MESSAGE BY H. E. DR. ERNEST BAI KOROMA,
PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF SIERRA LEONE AND CHAIRMAN OF THE NATIONAL HIV/AIDS COUNCIL
IN COMMEMORATION OF
WORLD AIDS DAY,
DECEMBER 1, 2009
Fellow Citizens, Today, December 1, marks yet another World AIDS Day. This Day was set aside by the United Nations General Assembly in 1988 for member countries to reflect and take stock of their efforts at raising awareness and educating people about HIV/AIDS and fighting prejudice against those who suffer from the disease. The Global Theme for this year’s commemoration is “Universal Access and Human Rights.”
Fellow Citizens, in my maiden address to the nation on my assumption of office as President of the Republic of Sierra Leone, I took a solemn pledge to run an open Government wherein every citizen would have a role to play in running the state. I am addressing you today on that same platform to re-affirm that every Sierra Leonean has a role and stake in stopping the spread of HIV/AIDS in our country. We must remind ourselves that we all have a responsibility in stopping the spread of HIV and that the disease is preventable. We must therefore share the responsibility. Since the registration of the first case of HIV in our country in 1987 and since we started commemorating World AIDS Day in 1988, the disease is still with us. There are still many things that we need to do as a nation to stop the spread the disease in our country, but we are hopeful that we will succeed.
Fellow Citizens, through the support of our development partners, drugs are now available that can prolong the lives of those of our compatriots suffering from the disease as well as prevent the transmission of the disease from our pregnant sisters and mothers to their unborn children. These drugs are given out free. Yet so many of our brothers and sisters suffering from the disease are not coming forward to receive these life saving drugs, which can help reduce the burden of the disease on them. The most tragic of all in this, is the passing on of the infection from pregnant mother to the unborn child. This is against the human rights of the unborn child and is unacceptable to my Government and clearly against My Government’s Agenda for Change.
Fellow Citizens, Government has chosen a national theme for this year’s commemoration: “Help Protect Your Baby, Get Tested for HIV”. As a responsible Government, we are no longer prepared to sit by and allow our future generation to be born with a disease that is preventable. As your elected leader, I have the responsibility to ensure that no Sierra Leonean is born with the disease. You also have that same responsibility as individuals, communities and businesses just as the government. We have to take personal and collective responsibility not only to prevent the transmission of the disease to our new born, but also to provide care and support to those of our compatriots living with the disease. We have the responsibility not only to ensure access to treatment for all people in need but also not to discriminate against those with the disease.
Fellow Citizens, in my capacity as your President and Chairman of the National HIV/AIDS Council, I now call on individuals, communities, businesses and members of Government to take the following responsibilities:
• Every pregnant woman and her partner should visit a clinic to test for HIV;
• Every HIV positive pregnant woman should demand from Government her right to receive Anti-Retroviral treatment to stay healthy and to prevent infecting her child with HIV;
• Every Sierra Leonean living with HIV has the right to have anti-retroviral treatment;
• Every Sierra Leonean on AIDS treatment has a responsibility for taking the medications every day;
• Every Sierra Leonean has a responsibility to the Government to know his/her HIV status by testing for HIV;
• Communities should provide care and support to people living with the disease most particularly orphans and vulnerable children.
The day we assume all of these responsibilities, is the day we will make another difference in our country. My Government shall take the responsibility to ensure that HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment, care and support services are available at all times and at no cost to the citizenry. We shall also ensure that violation of the human rights of people living with the disease shall not go unpunished.
In conclusion, I should take this opportunity to acknowledge the contributions of our numerous development partners that have been supporting our response to the disease. My Government and I as Chairman of the National HIV/AIDS Council, look forward to continuing our close collaboration with them in addressing this disease. To our compatriots living with the disease, I implore you to have hope that someday, your suffering will be over. To the rest of Sierra Leoneans, remember that Only You Can Stop AIDS.
I wish you all a successful commemoration.
Thank you for listening.