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Champions for an AIDS-Free Generation (the Champions) today inaugurated former president Kgalema Motlanthe as the Chairperson of the Champions. The Champions is a group of former presidents and influential African leaders championing an AIDS-free Africa. Previously headquartered in Gaborone, Botswana, under the Chairmanship of His Excellency Festus Mogae, former president of Botswana, the Champions Secretariat has a new home at the Aspen Pharmacare campus in Woodmead.

“Stronger more visionary and outspoken leadership must come from the continent most affected by this epidemic,” said Justice Edwin Cameron. The former judge of the Constitutional Court of South Africa paid tribute to his 13 peers from 12 African nations.

Former president Kgalema Motlanthe concurred: “It is incumbent upon leaders to publicly denounce practices, laws and policies that fuel new infections and always address these issues head on”. Motlanthe is the incoming Chairperson of the Champions.

“We have to continue to appeal to our leaders, that even though we have constrained national budgets, we can allocate more resources to fighting AIDS. Keeping our people alive is priority,” said Festus Mogae, former president of Botswana, and founding Chairperson of the Champions.

Launched in 2008, the Champions, individually and collectively rally and support continental peers towards ending the AIDS epidemic as a public health threat. They transcend political partisanship to speak freely and independently about issues, both publicly and behind the scenes. Their vision is attaining an AIDS-free generation across Africa by taking on complex issues likely to obstruct access to quality HIV services, leaving no one behind.

Aspen Pharmacare allocated offices, administrative facilities and meeting space to the Champions Secretariat for the next three years. Further, the company contributed a seed donation towards the group’s advocacy programme.

“We are honoured to host this eminent body who work to ensure that all children are born free from HIV in Africa and that all people have access to quality HIV prevention and treatment services,” said Stavros Nicolaou, Aspen’s group senior executive, strategic trade. In South Africa, he added, Aspen has been a dependable social-compact partner with the government and society for the past 26 years.

“Aspen has been a reliable partner to the South African government in the supply of ARVs, since the inception of the South African public ARV programme, which is now by far the largest global programme. Where new global uncertainties can potentially have an impact on future supplies, the role of the Champions in providing guidance and direction to the security of ARV supplies and other HIV medicines is a critical consideration,” Nicolaou concluded.

The Champions’ advocacy focus includes:

increased commitment to address political, social and legal barriers and blockages to fast track the response in Africa. 

sustaining the response through increased commitment to domestic investments for HIV and health commodity security and access to medicines.

The Champions include the following eminent leaders: Festus Mogae, former president of Botswana; Kgalema Motlanthe, former president of South Africa; Joyce Banda, former president of Malawi; Justice Edwin Cameron, former Judge of the Constitutional Court of South Africa; Joaquim Chissano, former president of Mozambique; Kenneth Kaunda, former president of Zambia; Alpha Oumar Konaré, former president of Mali; Benjamin William Mkapa, former president of Tanzania; Olusegun Obasanjo, former president of Nigeria; His Royal Highness Seeiso Bereng Seeiso of Lesotho; Desmond Tutu, Archbishop Emeritus of Cape Town and Nobel Peace Prize laureate; Speciosa Wandira-Kazibwe, former vice-president of Uganda; and Miriam Were, former chairperson of the Kenya National AIDS Control Council and Deputy Chairperson of the Champions.

Issued by Brunswick on Behalf of Aspen Pharmacare