Text: UNAIDS Announcement of Rural AIDS Initiatives

18 July 2001

Text: UNAIDS Announcement of Rural AIDS Initiatives

Programs aim to reduce the toll of disease in agricultural communities

The United Nations Joint Program on AIDS (UNAIDS) and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) announced an agreement July 17 to help alleviate the impact of HIV/AIDS on rural populations.

Since 1985, about seven million agricultural workers have died of AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa.

According to a joint press release from UNAIDS and IFAD, disease can devastate rural communities because of its capacity to disable workers, impoverish the families of the ailing, and impair the transfer of knowledge from one generation to the next.

French, Spanish and Russian versions of this press release are available at http://www.unaids.org/whatsnew\press\eng\pressarc01\IFAD_170701.html

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JOINT UNITED NATIONS PROGRAMME ON HIV/AIDS

Press Release 2001

Geneva, 17 June 2001

Joint UNAIDS/IFAD Press Release

UNAIDS AND IFAD SIGN COOPERATION AGREEMENT

Aim To Alleviate Impact Of AIDS On Rural Communities
And Reduce Vulnerability To AIDS Among Rural Populations

Geneva, 17 July 2001 - The Secretariat of the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) have concluded a Memorandum of Understanding for a cooperation agreement.

"The MOU will provide a clear framework for the complementary roles which can be played by IFAD and UNAIDS," said Lennart B��e, President of IFAD. "Our goals in working together are to alleviate the impact of HIV and AIDS on rural poverty and insecure livelihoods, and to reduce vulnerability to AIDS through sustainable rural development."

The impact of AIDS on rural communities can be devastating. By striking people in their prime, AIDS will reduce economic activity as well as prevent knowledge and expertise from being passed on to future generations. Rural families hit by the epidemic may be forced to sell productive assets to pay for funerals and health care. Since 1985, AIDS has killed around seven million agricultural workers in the 25 worst-hit African countries.

"As links between urban and rural areas increase, trade and migration are rapidly pushing HIV prevalence rates upwards in rural areas," said Peter Piot, Executive Director of UNAIDS. "Food insecurity is a major cause of vulnerability to HIV. The impact of HIV is felt in reduced agricultural production as well as increasing the fragility of affected households," he added.

Areas earmarked for joint effort under the cooperation agreement include IFAD field projects, applying best practice to IFAD's work, exchange of information on AIDS-related IFAD projects, and technical assistance by UNAIDS to IFAD.

By working together, UNAIDS and IFAD can help those whose lives are being devastated by the AIDS epidemic. UNAIDS is a joint United Nations programme that brings together the efforts of its seven cosponsoring organizations to supply high-level leadership, coordination and advocacy in the global AIDS response. It promotes rapid political and social mobilization related to the epidemic, and provides high quality information needed to pursue these objectives.

The Fund's objective is to help overcome rural poverty by empowering smallholder farmers and other rural poor groups, especially women, and help them to raise their output and incomes and work their way out of poverty.

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