Global AIDS Alliance Honors Two U.S. Congressmen, TAC Chair Zackie Achmat

The Global AIDS Alliance on Sunday at a ceremony in Washington, D.C., announced awards for Reps. Jim Leach (R-Iowa) and John Conyers (D-Mich.) and Zackie Achmat, chair of the South African AIDS group Treatment Action Campaign, for their leadership in fighting HIV/AIDS worldwide, OneWorld.net/Yahoo! News reports. Leach was honored for his "instrumental" role in creating the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. GAA Director Dr. Paul Zeitz said that "millions and millions of lives will be saved" because of the fund, which collects money from wealthy nations and awards grants to developing nations for programs to fight the three diseases. GAA recognized Conyers for his work with jazz musician Isaac Hayes to bring a delegation of "prominent African Americans" to Washington to "demand quick action" on Africa's HIV/AIDS crisis and for his plans to organize "a broad coalition" of U.S. organizations to demand more resources for efforts against HIV/AIDS in African nations. Achmat, who is HIV-positive himself but has refused antiretroviral treatment until all South Africans have access to the drugs, and TAC have led the international movement to provide such drugs to all HIV-positive people, regardless of their ability to pay (Raphael, OneWorld.net/Yahoo! News, 11/18).