March 2003

Kaunda Speaks Out for AIDS Prevention

Former Zambian President Kenneth Kaunda is featured in several new TV AIDS prevention public service announcements promoting condom use, HIV testing, and compassion for HIV-positive Zambians. In one of the commercials Kaunda says, “My own son died of AIDS in 1986. There were some who thought I should remain silent about it, but Mrs. Kaunda and I decided to make this public. I tell you, if we are to win the battle, we must confront this problem openly. In other messages, Kaunda urges people to tell an HIV-positive friend that they “will always be there for them”; tells people to “use every tool at our disposal,” including condoms, to prevent HIV infection, and discusses voluntary counseling and testing. Kaunda was tested for the virus when he launched an AIDS treatment center in Lusaka last year.