quinta-feira, maio 26, 2005
Portugal, sida e as promessas nas Nações Unidas
Palavras bonitas...
Que tal a ridícula contribuição portuguesa para o Fundo Global contra a Sida, a TB e a Malária?
Que tal a desigualdade no acesso a todos os anti-retrovirais aprovados pelo INFARMED em todos os hospitais com consultas VIH??
Que tal o acesso universal a métodos de reproducção assistida para seropositivos?
NEW YORK, 5 APRIL 2005 STATEMENT BY H.E. Mr. JOÃO SALGUEIRO, AMBASSADOR EXTRAORDINARY AND PLENIPOTENTIARY AND PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE OF PORTUGAL TO THE UNITED NATIONS, TO THE 38th SESSION OF THE COMMISSION ON POPULATION AND DEVELOPMENT
(Agenda item 5: General debate on national experience in population matters: population, development and HIV/AIDS, with particular emphasis on poverty)
Mr. Chairman,
First of all, let me congratulate you for your election as Chairman of the meeting. I also extend my congratulations to the other newly-elected members of the Bureau.
My distinguished colleague from Luxembourg, speaking on behalf of the European Union, has already expressed the union’s main ideas on this year’s theme “population, development and HIV/AIDS, with particular emphasis on poverty”. Portugal fully endorses this statement.
I would like to reaffirm our support for the entire agenda of the international conference on population and development, held in Cairo, in 1994 as well as the key actions adopted at the ICPD + 5, approved in 1999. Regarding HIV/AIDS in particular, we also reaffirm our commitment to the declaration of commitment on HIV/AIDS.
My country attaches great importance to the subject of HIV/AIDS and its links to sexual and reproductive health and rights, as well as to poverty. [ai é??] As stated in the UN Millennium Declaration, in addition to our separate responsibility to our individual societies, we recognize that we have a collective responsibility to uphold the principle of human dignity, equality and equity at the global level.
The link between disease and poverty is well established – the poor are the worst affected. In this sense, we are aware of the need to achieve and fulfil the ICPD goals, the goals of the declaration of commitment, as well as the Millennium Development Goals. We note with great concern that HIV/AIDS is compounding poverty and is hindering development in many countries.
Mr. Chairman,
Like in many other countries, HIV/AIDS is a problem in Portugal, where we have witnessed a high rate of new cases of infection. My government proposes to re-launch new prevention policies to combat the disease by strengthening the national plan to fight HIV/AIDS. ["relançar"?! já tinham começado?!] Special attention will be given to the promotion of information campaigns in order to change attitudes and behaviour in the Portuguese society. [campanhas claras, direccionadas e eficazes com pre- e post-evaluação?]
Portugal’s national plan combines 10 goals to be attained in 2006. Those consist of the following:
1. To implement a 2nd generation epidemiological surveillance system;
2. To increase by 30% the number of people who know the correct methods of HIV prevention, as well as their serological status;
3. To reduce by 50% the mother-to-child transmission;
4. To guarantee universal access to HIV/AIDS treatment, in accordance with international recommendations in this regard;
5. To increase by 70% the number of health centres that have multidisciplinary teams for HIV/AIDS and STD’s;
6. To create combined therapy centers;
7. To participate in the development of a joint program against aids and tuberculosis;
8. To participate in the creation of HIV prevention programs in prisons;
9. To integrate all the social services supported by the national aids commission in the health care and social care programs;
10. To collaborate in the development of legislation that guarantees and promotes the rights of people that live with HIV/AIDS.
Let me now turn to other population-related matters, which are also of concern to my country:
Mortality related to sexually transmitted diseases, in particular HIV/AIDS prevalence rates among the young and working age population, influence fertility behaviour and consequently puts at risk the growth and structure of population. Therefore, major issues such as reproductive health and the causes of infertility should be maintained on the international agenda of population and development. [Era bom começar em Portugal primeiro]
In the field of education, my country is implementing measures for sexual education in schools. Some initiatives and strategies are already underway. The commission responsible for the fight against HIV/AIDS developed an HIV prevention project for schools, in partnership with the ministry of education. The project covers children and young people from 5 to 18 years of age. Other initiatives include a theatre play that addresses HIV prevention and related issues, such as relationships and gender roles. [sic]
We are also committed to working with civil society. A number of NGO’s play an active role in promoting awareness-raising and counselling services on family planning, reproductive health, HIV/AIDS, girls and women’s rights. We consider an integrated approach to addressing gender issues to be essential. [Que tal dar-lhes os apoios financeiros necessários?]
