Forum discusses AIDS in Africa

BY LYNDA HANSEN

BRISBANE — "Pharmaceuticals should be free", declared Mwampole Rita Bridgwood as she addressed a forum on "Africa: a HIV crisis" organised by Amnesty International and Oxfam Community Aid Abroad in West End on June 18. Bridgwood campaigns to raise awareness about the impact of AIDS/HIV on the African continent, particularly for her homeland Zambia.

After a lively discussion that touched on the US government's opposition to Third World countries producing generic anti-AIDS drugs and the Catholic Church's blocking of safe-sex education campaigns, participants agreed to organise action groups around the AIDS in Africa issue.

The forum was part of a series called Campaigns in Cafes, which aims to draw together people to discuss, debate and organise around world issues.

From Green Left Weekly, June 26, 2002.

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From GLW issue 497