Thursday, June 14, 2007

Enhancing the Parliamentary Response to the HIV/AIDS Crisis

Featured Speakers: Hon. Pier Ferdinando Casini (Italy), Inter-Parliamentary Union; Hon. Elioda Tumwesigye, Uganda; Hon. Henrietta Bogopane-Zulu, South African National AIDS Council; Rep. Donald Payne, House Subcommittee on Africa and Global Health; Rep. Betty McCollum, Congressional Global Health Caucus; Dr. Pauline Muchina, UNAIDS.

Honorable Pier Ferdinando Casini of Italy, President of the Inter-Parliamentary Union, opened the panel discussion by thanking participants and stressing the continued need for parliamentary leadership in addressing the HIV/AIDs endemic. The panelists emphasized the importance of the parliamentary and congressional roles in creating effective HIV/AIDs response strategies. Panelists also highlighted previous parliamentary accomplishments, such as Uganda’s success in decreasing HIV/AIDs prevalence. Panel participants also discussed the importance of protecting women’s rights as a means of decreasing the spread of HIV/AIDs. Specifically, they suggested parliaments focus on increasing laws that protect and enhance women’s access to education and health care.

Dr. Pauline Muchina, Senior Partnership Advisor of UNAIDS, closed the presentation, echoing fellow panelists with a call for increased parliamentary leadership. Dr. Muchina urged leaders to focus their efforts on attaining greater financial resources so that they may offer more comprehensive response strategies in their countries. Specifically, Dr. Muchina suggested that these response strategies include nutrition programs that will improve the effectiveness for HIV/AIDs treatments.

Sponsor: Inter-Parliamentary Union and the Joint United Programme on HIV/AIDS, in cooperation with the Congressional Human Rights Caucus and the Congressional Global Health Caucus
Location: 2255 Rayburn House Office Building
Date: Tuesday, June 12, 2007 Time: 4:00-6:00PM
Approximate Number of Attendees: 30
Intern Attending: Meredith Blair

No comments: