GOR Recognizes the Economic Impact of AIDS
On March 30, 2005, senior political and business leaders in Russia, including Deputy Prime Minister Aleksander Zhukov, Health and Social Development Minister Mikhail Zurabov, Chairman of the Coordination Council of the Russian Unions of Entrepreneurs (CCUER) Aleksander Shokhin and U.S. Ambassador Alexander Vershbow, highlighted the economic consequences of HIV/AIDS at the Second Russian Business Summit on AIDS.
More than 60 business leaders and government officials attended the Summit in Moscow, which was co-funded by USAID and organized by Transatlantic Partnership Against AIDS, the Russian Ministry of Health, CCUER and the World Bank. The event was devoted to building public-private partnerships and raising awareness about the disease’s potential economic impact in Russia. Several companies outlined their efforts to fight HIV/AIDS in the workplace, and a coalition of leading Russia media companies announced a three-year, $200 million campaign to fight stigma and discrimination. The campaign was developed in connection with the coalition’s StopAIDS activities launched in December 2004.
Deputy Prime Minister Zhukov’s participation was widely perceived as a clear demonstration of Russia’s growing commitment to fighting HIV/AIDS.
In his remarks, Mr. Zhukov warned his colleagues, ”The HIV epidemic is far more than just a health issue: in the light of [Russia’s] on-going demographic decrease, it presents a serious threat to Russia’s strategic, social, and economic security.”
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| Ambassador Alexander Vershbow speaking at the Second Russian Business Summit on AIDS |
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