Monaco’s Princess Stephanie spent the past three days in South Africa on behalf of UNAIDS and Fight AIDS Monaco. She arrived on Wednesday and got down to business on the following day.
N. Saussier/FAM/PodcastJournal.net
Stephanie first had a meeting with NGO officials before moving on to the Research Unit on Reproductive Health at the University of Witwatersrand in Johannesburg. The center follows the latest medical breakthroughs on the virus and gives free treatment to those who are HIV positive.
That afternoon, the Princess went to Alexandra township to visit an NGO “Friends for Life” which helps vulnerable and orphaned children as a result of the pandemic. The NGO cares for hundreds of local children a day.
On Friday, Princess Stephanie moved on to Soweto to check out another NGO, “PUSH” (Persevere Until Something Happens). This one also helps children orphaned by AIDS, as well as providing tests for HIV, STIs and TB. It also gives psychological help and ARV treatment.
Later on, the Princess met with Graca Michel, the wife of Nelson Mandela. It does not appear that she met with Mandela himself.
At the end of her visit, Stephanie met with Michel Sidibe, Executive Director of UNAIDS and reported to him about her visit.
Stephanie has been a UN Goodwill Ambassador for UNAIDS since 2006.
South Africa has one of the highest HIV populations in the world. Out of 49 million people, 5.2 million are infected. The new government under President Jacob Zuma is dedicated to fighting HIV/AIDS by providing the largest distribution of ARV treatment and millions of condoms.
