Secretary of State Colin Powell To Urge Political Leadership in Fight Against AIDS
Secretary of State Colin Powell is scheduled to meet tomorrow at the State Department with the entire diplomatic corps to deliver the message that political leadership is "an essential component" in the fight against AIDS, the AP/Contra Costa Times reports. "We know that national political leaders who are willing to speak out and commit their governments to a course of constructive action in combination with public health investment can make a difference," Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Health and Science Jack Chow said in an interview on Wednesday. The meeting, which is being held in connection with World AIDS Day, is believed to be the first time that all ambassadors from countries accredited in Washington have gathered to hear a message on a public health issue. Chow cited Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni as an example to other leaders, saying Museveni has "made a tangible, concrete different at the grass roots level," according to the AP/Times. He added that strong political leadership in Senegal and Thailand has also effectively addressed the AIDS epidemic (Gedda, AP/Contra Costa Times, 11/29).
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