ASEAN General Secretary Le Luong Minh has called on the group’s membersto strengthen efforts and share experience in the fight against HIV/AIDSin their current progress towards a single community with one visionand one identity by 2015.
In his December 2 messagethemed “Shared Responsibility: Strengthening Results for an AIDS-FreeGeneration” occasioned this year’s World AIDS Day, Minh affirmed that“an ASEAN Community in a stable political and secure environmentamidst a robust economy and progressive socio-cultural development canonly be sustainable if the current and future generations are assured ofa healthy and disease-free community.”
This year, theASEAN Community marks the second year of moving towards the targets ofthe ASEAN Declaration of Commitment: Getting to Zero New HIVInfections, Zero Discrimination, Zero AIDS-Related Deaths approved atthe 19 th ASEAN Summit in November 2011, he added.
The implementation of the declaration commenced through the ASEANCities Getting to Zero Initiative in 13 cities/areas within the ASEANregion, according to the message.
ASEAN, through theASEAN Task Force on AIDS (ATFOA), has progressively worked towards thesharing of responsibilities in getting to three zeros in the ASEANcommunities, Minh wrote.
He added that “the sharedresponsibilities in strengthening the achievement of targeted resultsinclude, among others, the need to invest more in developing innovationsin preventing the spread of HIV; and to advocate for a committed stancein implementing innovative and evidence-based research programmes andpolicies to combat HIV and AIDS.”
In his opinion,ASEAN needs strong political will, adequate financial resources andeffective evidence-based approaches and support from partners in orderto achieve these three zeros.
“I urge all concernedto continue to work on the ASEAN Declaration of Commitment in getting tozeros and build on political commitments, investments, energy, activismand determinations that have brought us to this turning point.”.-VNA
In his December 2 messagethemed “Shared Responsibility: Strengthening Results for an AIDS-FreeGeneration” occasioned this year’s World AIDS Day, Minh affirmed that“an ASEAN Community in a stable political and secure environmentamidst a robust economy and progressive socio-cultural development canonly be sustainable if the current and future generations are assured ofa healthy and disease-free community.”
This year, theASEAN Community marks the second year of moving towards the targets ofthe ASEAN Declaration of Commitment: Getting to Zero New HIVInfections, Zero Discrimination, Zero AIDS-Related Deaths approved atthe 19 th ASEAN Summit in November 2011, he added.
The implementation of the declaration commenced through the ASEANCities Getting to Zero Initiative in 13 cities/areas within the ASEANregion, according to the message.
ASEAN, through theASEAN Task Force on AIDS (ATFOA), has progressively worked towards thesharing of responsibilities in getting to three zeros in the ASEANcommunities, Minh wrote.
He added that “the sharedresponsibilities in strengthening the achievement of targeted resultsinclude, among others, the need to invest more in developing innovationsin preventing the spread of HIV; and to advocate for a committed stancein implementing innovative and evidence-based research programmes andpolicies to combat HIV and AIDS.”
In his opinion,ASEAN needs strong political will, adequate financial resources andeffective evidence-based approaches and support from partners in orderto achieve these three zeros.
“I urge all concernedto continue to work on the ASEAN Declaration of Commitment in getting tozeros and build on political commitments, investments, energy, activismand determinations that have brought us to this turning point.”.-VNA
