United Nations

Office of the UN Resident Coordinator – MALAWI
Tel: (265 1 773-500                  Fax: (265) 1 773-637

PRESS RELEASE

UN Special Envoy, Stephen Lewis on mission in Malawi

SStephen Lewis upon arrival at Kamuzu International Airport with (left) Dr. Tshidi Moeti, WHO Representative and (centre) Dr. Desmond Johns, UNAIDS Country Coordinator.

A grandmother and her grandson at the event to receive Mr. Lewis at Consol Homes, Namitete.

LILONGWE, 29 October 2006 –Mr. Stephen Lewis, the UN Secretary General’s Special Envoy for HIV and AIDS in Africa, arrived in Malawi today, on a three-day mission to among other events, receive the 3rd Baylor International Paediatric AIDS Leadership Award.

Mr. Lewis will meet government and civil society representatives, UN and donor agencies and people living with HIV and AIDS in Malawi to appraise HIV and AIDS programmes, with particular focus on paediatric care and treatment.

A passionate advocate for the rights of children, Mr. Lewis visited Consol Homes Orphan Care Centre, a community based organization that provides education, social and economic advancement support to orphans and other vulnerable children. At Consol Homes, Mr. Stephen also met a group of grandmothers who increasingly are heading homes due to the impact of HIV. In addition to his role as UN Special Envoy on HIV and AIDS, Stephen Lewis manages an independent Foundation, the Stephen Lewis Foundation, set on “easing the pain of HIV and AIDS in Africa”.

During the recent International AIDS Conference held in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, the Stephen Lewis Foundation organized a meeting of grandmothers from around the world to draw attention to the growing number of households headed by grandmothers due to the ravaging impact of HIV. This meeting produced the “Toronto Statement”, which outlines the common strength, resilience and solidarity of grandmothers to mitigate the impact of this devastating disease. Nelia Mumba and Zelesi Mlatho represented Malawi at the Toronto meeting.

United Nations is advocating for greater attention to paediatric care and better integration of prevention of mother to children transmission services within the antiretroviral programme. The Baylor College of Medicine’s international paediatric programme, a non-profit corporation sponsors paediatric HIV treatment and care programmes in six African countries including Malawi.

Stephen Lewis joins grandmothers in song and dance at Consol Homes

SA grandmother reads the Toronto Statement, which outlines the common strength, resilience and solidarity of grandmothers to mitigate the impact of AIDS.

Mr. Lewis will hold a media briefing in Lilongwe on Tuesday 31 October, at UNAIDS Conference room from 10:15 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.

For more information contact:
UN Communication Officer, Susan Muguro +265 9 967 991, susan.muguro@undp.org

NOTE FOR THE MEDIA:

• Biography on Stephen Lewis is below
• Grandmothers’ Gathering and Toronto Declaration

Biography, Stephen Lewis

Stephen Lewis was appointed by the United Nations Secretary General as his Special Envoy for HIV/AIDS in Africa with the responsibility of ensuring follow-up to the African summit on HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and other infectious diseases held in Abuja, Nigeria and to United Nations General Assembly special session on HIV/AIDS, as related to Africa.

At the Abuja summit of African leaders, the Secretary-General issued his call to action against the worldwide scourge of HIV/AIDS, and outlined five key objectives for the global campaign - preventing the epidemic's further spread, reducing mother-to-child HIV transmission, providing care and treatment to all, delivering scientific breakthroughs, and protecting the vulnerable, especially orphans.

Mr. Lewis works closely with African leaders, the United Nations teams and resident coordinators in Africa, and with the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS).

Mr. Lewis, served as Deputy Executive Director of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) from 1995-1999, and former Canadian Ambassador to the United Nations.A Canadian citizen, Mr. Lewis has had extensive experience as a politician, diplomat and humanitarian. Since leaving UNICEF in 1999, he has been raising his voice in support of various humanitarian causes around the world, particularly in Africa and on HIV/AIDS.

In June 1998, in addition to his United Nations duties, Mr. Lewis was appointed by the Organization of African Unity (OAU) to an "International Panel of Eminent Personalities to investigate the 1994 Genocide in Rwanda and the Surrounding Events". Mr. Lewis supports a number of efforts in Malawi through the Stephen Lewis Foundation, including Consol Homes and a Grandmothers’ support programme.

From 1984 through 1988, he was Canadian Ambassador to the United Nations. In the 1960s and 1970s, Stephen Lewis was an elected representative to the Ontario Legislature, and served as leader of the New Democratic Party. Mr. Lewis was born in Ottawa on 11 November 1937. He is married to Michele Landsberg, and they have three children -- Ilana, Avi and Jenny.

GRANDMOTHERS’ GATHERING, TORONTO 2006

In addition to his role as UN Special Envoy on HIV and AIDS, Stephen Lewis manages an independent Foundation, the Stephen Lewis Foundation, set on “easing the pain of HIV and AIDS in Africa”.

During the recent International AIDS Conference held in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, the Stephen Lewis Foundation organized a meeting of grandmothers from around the world to draw attention to the growing number of households headed by grandmothers due to the ravaging impact of HIV. This meeting produced the “Toronto Statement”, which outlines the common strength, resilience and solidarity of grandmothers to mitigate the impact of this devastating disease:

“We are strong, we are determined, we are resourceful, we are creative, we are resilient and we have the wisdom that comes with age and experience….We grandmothers deserve hope. Our children, like all children, deserve a future. We will not raise children for the grave”.