AIDS 
Scandinavian agencies focus on fighting AIDS in Southern Africa

afrol.com, 27 October - The Scandinavian development aid agencies have a long tradition of cooperating with Southern African nations and the new focus in that cooperation is the joint fight against AIDS. Sweden recently opened a regional AIDS Secretariat in Harare and Norway aims at fighting AIDS in Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia and Uganda.

- AIDS is not a health problem anymore, but a development disaster, Simon Rye chief coordinator of the new AIDS project of NORAD (the Norwegian development cooperation agency) yesterday stated. "Thus, NORAD has to integrate the fight against AIDS in all other development projects," he continued.

Rye just returned to Norway after visiting Mozambique, where NORAD is implementing a trial programme to prepare for the implementation of its new policy in Malawi, Zambia and Uganda. In Mozambique, 13,2% of the adult population has HIV or AIDS and last year, almost 100,000 persons died of AIDS. One the aims of the programme is to increase the access of condoms in Mozambique. "It's not enough when adults in Mozambique on average have access to two condoms a year," says Rye.

The Swedish cooperation agency SIDA (accidentally meaning AIDS in French and Portuguese) has turned its attention to Harare. Earlier this month, SIDA opened a regional AIDS Secretariat in the Zimbabwean capital, which is charged with spreading information about the disease and contribute to the public debate. 

- We are going to support the Swedish embassy in its work to spur the political debate about HIV/AIDS. One can stop the spread of the virus if only the African political leadership starts to talk more openly about the problem, Martina Smedberg, the leader of the Swedish AIDS-team in Harare says.

It has been particularly noted that the Swedes chose to establish themselves in Harare at a time when most other countries cut their aid to Zimbabwe, such as Norway did this month. Smedberg emphasizes on the fact that the Secretariat has regional tasks. "The question of HIV/AIDS doesn't consider boundaries and regional initiatives therefore are important," she stated.

The Scandinavian Governments believe they can contribute significantly to the fight against AIDS in this part of the world worst hit by the epidemic. Large-scale public information campaigns, with few taboos on addressing sexual issues, a strengthening of the public health services and lots and lots of condoms made the AIDS epidemic stop in its beginning already in the beginning of the 1990s in Scandinavia. Thus, the Scandinavian Governments believe they can teach from own experiences and play on the good relationships they have with Southern African Governments

Angolan Foreign Minister in Scandinavia
Cordial ties exist between most Scandinavian and Southern African Governments after decades of political and financial support to liberation movements and concrete projects. This is underlined by Angolan Foreign Minister Joćo Miranda's present official visit to the four Nordic countries Sweden, Finland, Denmark and Norway. 

In Sweden until yesterday, Miranda managed to talk the Swedes into resume and implement economic cooperation with Angola. Today in Norway, the Minister will try to make the country expand its aid from the domain of oil, where cooperation today is focused. 

The Scandinavian countries institutionalized their cooperation with the SADC countries of Southern Africa in a Declaration of 1996, which covers political dialogue, trade, investments and the NORSAD Foundation.

Sources: Angolan, Norwegian, Swedish and Danish govts.

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