World Report Praises Museveni

By Charles Wendo PRESIDENT Yoweri Museveni has been praised in the State of the World 2001 report for providing exemplary political leadership that led to a decline in HIV infection rates. The 275-page report published annually by the US-based World Watch Institute, also praises Uganda and Ghana for their anti-poverty programmes. The report, an assessment of the world's progress towards a sustainable society, says the reduction of Uganda's adult HIV infection rates from 14% to 8% is good for eliminating hunger. It describes Uganda as a model for curbing the spread of HIV/AIDS, an epidemic that has killed 19 million people worldwide. "The key to this admirable success has been the active personal leadership of President Yoweri Museveni at every step of the way. He has regularly addressed the issue in public, describing the mechanisms for transmitting the virus and the changes in behaviour needed to curb its spread," the report says. It said eliminating hunger from sub-Saharan Africa depended on curbing the HIV/AIDS epidemic, which deprives communities of the most active labour force. On poverty, the report praises Uganda's participatory approach. It said Uganda had shown that "lenders and governments do not hold a monopoly on information and wisdom relevant to fighting poverty." Ends