African Anglican Church Calls for Debt Relief, International Efforts to Fight AIDS

The Anglican Church in Africa on Friday called for "intensified regional and international efforts" to fight AIDS, including African debt cancellation from western nations, the Xinhua News Agency reports. Addressing foreign diplomats at the end of a four-day All Africa Anglican Conference, Anglican Archbishop Njongonkulu Ndungane said, "We appreciate the commitment of countries in the north which pledged themselves to 100% debt relief. We just hope we can count on them to implement their decision without delay." He appealed to the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank to also cancel African debts and provide grants to the nations rather than loans. African leaders at the 37th summit of the Organization of African Unity in Zambia last month approved a New Africa Initiative to promote stability and economic development in Africa, but Ndungane said, "We are told that in 10 years about one third of our people will be dead because of this disease. ... If the people die, what new Africa are we talking about?" The Anglican Church will work to encourage youth to alter their lifestyles and "take precautious measures against the disease," he said (Xinhua News Agency, 8/17).