US First lady Laura Bush has visited a World Vision-led coalition in Zambia funded by the US President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief. Joining her were daughter Jenna, Zambian First lady Maureen Mwanawasa and American Idol finalist Melinda Doolittle.
On her trip to the Mututa Memorial Centre, Mrs Bush said the dedication of thousands of ordinary Zambians is the 'key' to turning the tide against the twin epidemics of malaria and HIV and Aids in Zambia.
Aided by financial support and training from the US and Zambian governments and partnerships with faith-based community programmes and businesses.
The centre helps train and support caregivers in Chainda, a community near the capital. Mrs Bush viewed the centre's activities in helping distribute 500,000 mosquito bed nets to Zambia's most vulnerable households.
"It's an unprecedented partnership between governments, business and religious groups to reduce the suffering caused by HIV/AIDS and malaria," Mrs Bush said of the cooperation between the US and Zambian governments and private sector in a unique approach to tackling the diseases in this hard-hit country. "The determination of citizens throughout Zambia" helps make possible daily miracles of rescuing dying people through home-based care and access to treatment, she said.
While at the centre, they participated in an assembly line of caregiver kits and bed nets for distribution by Zambian caregivers.
The bed nets, supplied by the President's Malaria Initiative and the Global Business Coalition, are being distributed by a vast network of more than 12,000 volunteer caregivers assembled by RAPIDS, or Reaching HIV/AIDS Affected People with Integrated Development and Support. Led by World Vision, the group trains volunteers to care for orphans, widows and those living with HIV and Aids, and helps communities surmount the underlying causes of poverty and disease.
Since its start in 2004, the RAPIDS consortium of humanitarian agencies in Zambia has become a model of how home-based care is revolutionising aid in rural Africa. The programme is funded by a $57m commitment from the US President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief. The coalition includes World Vision, Africare, CARE International, Catholic Relief Services, Expanded Church Response and The Salvation Army.
"This is a day to celebrate the commitment of our 12,000 volunteer caregivers who on a weekly basis visit more than 180,000 homes, bringing hope and practical assistance to those struggling with the impact of HIV/AIDS and malaria," said World Vision's Bruce Wilkinson, chief of the RAPIDS coalition.
