The United Nations is launching a global campaign to combat the rising threat of AIDS against children, nearly 1,800 of whom are infected with HIV every day.
Every minute a child under the age of 15 dies as a result of AIDS, the report said. Children are the "invisible face" of AIDS and are missing out on the help that is going to adults, Ann Veneman, UNICEF's executive director, said Monday.
The campaign's message is simple: AIDS is a growing threat to children and if serious action isn't taken immediately the world will not achieve the U.N. Millennium Development Goal of halting and reversing the AIDS pandemic by 2015.
Peter McDermott, chief of the HIV/AIDS division at the U.N. Children's Fund, said the campaign has set international goals, and UNICEF will work with UNAIDS, voluntary organizations, the private sector and governments to achieve them
By 2010, the campaign also aims to provide support for 12 million of the 15 million AIDS orphans, McDermott said.
A global campaign is essential to work toward an AIDS-free generation where not one child will die of AIDS, be infected with the HIV virus, or lose a parent, teacher or friend.
Τετάρτη, Οκτωβρίου 26, 2005
U.N. Launches AIDS Campaign
New Energy Chapter in SE Europe
Historic Agreement
Greek Prime Minister Kostas Karamanlis described the agreement on the single energy market in SE Europe, signed in Athens today, as a landmark for the wider area.
The treaty binds all Balkan countries to deregulate the natural gas and electricity markets at a business level by 2008 and at a household level by 2015. The treaty also provides for a future collaboration on oil, telecommunications and air transports. Turkey held reservations on signing the agreement, regardless of the fact that the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, Mehmet Guler, was present at the ceremony. Turkey disagrees with certain terms of the agreement referring to environmental issues. However, Greek government sources voiced the estimation that Turkey will sign it until June.
International Conference over Bird Flu
A conference is held in Canada to prepare countries against an avian influenza pandemic, aiming at collaboration and coordination on a global scale. The World Health Organisation Director General asked rich countries to help the weaker ones in this fight. What is more, the Indonesian Health Ministry announced on Tuesday that another person lost his life to the bird flu, thus increasing the number of victims to four. In the meantime, new avian influenza outbreaks have been located in China, Russia, Siberia and eastern Croatia. In Germany, 25 migratory birds were found dead at the banks of a lake, while a decision has been issued to confine all birds in 21 French regions. "In Greece, there are no bird flu cases and inspection mechanisms are sticking to the action plan," repeated the Development Ministry on Monday, reassuring there is no danger from consuming Greek poultry products. In Brussels, the Commission gave the green light for an embargo on wild bird imports in the EU, until November 30. In the meantime, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) advised consumers to avoid raw eggs and undercooked poultry, in order to avoid the spread of the virus.
EU Adopts Embargo on Pet Bird Trade Imports
Today, after a proposal by the Commission, the EU adopted a decision for a temporary embargo on wild bird trade imports, until November 30. This decision is taken after the discovery, of quarantined parrot, which died from H5N1 and was imported from South America, in Great Britain. After the implementation of the measure, the citizens can bring up to five wild birds from trips to countries abroad, under the condition that they undergo a 30-day quarantine.
Turkish man arrested over alleged attack plot on Israeli ships
ISTANBUL - A Turkish man was arrested here Monday as part of a probe into an alleged plot by suspected Al-Qaeda militants to attack Israeli cruise ships off Turkey's Mediterranean coast earlier this year, the Anatolia news agency reported.
Διαβάστε περισσότερα...Bosnia-Herzegovina on Negotiating Track
At the 21st of October; the European Commission gave Bosnia-Herzegovina the green light for the commencement of accession talks with the EU, following the adoption of a reform concerning the police in Bosnia. On Tuesday, the country’s central Parliament ratified the reform, aiming at unifying the country’s police forces, which are divided based on ethnicity. Brussels asked for the implementation of this measure, in order to finalise Bosnia’s union agreement with the EU. The agreement constitutes the first step towards acceding in the European Union for the countries of the western Balkans.
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