wfn.org | LWF Council 10-2005 LWF Council Approves Plans to Intensify

["Frank Imhoff" <Frank.Imhoff@elca.org>]

LWF Council Approves Plans to Intensify HIV/AIDS Campaign 
World Trade Body Urged to Ensure Access to Affordable, Effective
Anti-retroviral Drugs

LWF Council Meeting in Jerusalem/Bethlehem, 
31 August * 6 September 2005

PRESS RELEASE N0. 10-2005

JERUSALEM/BETHLEHEM, 6 September 2005 (LWI) * The Council of the
Lutheran World Federation (LWF) has urged its member churches to request
their governments and national parliaments to increase funding for the
international fight against HIV/AIDS to match the current needs'
assessment provided by the United Nations AIDS body, UNAIDS. 

The LWF governing body's call to Lutheran churches came as donor
governments in the global fight against the HIV/AIDS pandemic began a
two-day meeting in London, September 5, to discuss funding to fight the
disease. With increased European pledges, pressure for more financial
support is likely to move to the United States of America. 

Approving recommendations presented by its Program Committee for
Mission and Development, the LWF Council particularly asked its member
churches in the United States of America to approach the US government
and call for the revision of conditions for the use of the Presidential
Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) fund. The US government should
be asked to give freedom to recipients in the choice of prevention
methods and in the use of PEPFAR support for import of generics and
testing materials from any supplier in the world.

The LWF Council members expressed gratitude to the Global Fund to Fight
AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (GFATM) for its substantial support
toward LWF programs. In January 2003, the LWF signed an agreement with
the GFATM to fund its HIV/AIDS action plan. This was the first time the
Global Fund had signed an agreement with a non-governmental and
faith-based organization since its 2001 founding.
The Council acknowledged the devastating impact of the HIV/AIDS
pandemic and endorsed plans by the LWF to scale up its global HIV/AIDS
campaign that was launched in 2002. 

It commended the proven positive contribution of faith-based
organizations in the fight against the pandemic and for the encouraging
engagement of the LWF member churches from both North and South in the
AIDS campaign. The Council observed the positive changes in attitude of
the leadership of Lutheran churches and their growing active
contributions to the fight against HIV/AIDS.

The Council reaffirmed the need for capacity building in order to honor
the commitments made in LWF regional consultations on HIV/AIDS, as well
as the need to intensify programs of prevention, treatment, care and
support. 

Furthermore the Council declared its support for initiatives of the
World Health Organization (WHO) to enable the treatment of three million
people living with HIV/AIDS by 2010. It also welcomed the world's
wealthiest nations' (G8) initiative to provide universal access to HIV
treatment in the next five years.

Expressing concern about increasing problems in international trade
with generics especially from India as a result of pressure from the
World Trade Organization (WTO), the LWF Council called on the WTO to
ensure that trade rules did not hinder access to affordable, highly
effective anti-retroviral drugs.

According to the 2004 statistics from UNAIDS, around 39.4 million
people worldwide are living with HIV. The majority of those infected are
in Sub-Saharan Africa, with 25.4 million people; followed by Asia with
8.2 million. (522 words)

*There are around 170 participants in this year's Council meeting,
including representatives from the LWF member churches on the 49-member
governing body. Also attending are officials from LWF partner
organizations, invited guests, stewards, interpreters and translators,
and LWF staff. The Council is the annual governing body meeting between
Assemblies held every six years. The current Council was appointed at
the July 2003 Tenth Assembly in Winnipeg, Canada. It comprises the
President, Treasurer and 48 persons elected by the Assembly. Other
members include advisors, who are ordained and lay persons representing
the different LWF regions. 

During the Council Meeting, the LWF Office for Communication Services
can be reached at mobile telephone No. +972 52 378 1673.

*	*	*

(The LWF is a global communion of Christian churches in the Lutheran
tradition. Founded in 1947 in Lund, Sweden, the LWF currently has 140
member churches in 78 countries all over the world, with a total
membership of nearly 66 million. The LWF acts on behalf of its member
churches in areas of common interest such as ecumenical and inter-faith
relations, theology, humanitarian assistance, human rights,
communication, and the various aspects of mission and development work.
Its secretariat is located in Geneva, Switzerland.)

[Lutheran World Information (LWI) is the LWF's information service.
Unless specifically noted, material presented does not represent
positions or opinions of the LWF or of its various units. Where the
dateline of an article contains the notation (LWI), the material may be
freely reproduced with acknowledgment.]

*	*	*

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