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Harry Belafonte to visit South Africa to help UNICEF in fight against AIDS

Harry Belafonte to visit South Africa to help UNICEF in fight against AIDS

UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Harry Belafonte and his wife Julie will visit South Africa from 11 to 19 June to mobilize support for the campaign against HIV/AIDS, UNICEF announced today.

They will meet with leading South African artists and challenge the entertainment industry to intensify its action against the pandemic. The Belafontes will also visit HIV/AIDS projects to understand how young people have been affected by the pandemic, and how they are contributing to the fight against it.

The couple will hold high-level meetings with key decision-makers in Government and NGOs, and call on the media to generate more coverage of the epidemics, UNICEF said. Their visit comes just before the June 25 to 27 special session of the General Assembly on HIV/AIDS, during which Mr. Belafonte will share his experiences and call for stronger support for the struggle against HIV/AIDS in Africa.