European Commission strengthens its assistance to the Benghazi HIV-AIDS sufferers

The European Commission is providing an additional €1 million for urgent support to Libya in its fight against the AIDS/HIV epidemic in Benghazi. This money, that follows a first €1 million disbursement in July 2005, will be used to continue the ongoing technical and medical assistance to the Benghazi Centre for Infectious Diseases and Immunology (BCIDI), as well as to help in the social integration of the patients and of their families. The EU also is also helping the Libyan Authorities in designing a national AIDS programme. These projects are part of the longer-term "HIV Action Plan for Benghazi". The Action Plan was launched by the EU in November 2004 and is being implemented by the Libyan authorities with support from the Commission and EU Member States.

Commissioner for External Relations and European Neighbourhood Policy, Benita Ferrero-Waldner , said "When I visited the Benghazi centre in May2005, I was struck by the suffering, but also by the courage of the children with HIV/AIDS. Today we once again have proven that we not only have deep sympathy for these children but that we are committed to improving their situation." The Commissioner added, "AIDS is a global challenge to modern medicine. Since July 2005 we have been sharing the best European expertise with Libya to improve its capacity to tackle this terrible disease. I hope that the further support we are releasing today will contribute to consolidating the results obtained so far thanks also to the good co-operation with the Libyan Authorities"

In Benghazi, more than 400 children and mothers have been infected by HIV/AIDS. Measures undertaken were not succeeding in bringing the BCIDI to the high standard of medical care needed to tackle such a massive epidemic or in raising awareness of the wider community to reintegrate patients into society.

The €2 million grant package, made available by the Commission in two parts since July 2005, is to provide policy advice to the Libyan government and health authorities at national and regional level and give technical assistance and specialist advice on the treatment of patients, systems for safe blood transfusion, laboratory analysis, hospital management and social reintegration of HIV-infected persons and their families into Libyan society.

Since July 2005, the funds have provided for an intensive schedule of technical support and on-the-job training in Benghazi. 20 European experts have supervised medical care, organised the various hospital departments concerned with the epidemics and provided training to their Libyan counterpart. Also, 30 Libyan experts are being trained either in Benghazi or in Europe.

The new financial package will allow these activities to continue and will complement them with assistance for the design of a Libyan national AIDS programme. Several EU member States are preparing measures to contribute to the EU Action Plan for Benghazi.

For more information:

http://europa.eu.int/comm/external_relations/lybia/intro/index.htm

| Haut |

• EU Parliament condemns Libyan court death sentence on Bulgarian nurses and Palestinian doctor (18/1/2007)
• Libya: EU Commissioner Ferrero-Waldner calls for humanitarian resolution of Benghazi case (28/12/2006)
• Statement by EU Commissioner Ferrero-Waldner on Libyan Court verdict on Benghazi case (19/12/2006)
• EU Commission continues assistance to Benghazi HIV-AIDS sufferers (14/12/2006)
• European Community Statement: High-Level Plenary Meeting on HIV/AIDS (2/6/2006)
• European Commission unlocks a further €178 million to improve access to safe drinking water (17/3/2006)
• European Commission allocates €15.8 million to a new Vital Health Programme in Zimbabwe (24/2/2006)
• EU Commission presents blueprint to fight HIV/AIDS in 2006-2009 (15/12/2005)
• World AIDS Day 2005: EU action to combat resurging epidemic (25/11/2005)