While acknowledging the existence of some constraints to these efforts, we are committed to strengthening the work focused on the more vulnerable and marginalized groups within society. Our legislation, for example, grants migrants free access to reproductive health care services as part of the national health system. Our system ensures that everybody, regardless of their nationality or legal situation, has access to health services. [teoricamente...]
Finally, the aids epidemic thrives on the effects of social transformation, on denial, stigma and social exclusion. Therefore, comprehensive interventions are needed to prevent both stigma and discrimination of people living with HIV/AIDS.
Mr. Chairman,
Sub-Saharan Africa is home to just over 10% of the world’s population but almost two thirds of all HIV infected people in the world are living in this area. In 2003, 75% of aids-related deaths were registered in Africa . In the context of our development assistance, Portugal is engaged in supporting, both bilaterally and multilaterally, the initiatives of our partners from developing countries.
For instance, my country has contributed one hundred and fifty thousand (150.000) us dollars to Cape Verde for a UNDP project to support the implementation of their own national strategy plan on the fight against HIV/AIDS.
My country also promoted an information and awareness-raising campaign addressing the issue of HIV/AIDS in the media, involving the presidents from all Portuguese speaking countries. President Sampaio has been personally engaged in this fight.
Poverty reduction can only be achieved through a greater investment in health and education; these sectors are the main priorities within the Portuguese cooperation policy. Strong health systems are required to ensure universal access to basic health services, including those to promote reproductive health as well as child and maternal health, and to control diseases, such as aids, tuberculosis and malaria.
Portugal has been developing further efforts in the fight against HIV/AIDS, through our hygiene and tropical medicine institute, with the collaboration of other partners, in the field of scientific research on the impact of malaria, tuberculosis and aids in Mozambique, Guinea-Bissau and S. Tomé.
Bearing in mind that the fight against aids, tuberculosis and malaria is critical to attaining the MDG’s and recognizing the key role of the global fund to combat these diseases, Portugal has contributed to the referred fund with one million dollars. We expect to make further contributions for the next calendar years of the global fund.
[1 milhão de dólares em dois anos = pelo menos vinte vezes menor do que a nossa contribuição equitativa...]
My country also contributed two hundred thousand (200.000) euros, in 2004, to the reproductive commodities trust fund of UNFPA, under the EU response to alleviate the most immediate funding gap.
We must act collectively to tackle this crisis through a deepening of coordination, cooperation and partnership within and between our countries.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Que tal a ridícula contribuição portuguesa para o Fundo Global contra a Sida, a TB e a Malária?
Que tal a desigualdade no acesso a todos os anti-retrovirais aprovados pelo INFARMED em todos os hospitais com consultas VIH??
Que tal o acesso universal a métodos de reproducção assistida para seropositivos?
NEW YORK, 5 APRIL 2005 STATEMENT BY H.E. Mr. JOÃO SALGUEIRO, AMBASSADOR EXTRAORDINARY AND PLENIPOTENTIARY AND PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE OF PORTUGAL TO THE UNITED NATIONS, TO THE 38th SESSION OF THE COMMISSION ON POPULATION AND DEVELOPMENT
(Agenda item 5: General debate on national experience in population matters: population, development and HIV/AIDS, with particular emphasis on poverty)
Mr. Chairman,
First of all, let me congratulate you for your election as Chairman of the meeting. I also extend my congratulations to the other newly-elected members of the Bureau.
My distinguished colleague from Luxembourg, speaking on behalf of the European Union, has already expressed the union’s main ideas on this year’s theme “population, development and HIV/AIDS, with particular emphasis on poverty”. Portugal fully endorses this statement.
I would like to reaffirm our support for the entire agenda of the international conference on population and development, held in Cairo, in 1994 as well as the key actions adopted at the ICPD + 5, approved in 1999. Regarding HIV/AIDS in particular, we also reaffirm our commitment to the declaration of commitment on HIV/AIDS.
My country attaches great importance to the subject of HIV/AIDS and its links to sexual and reproductive health and rights, as well as to poverty. [ai é??] As stated in the UN Millennium Declaration, in addition to our separate responsibility to our individual societies, we recognize that we have a collective responsibility to uphold the principle of human dignity, equality and equity at the global level.
The link between disease and poverty is well established – the poor are the worst affected. In this sense, we are aware of the need to achieve and fulfil the ICPD goals, the goals of the declaration of commitment, as well as the Millennium Development Goals. We note with great concern that HIV/AIDS is compounding poverty and is hindering development in many countries.
