Secretary Thompson Returns from Successful Africa Trip

December 8, 2003 - HHS Secretary Tommy Thompson returned to the United States on Sunday after leading the largest-ever delegation of leaders to Africa to promote AIDS awareness. During the week-long trip, the delegation visited five African countries—Cameroon, Zambia, Rwanda, Kenya, and Uganda—which have been ravaged by the deadly disease.

The trip began with a brief stop in Cameroon, where Secretary Thompson met for an hour with the Cameroon Minister of Public Health, Urbain O. Awono. The two leaders had a good discussion about HIV/AIDS assistance to Cameroon, and both left the meeting pleased.

"We had a very successful meeting, and I am a big fan and supporter of the Minister of Health, who does an excellent job," said Secretary Thompson.

Then it was on to Zambia, where Secretary Thompson and the delegation spent World AIDS Day on December 1. The day began with a breakfast event at which Secretary Thompson signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Zambian Minister of Health Dr. Brian Chituwo to formalize the relationship between the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Zambian Ministry of Health.

Following the meeting, Secretary Thompson led the delegation as it marched in a World AIDS Day parade through the streets of Livingstone. The parade ended at Mikuni Park, where the Secretary, other leaders, and U.S. officials in the delegation addressed the crowd.

"We are joining together to hasten the day when AIDS will be a thing of the past," said Secretary Thompson. "We need to redouble our efforts. This war [against AIDS] has more casualties than any other war, as we are losing three million people every year."

"The magnitude of the challenge we face is almost unimaginable," added U.S. AIDS Coordinator Randall Tobias. "The people and the government of the United States are honored to be a partner with public-private partnerships, faith-based and community-based organizations, universities, foundations, international organizations, other donor governments, and many others to battle the AIDS epidemic in Zambia and elsewhere."

After Zambia, the delegation headed to Rwanda, where it first visited Gisozi Genocide Memorial, site of a mass grave of 250,00 victims of genocide in 1994. At a ceremony, Secretary Thompson and former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Richard Holbrooke laid wreaths on behalf of the U.S. government to honor the victims.

"Let us remember what happened here," said Ambassador Holbrooke. "Let us learn from the mistakes that allowed this to take place."

On the second day in Rwanda, Secretary Thompson and the delegation visited Kabgayi Hospital to get a better look at the AIDS-related clinics and laboratories that had been set up in partnership with agencies like the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). After the tour, Secretary Thompson presented the hospital with a black and white cow, which he affectionately named "Elroy."

In Kenya, Secretary Thompson and the delegation were greeted at Kisumu Airport by Kenyan Minister of Health Charity Ngilu, Provincial Commissioner Aggrey Mudinyu, and U.S. Ambassador to Kenya William Bellamy, as well as a group of traditional Luo drummers and dancers. Together, the group visited several HIV/AIDS and malaria-related facilities at the Nyanza Provincial General Hospital, and then moved on to the campus of the Kisian research facility, where the delegation viewed the CDC/KEMRI research partnership. Following the tour, Secretary Thompson dedicated a new CDC-funded administration building and presented 10 new wheelchairs to Provincial Commissioner Mudinyu for distribution to disabled people.

While in Kenya, the Secretary also launched a new corporate drive to provide antiretroviral (ARV) drugs to people infected with HIV/AIDS in Africa, a joint venture of nine multinational businesses affiliated with the Global Business Coalition on HIV/AIDS and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria.

The final leg of the trip brought the delegation to Uganda, where it got an up-close look at how life-saving pharmaceuticals get delivered to Ugandans afflicted with HIV/AIDS in the most rural and remote areas of Uganda. Groups of delegates traveled in SUVs behind Ugandan health workers on motorbikes as they delivered ARV drugs and clean water tablets to the homes of Ugandans infected with HIV.

"If you really want to change the world," said Secretary Thompson after the visits, "do it through bringing health and clean water to people who need it. Nothing is more powerful than a foreign policy based on health and clean water."

Last revised: August 15, 2007