UN anti-AIDS effort enlists Coca-Cola to curb spread of epidemic in Africa

The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) today announced a partnership with The Coca-Cola Africa Foundation to bring new impetus to the battle against the virus.

Under the terms of the three-year agreement, the Foundation will co-ordinate the efforts of Coca-Cola Africa and its bottling partners across the continent to support AIDS education, prevention and treatment programmes, UNAIDS said in a statement issued in Geneva. The initiative is in line with the philosophy behind the International Partnership against AIDS in Africa.

"The Coca-Cola Africa Foundation brings substantial resources to the international battle against AIDS," said Peter Piot, UNAIDS Executive Director. "Coca-Cola Africa's special strength is its ability to bring its unrivalled marketing and logistics expertise to responses to the epidemic - from the community to the highest political level. We are excited about this partnership and what it means for the fight against AIDS."

UNAIDS brings together seven UN organizations to help the world prevent new HIV infections, care for those already infected and mitigate the epidemic's impact. The new partnership with Coca-Cola is the first major initiative for The Coca-Cola Africa Foundation, a private non-profit organization dedicated to implementing the company's philanthropic and corporate citizenship programmes in Africa.

"We are proud to be joining the UNAIDS team in the fight against AIDS," said Alexander B. Cummings, President of Coca-Cola Africa Group. "Coca-Cola is completely committed to the future of the African continent, its economy, people, communities and health. We will do all that we can to enable Africans to reach their full potential."