initiated. And that was a plan that was going to spend fifteen billion dollars, fifteen billion U.S. dollars, ten billion dollars in new dollars, which we would then be able to use as dollars and come in in fourteen countries." 1.56 5. MV DIGNITARIES LOOKING ON 2.00 6. (SOUNDBITE) (English) THOMPSON, SAYING "We want those business people to become activated, we want them to understand the enormity of this problem so we are taking this trip today to take business people from Europe and America, we are taking people that are experts like the individuals you are going to hear from to take a look at projects and we are here to try and learn, to inform and to find ways in which we can do a much better job than we have done before." 2.30 7. WIDE OF NEWS CONFERENCE 2.40 8. (SOUNDBITE) (English) GLOBAL AIDS COORDINATOR RANDALL L. TOBIAS, SAYING "In the meantime this trip for me will be another opportunity to see the situation on the ground as well as to have the benefit of conversations with a number of the distinguished members of this delegation who really represent all aspects of knowledge about AIDS and about the art of the possible in terms of what we need to be thinking about as we get this money out into the field." 3.09 9. SCU/SLV INTERIORS NEWS CONFERENCE (3 SHOTS) 3.24 10. (SOUNDBITE) (English) PRESIDENT OF GLOBAL BUSINESS COALITION FOR HIV/AIDS RICHARD HOLBROOKE, SAYING "That is what makes this trip different from other trips. There are a lot of very important members of the American business community and they are going to I hope help realiSe further efforts by other members of business." 3.41 11. WIDE OF NEWS CONFERENCE 3.45 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 17th December 2003 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: FRANKFURT, GERMANY
  • Country: Germany
  • Reuters ID: LVARIWCILJBX4NXAPMRGFSIIV5
  • Story Text: Ahead of World AIDS Day, U.S. Health Secretary
    leaves Germany for a 6 day African tour to observe HIV/AIDS.

    On Sunday (November 30), a day before World AIDS
    day, U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy G.

    Thompson announced he would be leading an 80-member
    business delegation to sub-Saharan Africa to see first hand
    what can be done about the global disease.

    Former Ambassador Richard Holbrooke, now president of
    the Global Business Coalition for HIV/AIDS, and Randall L.

    Tobias, U.S. Global AIDS coordinator, will be joining
    Thompson on the trip. Tobias is to oversee the 15 billion
    dollar funding over five years, proposed by U.S. President
    George W. Bush for assistance in fighting HIV/AIDS.

    The delegation includes health officials, members of
    Congress, business leaders and members of charitable
    organisations. All are interested in seeing what measures
    can be taken to help reduce the spread of AIDS, Thompson
    said.

    "At the present time we are losing about 3 million
    people in the world dying from AIDS. That's terrible but
    the worst problem is is that 5 million more are coming down
    each year with HIV/AIDS. So we are not gaining, we're
    actually losing. And it's time for all of us to recognize
    that and it's time for all of us to stand up and see what
    we can do and our part, our role in order to prevent it and
    to contain it and start reducing it," Thompson told
    journalists at a press conference in Frankfurt before the
    delegation left Europe.

    New drug cocktails as well as education will be high on
    the agenda of the leaders as they travel to Africa and
    decide on how best to use the 15 billion dollars in
    funding. Thompson is hoping to get more business leaders
    involved in the program.

    "We want those business people to become activated, we
    want them to understand the enormity of this problem so we
    are taking this trip today to take business people from
    Europe and America, we are taking people that are experts
    like the individuals you are going to hear from to take a
    look at projects and we are here to try and learn, to
    inform and to find ways in which we can do a much better
    job than we have done before."
    "This trip for me will be another opportunity to see
    the situation on the ground as well as to have the benefit
    of conversations with a number of the distinguished members
    of this delegation who really represent all aspects of
    knowledge about AIDS and about the art of the possible in
    terms of what we need to be thinking about as we get this
    money out into the field," Ambassador Tobias said.

    Richard Holbrook, the former U.S. Ambassador to
    Germany, added: There are a lot of very important members
    of the American business community and they are going to I
    hope help realise further efforts by other members of
    business."

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