Arab Leaders Stress Need to Discuss HIV

Hundreds of religious and political leaders in the Arab world Tuesday called for the region to "break the silence" on HIV, amid reports that cases of the deadly disease are on the rise.

The 300 Muslim and Christian leaders from 20 Arab states gathered in Cairo at the Arab League to find ways of breaking the taboo that the disease has in the conservative Arab world.

Amat al-Alim al-Soswa, director of the U.N. Development Program's regional Arab bureau, said there were more than 67,000 new HIV cases in the Arab world last year and urged Arab leaders to mobilize quickly to contain the spread of the disease.

"The epidemic is still new to our countries, but the continual increase in the number of new cases and the weakness of the fundamental developmental structure to prevent HIV sets off the alarm bells for the necessity of quick mobilization," al-Soswa said. "I repeat that this mobilization must take place now, before it's too late."

Silence about HIV and AIDS remains the norm in the Arab world, where conservative traditions frown upon discussing sex publicly, and people with the disease are often stigmatized and discriminated.

"The way of talking about AIDS is really offending in our countries," said Khadija Moalla, an HIV/AIDS specialist for the UNDP in Cairo. "It is important that we break the silence and denial and start moving in the right path by stopping stigma and discrimination."

Meanwhile in South Africa, Catholic and Jewish leaders ended a four-day meeting on AIDS Tuesday by issuing a declaration which called for religious leaders to take a greater role in education, treatment and care of AIDS patients. It also calls for providing increased international assistance to those sub-Saharan African countries where AIDS has destroyed families and created millions of orphans.

"While recognizing that our respective traditions may differ regarding possible preventative strategies with respect to HIV/AIDS and related afflictions, we unreservedly unite in calling for unrestricted palliative care and appropriate attention for all those suffering, threatened or victimized by this tragic pandemic," the statement said.

"This call goes out especially to government and all who have the power, means and influence to implement it," the statement continued.

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AP writer Celean Jacobson in Johannesburg, South Africa, contributed to this report.