Dr. Mukesh Kapila, the special representative of the secretary general and co-chair of the steering committee on the HIV Global Alliance, said the Pacific, including Fiji, faces challenges in terms of addressing the virus and removing stigma associated with it.
Kapila said these need to be addressed before the fight against HIV can be successful.
Speaking at a workshop at the Southern Cross Hotel in Suva on Wednesday, Kapila said HIV remained a serious issue for humanity and that is why it was a core priority in the campaign.
Kapila said the purpose of the HIV Global Alliance, endorsed by the General Assembly, was to scale up the International Federation’s worldwide efforts to reduce vulnerability to HIV and its impact.
“We believe that if we can simplify what we should do and harmonize how we do it, we can do much more and much better, provided of course that we work together,” he said.
Kapila said the commitment of the Pacific National Societies that are joining the HIV Global Alliance are impressive.
“Resources and logistics have to be stretched far as some of you are forced to criss-cross the ocean a few times before landing next door,” he said.
He said the approach of the HIV Global Alliance also focused on influencing government policies and on knowledge transfer.
