NPR’s ‘Fresh Air’ Interviews U.N. Special Envoy for HIV/AIDS in Africa Stephen Lewis
NPR's "Fresh Air" yesterday interviewed Stephen Lewis, the U.N. Secretary General's Special Envoy for HIV/AIDS in Africa, about the human and moral imperatives of fighting HIV/AIDS in the region. Lewis said he is worried that a potential war with Iraq will "distract world attention" from the HIV/AIDS pandemic. He said, "All of us who watch this unfolding and know that we're dealing with this catastrophic HIV/AIDS pandemic in Africa, and know that we've built some momentum, which was evident in President Bush's State of the Union address ... we know that all of that could unravel if the war begins and takes everyone's attention away from what is happening in Africa." Lewis also discussed the connections between hunger and HIV/AIDS in Africa, as well as the "destabilizing" effect of the pandemic on world security (Gross, "Fresh Air," NPR, 2/24). The full program will be available online in RealPlayer.
A briefing on famine and HIV/AIDS in Africa, co-sponsored by John Snow, Inc., the Ad Council, the UN Foundation, and the Global AIDS Alliance, is scheduled for tomorrow. Lewis will speak again on famine and HIV/AIDS in Africa. A kaisernetwork.org HealthCast of the briefing will be available online after 5 p.m. tomorrow.
NPR's "Tavis Smiley Show" today will include a report on how the organization Doctors for Africa is helping to fight HIV/AIDS on the continent. Check local NPR listings for show times ("Tavis Smiley Show," NPR, 2/25). The full segment will be available online in RealPlayer after noon ET.