Mr. Chairman,
Like in many other countries, HIV/AIDS is a problem in Portugal, where we have witnessed a high rate of new cases of infection. My government proposes to re-launch new prevention policies to combat the disease by strengthening the national plan to fight HIV/AIDS. ["relançar"?! já tinham começado?!] Special attention will be given to the promotion of information campaigns in order to change attitudes and behaviour in the Portuguese society. [campanhas claras, direccionadas e eficazes com pre- e post-evaluação?]
Portugal’s national plan combines 10 goals to be attained in 2006. Those consist of the following:
1. To implement a 2nd generation epidemiological surveillance system;
2. To increase by 30% the number of people who know the correct methods of HIV prevention, as well as their serological status;
3. To reduce by 50% the mother-to-child transmission;
4. To guarantee universal access to HIV/AIDS treatment, in accordance with international recommendations in this regard;
5. To increase by 70% the number of health centres that have multidisciplinary teams for HIV/AIDS and STD’s;
6. To create combined therapy centers;
7. To participate in the development of a joint program against aids and tuberculosis;
8. To participate in the creation of HIV prevention programs in prisons;
9. To integrate all the social services supported by the national aids commission in the health care and social care programs;
10. To collaborate in the development of legislation that guarantees and promotes the rights of people that live with HIV/AIDS.
Let me now turn to other population-related matters, which are also of concern to my country:
Mortality related to sexually transmitted diseases, in particular HIV/AIDS prevalence rates among the young and working age population, influence fertility behaviour and consequently puts at risk the growth and structure of population. Therefore, major issues such as reproductive health and the causes of infertility should be maintained on the international agenda of population and development. [Era bom começar em Portugal primeiro]
In the field of education, my country is implementing measures for sexual education in schools. Some initiatives and strategies are already underway. The commission responsible for the fight against HIV/AIDS developed an HIV prevention project for schools, in partnership with the ministry of education. The project covers children and young people from 5 to 18 years of age. Other initiatives include a theatre play that addresses HIV prevention and related issues, such as relationships and gender roles. [sic]
We are also committed to working with civil society. A number of NGO’s play an active role in promoting awareness-raising and counselling services on family planning, reproductive health, HIV/AIDS, girls and women’s rights. We consider an integrated approach to addressing gender issues to be essential. [Que tal dar-lhes os apoios financeiros necessários?]
While acknowledging the existence of some constraints to these efforts, we are committed to strengthening the work focused on the more vulnerable and marginalized groups within society. Our legislation, for example, grants migrants free access to reproductive health care services as part of the national health system. Our system ensures that everybody, regardless of their nationality or legal situation, has access to health services. [teoricamente...]
Finally, the aids epidemic thrives on the effects of social transformation, on denial, stigma and social exclusion. Therefore, comprehensive interventions are needed to prevent both stigma and discrimination of people living with HIV/AIDS.
Mr. Chairman,
Sub-Saharan Africa is home to just over 10% of the world’s population but almost two thirds of all HIV infected people in the world are living in this area. In 2003, 75% of aids-related deaths were registered in Africa . In the context of our development assistance, Portugal is engaged in supporting, both bilaterally and multilaterally, the initiatives of our partners from developing countries.
For instance, my country has contributed one hundred and fifty thousand (150.000) us dollars to Cape Verde for a UNDP project to support the implementation of their own national strategy plan on the fight against HIV/AIDS.
My country also promoted an information and awareness-raising campaign addressing the issue of HIV/AIDS in the media, involving the presidents from all Portuguese speaking countries. President Sampaio has been personally engaged in this fight.
Poverty reduction can only be achieved through a greater investment in health and education; these sectors are the main priorities within the Portuguese cooperation policy. Strong health systems are required to ensure universal access to basic health services, including those to promote reproductive health as well as child and maternal health, and to control diseases, such as aids, tuberculosis and malaria.
Portugal has been developing further efforts in the fight against HIV/AIDS, through our hygiene and tropical medicine institute, with the collaboration of other partners, in the field of scientific research on the impact of malaria, tuberculosis and aids in Mozambique, Guinea-Bissau and S. Tomé.
Bearing in mind that the fight against aids, tuberculosis and malaria is critical to attaining the MDG’s and recognizing the key role of the global fund to combat these diseases, Portugal has contributed to the referred fund with one million dollars. We expect to make further contributions for the next calendar years of the global fund.
[1 milhão de dólares em dois anos = pelo menos vinte vezes menor do que a nossa contribuição equitativa...]
My country also contributed two hundred thousand (200.000) euros, in 2004, to the reproductive commodities trust fund of UNFPA, under the EU response to alleviate the most immediate funding gap.
We must act collectively to tackle this crisis through a deepening of coordination, cooperation and partnership within and between our countries.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
