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African Nations and AIDS Politics

Dear Sisters,

According to a report released in June
1987 by the Geneva based World Health
Organization (WHO) about 50,000,000
Africans are supposed to be carrying AIDS
and the disease has reached epidemic
proportions in Central, East and Southern
Africa.

Many African nations are often outraged
and embarrassed when their countries are
associated with AIDS and have sometimes
refused to cooperate with women’s groups
and organizations that makes such revelation
to western sources. Zambia for instance has
banned health authorities and women’s
organizations from sending any information
on AIDS outside the country, and
Zimbabwe has refused to assist with funding
the projects or program of all women’s
organizations that releases the latest figures
of AIDS carriers in the country to the
outside world. Kenya with 10,000 cases of
AIDS had so far continued to deny the
existence of that magnitude of AIDS and
has blamed western media for gross
exaggeration of figures. At the international
AIDS conference held in June 1987 at
Washington D.C., a revelation was
made by Dr. Robert Gallo an American
AIDS Specialist, that 10 Nigerians were
identified with a special AIDS Virus whom
he called "Nigerian Red Virus". In the usual
re-action of African governments over the
association of AIDS with their countries, the
leader of the Nigerian delegation at the
conference Dr. E. Essien became outraged
with Dr. Gallos’ revelation and emphatically
denied the existence of the "Nigerian Red
Virus". Uganda which has the greatest share
of AIDS cases in Africa has opined that
"They saw no point in making people panic
when there is no risk of an epidemic". Thus
African nations continue daily to deny the
threat of this disease to the citizens of their
countries so that their so-called national
image abroad may not be tarnished while
the battle to fight AIDS is raging in western
countries.

We of this center have decided not to
fold our arms and wait for governments
action against this deadly disease. We have

launched a massive campaign of education
and persuasion against female genital
mutilation and spread of AIDS by
homevisiting countryside enlightenment tours
where women are addressed in public places.
Campaign by literatures, newspapers, radio
and television. But our problem is lack of
funds to run the campaign and our services

Gay Community News, Bay Windows,
Metroline and other local gay newspapers
are now on sale in the expanded book
section of the Burlington Peace and Justice
Center, located at 186 College Street in
Burlington.

’ A Nightclub of Distinction

20 Elliot Street
Brattleboro, Vermont

Downstairs in the old church

GONG SI-IOW, Every Wednesday Night

Dancing Nightly

as a non-governmental voluntary organization
with limited funds. We therefore through

your magazine appeal to all feminists,
womenfolk, women’s groups and
organizations to come to our aid by

donating to our campaign fund in the
interest ‘of international feminism. As
Virginia Wolf said, "as a woman I have no
country.... as a woman my own country is
the whole world". We shall accept donations

 

(802) 254-8546'

by checks, bankdraft and currency notes in
any currency. ’

Send your donation, gifts and inquiries
to: HANNAH EDEMIKPONG, WOMEN’S
CENTRE, BOX 185, EKET, CROSS
RIVER STATE NIGERIA, W. AFRICA.

In Sisterhood,

HANNAH EDEMIKPONG