International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies - August 2, 2008
Speech by Dr Raymond Forde, IFRC Vice President, at the Press Conference to Launch of the Global Alliance, in Mexico City

Although progress has been made, AIDS is still the fifth major cause of death in middle countries and the third in middle low income countries.

And, as we said in the International' Federation's World Disasters Report for 2008, for many marginalized groups and various countries, HIV is actually no less than an every day disaster.

There is no doubt that HIV poses one of the greatest challenges for the humanitarian and development community.

Our 186 member National Societies recognise this and that is why they have made an absolute commitment "to do more and to do much better" in our collective endeavour against this pandemic.

This is a core priority in the IFRC's Global Agenda.

Why do we have a special responsibility to act decisively in this regard?

First, as the world largest assistance network, the Red Cross Red Crescent has an obligation to respond more fully against one of the most serious scourges of humanity.

Second, HIV is not just a medical issue that is amenable to simple technical solutions. Its spread poses particular social and cultural challenges which can only be dealt with by recourse to the effective implementation of the values and principles that are the bedrock of our Red Cross Red Crescent.

This means that we have to be bold in confronting the stigma and discrimination that fuel the spread of the virus and that prevents people with HIV living with the dignity every human being deserves.

Third, in our privileged role as auxiliary to government, we can advocate with national leaders for policies that are scientifically and socially sound and resources that are adequate and correctly targeted, thus enabling effective programming.

Fourth, we have the power to make a substantial practical difference because of the trusted community outreach that our millions of members and volunteers provide.

But this is only truly effective if this outreach reaches out respectfully to the most marginalised and vulnerable existing at the fringes of society including people leaving with HIV, and mobilises their own efforts with care, compassion, and confidence.

To motivate, inspire, unify, and support us in doing all this û absolutely in line with the ethos of the Red Cross Red Crescent û is the central intention of the Red Cross Red Crescent Global Alliance on HIV.

In a moment, our Special Representative, Dr Mukesh Kapila, will tell us more about the programmes of the HIV Global Alliance. In the Americas, the Red Cross has been working on HIV since the 1980s, raising awareness and learning from what was happening worldwide.

We have worked in youth peer to peer HIV prevention education, we have filled the streets with posters promoting condom use with our Faces campaign, we have worked hand to hand with people living with HIV in counselling, and we have strongly fought against stigma and discrimination looking for innovative means like partnering with taxi cooperatives to help us to spread our message.

But not all of us have been doing all we can and there is no room for complacency. The number of people affected by HIV in the Americas is substantial, with approximately nearly 3 million people living with HIV and estimated 102,000 people including adults and children that died in 2007 from AIDS related illnesses.

The Caribbean for instance has a higher prevalence than any other area in the world, second only to Sub-Saharan Africa.

That is why, all the National Red Cross Societies in the Americas re-established in June 2007, through the Guayaquil Commitment, their determination to work effectively in the field of HIV, stating that "we will intensify our efforts on HIV, focusing in prevention, care, treatment and support and in reducing stigma and discrimination".

In launching today the HIV Global Alliance in the Americas, let me welcome its latest members from this continent - the National Societies of Argentina, Belize, Colombia, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras and Jamaica- who have worked so hard in getting to this stage.

Let me also thank the Mexican Red Cross Society for hosting this launch and the National Societies of Finland, Italy, Norway, Spain, Sweden, The Netherlands, United Kingdom and the United States of America for their support.

We are also optimistic that other National Societies in the Americas will also join the HIV Global Alliance in the near future.

We are grateful to all our other partners including our governments, civil society, private sector, and UN colleagues - who support and accompany them in their very worthy and necessarily ambitious endeavour.

We invite you to join us more fully in rising to the challenge of HIV in the Americas.
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