27 May 2001

Text: Powell Visits Kenyan HIV/AIDS Outreach Community Program

An unidentified child with AIDS presents flowers to Secretary Powell at the Kibera Slums in Nairobi, Kenya, May 27. (AP Photo/Sayyid Azim)

"The United States is in this battle with you," U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell told HIV/AIDS workers and those suffering from the affliction at a community outreach program at the Kibera District Offices in Nairobi May 27.

"The United States will do everything it can, between our Centers for Disease Control, and our United States Agency for International Development -- we will be committing 8 million dollars this forthcoming year to assist the authorities in Kenya," Powell said.

Following is the text of Powell's remarks, released May 27:

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Office of the Spokesman


May 27, 2001

Remarks by
Secretary of State Colin L. Powell
HIV/AIDS Community Outreach Program
Kibera District Offices
Nairobi, Kenya

Thank you Mr. Minister and Mr. Vice President, other Ministers of the government. It is a great pleasure for me to be here this morning. I would like to begin by expressing my thanks and admiration to the performers we have all seen; to the girl guides, to the Flame Theatre Group, the dramatic testimonial that we received from Patricia and the wonderful words of Angela, describing the work that is taking place at this facility to deal with, as you just described a moment ago, a national crisis.

HIV/AIDS is a national crisis for Kenya. It is a national crisis for sub-Saharan Africa. It is a world crisis. It is a world crisis that draws the attention of every nation that has the capacity to help fight this crisis. It draws the attention of all of us to come together and do everything that we can. I'm the Secretary of State of the United States of America, not the Secretary of Health, so why would I pay this kind of attention to this sort of an issue? And the reason is quite simple. This is more than a health issue. This is a social issue. This is a political issue. This is an economic issue. This is an issue of poverty. It is an issue of the destruction of a society and for that reason it is a problem for all cabinet officers in every government -- The government of Kenya as well as the government of the United States. It is why, back home in Washington, President Bush has made this such a high priority of his administration and he has specifically tasked me and our Secretary of Health and Human Services, Governor Tommy Thompson, to work closely together to bring all the assets of the United States Government to bear on this problem.

I am very pleased that your government is taking this crisis so seriously. From what you have heard from the Minister a moment ago, it is a comprehensive integrated approach to this. It is a comprehensive integrative approach because that is the only thing that will work. We have to fight this crisis first with prevention. Prevention means the kinds of educational activities that you saw here this morning. Ask me -- ask me about how I should behave. Ask me how I can protect myself or how you can protect yourself. Ask me if you want to know where you can go for testing or treatment. Ask me if you want to know the right course of action to take to protect yourself, to get the treatment you need, to find the support services that you need to take you through this period of crisis.

"Ask me" is a wonderful motto to use as part of the prevention and treatment effort that you have under way. It is important that we really do focus on prevention. And I'm pleased to hear that 70 percent of the government's effort is on prevention. Because only when we teach young people to protect themselves -- only when we teach young people the danger that is inherent in practicing sex indiscriminately -- only when we break down the taboos and the cultural restrictions and reservations that exist so people can speak to one another openly about this danger -- only then will we break the cycle.

Here in Kenya the rate has gone up from 7 to 14 percent. And hopefully we can stop it at that level, because you understand that prevention is so important. And then treatment -- testing and treatment, and also understanding that HIV/AIDS opens up the victim to other infections that can result in death, and you heard Patricia talk to that so very, very vividly.

I am moved by her plea for the United States and I think by extension all nations in the world to do what we can to get the treatment costs down -- to get the drugs down to the lowest possible costs so that we can make them more widely available to all who need those drugs. And then, finally, we have to work hard for a cure. Hundreds of millions of dollars -- billions of dollars -- are being spent in the United States in the search for a cure for this dreaded disease.

And I can assure you that President Bush and his administration will do everything they can to seek out and find that cure. A cure that hopefully will be made available to people all over the world when it finally is located, when it finally is found -- and hopefully that will not be in the too distant future.

I want to encourage the government of Kenya to keep moving aggressively with their program, with their comprehensive program. I want to encourage all those who are here today to keep up their very, very fine work to educate your fellow citizens, to take care of your fellow citizens. I encourage all of you here not to see HIV/AIDS as something to stigmatize somebody with, something to look down on somebody because of. Welcome them into your hearts. Welcome them into your homes. Allow them to still have a dignified life. Allow them to continue working. Allow them to be full citizens. Don't let the disease split your society apart.

The United States will do everything it can, between our Center for Disease Control, and our United States Agency for International Development -- we will be committing 8 million dollars this forthcoming year to assist the authorities in Kenya. I want you to know that the United States is in this battle with you. We will do everything we can to help you with this battle. And hopefully it's a battle we will win. Thank you very much.

end text