Thirty-five ministers of health from sub-Saharan Africa are to attend an AIDS and malaria conference to be held at the Atlanta Apparel Mart downtown April 13-15 providing an opportunity for representatives of pharmaceutical companies and medical groups to participate in face-to-face discussions with them.
U.S. commercial relations with some African countries have been strained over health issues including South Africa, which does not allow the drug AZT into the country. Dan O’Flaherty, executive director of the U.S.-South Africa Business Council in Washington, D.C., told GlobalFax in Atlanta last week that U.S. pharmaceutical companies and the South African government were at odds on appropriate medical treatment for AIDs.
“The conference will focus on solutions that can empower local authorities to act swiftly in alleviating the continual spread of AIDs and malaria,” Stephen Seda, president and CEO of the S.E.I. Group and an organizer of the conference, told GlobalFax in a telephone interview.
The Atlanta-based America Medical Team for Africa, a non-profit organization that promotes the improvement of health services in African hospitals, is hosting the conference in collaboration with the African health ministers, the Centers for Disease Control and the World Health Organization.
To learn more about the conference, go to www.amta2000.com
Mr. Seda may be reached by telephone at (404) 241-8966; or by fax, (404) 241-8984.