Nairobi, 1 December 2003 -- The World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Director for Africa, Dr Ebrahim M. Samba, has expressed optimism that the "3 by 5" strategy launched on Monday to provide antiretroviral treatment (ART) to three million people living with AIDS by 2005 will be a huge success.

"We have no option but to win the war against HIV/AIDS especially in Africa where it has done so much damage", Dr Samba said during a courtesy call in Nairobi on Monday by a WHO delegation to Kenyan Health Minister, Mrs Charity Ngilu. "Our calculation is that countries devastated by the disease would seize on "3 by 5" to stem the losses suffered since the HIV virus surfaced in Africa in the 1980s."

He stated that political commitment being demonstrated by virtually all African countries severely hit by the AIDS was a signal that governments in the Region were eager to repair the damage done to the economic and social lives of their people.

On WHO support for Kenya in implementing its 3 by 5 strategy, Dr Samba said: "WHO has chosen Kenya as one of the first four countries to benefit from the 3 by 5 strategy, and we assure you of our support to make your country a global model for the implementation of this strategy".

He added: "Kenya meets all the pre-requisites, including demonstrated political commitment, to make "3 by 5" a success, and this is demonstrated by the fact that the country has already set its own target and is implementing an action plan to meet it."

The Kenyan Minister had earlier told the WHO delegation: " Kenya's target of 3 by 5 is 140,000 people on (antiretroviral) treatment by 2005. In the fight to bring down the scourge (HIV/AIDS), the Government has established 30 treatment centres for HIV/AIDS including Prevention of Mother to Child programmes."

Mrs Ngilu stated that as a further demonstration of commitment to improving the lot of people infected and affected by HIV/AIDS, the Government had established a National Social Health and Insurance Fund to provide quality medical cover for all Kenyans.

She said that although AIDS had orphaned more than one million children since it surfaced in the county in 1984, more than 90% of the Kenyan population did not carry the HIV virus.

"We have a duty and obligation to ensure that these people remain sero-negative . We are going to scale up information, education and advocacy and would welcome support in this direction as well", Dr Ngilu said.

The WHO delegation was led by WHO Assistant Director General for HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis, Dr Jack Chow, who re-iterated Dr Samba's pledge that Kenya would be supported to make the implementation of its 3 by 5 strategy a model for other WHO Member States.

Samuel T. Ajibola
Public Information and Communication Unit 
World Health Organization - Regional Office for Africa 
P.O. Box 6, Brazzaville, Congo
Tel: 47 241 39378; Fax : + 47 241 39513
Tel: In Nairobi: + 254 720 707 663