12/07/2003

AIDS: Annan meets with S.Egidio volunteers in Maputo

(AGI) - Maputo, Mozambique, July 12 - The Secretary General of the United Nations, Kofi Annan, accompanied by the management of the DREAM Program to fight AIDS of the Sant'Egidio Community, visited the Health Center promoted by the organization in the maternity ward of the local hospital, Matola 2.

In Maputo, in the context of the African Union, Kofi Annan has recently received a delegation of the Community and expressed great interest in the DREAM project which promotes vertical prevention mother-child and has already achieved results: 160 healthy children have been born to HIV positive mothers.

According to a note: "The Center has special importance within the program to fight AIDS which Sant'Egidio has been carrying out for the last two years in Mozambique by distributing free anti-retrovirus medicines and by preventing contagion between mother and child during delivery by using medicines and not allowing the breast feeding of the baby".