Martin Kobler, Head of MONUSCO, and Mamadou Sakho, UNAIDS Country Director for the DRC, appeal for “zero new infections, zero discrimination and zero AIDS-related deaths”

Kinshasa, 1^st December 2014 - “World Aids Day reminds us of the importance of the struggle against this pandemic, and the role we all must play. We must do our utmost to protect patients with AIDS and prevent new infections,” Martin Kobler said.

The objectives of UNAIDS in the world and the DRC are clear: to prevent infections, to reduce discrimination and avoid deaths related to AIDS.

“We must take care of people living with HIV and their families. They must be taken into consideration in all national strategies of social protection and ensure that they have basic health care and the necessary support. UNAIDS in the DRC is committed to meeting this challenge with the Government and its partners,” Dr. Sakho stated.

Note to the editors:

World AIDS Day, observed on 1^st December each year, is being held countrywide. In Kinshasa, awareness-raising activities are conducted by the National Multi-Sector Program against AIDS (PNLS).

In 1988, the UN General Assembly expressed its deep concern at the AIDS pandemic. Noting that the World Health Organization (WHO) had declared 1^st December World AIDS Day, the United Nations General Assembly stressed the importance of observing that occasion (Resolution 43/15).

Today, approximately 35 million people are living with HIV globally (UNAIDS report 2013).