Deputy President Mlambo-Ngcuka to attend the UN International AIDS Confrerence

Pretoria - South African Deputy President Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka will on Saturday 2 August 2008 depart for Mexico City, Mexico to attend the United Nations XVII International AIDS Conference scheduled for Sunday – Tuesday 3 – 5 August 2008.

Deputy President Mlambo-Ngcuka’s participation in the UN International AIDS Conference comes within the context of South Africa’s commitment to HIV and AIDS prevention, care and treatment.

In this regard, the UN International AIDS Conference’s objectives, among others, are:

• To provide a forum in which key scientific and practise-based research, best practise, lessons learned and gaps in knowledge are addressed;
• To promote strategies that will reduce stigmatisation and discrimination of people living with HIV and AIDS;
• To influence leaders, opinion makers and donors to increase their commitment to HIV and AIDS prevention, care and treatment;
• To improve public awareness of the continued impact of and the global response to HIV and AIDS, and
• To nurture ongoing, productive and forthright dialogue on the international community’s successes and shortfalls in the overall response to HIV and AIDS.

Deputy President Mlambo-Ngcuka will depart Mexico on Tuesday 5 August 2008.

Issued by Department of Foreign Affairs
Private Bag X152
Pretoria
0001

1 August 2008