FCBARCELONA.CAT

01.12.2008 19:18

New York endorses Barça commitment

Marc Parramon (special correspondent)

Today in New York Barça once again demonstrated its commitment to the fight against AIDS as part of events to mark World AIDS Day. Chairman Joan Laporta set out what Barça is doing in this struggle.

Chairman Joan Laporta was once again at an historic and symbolic venue for Barça, the UN headquarters in New York. Two years after his first visit when he signed the agreement with UNICEF, Barça’s commitment to the fight against AIDS, one of the world’s deadliest diseases, was once again apparent.

Chairman Joan Laporta attended the launch of the Children and AIDS: Third Stocktaking Report which summarises the latest figures for the disease among children all over the world as part of its campaign Unite for Children Unite against Aids.

Media impact

The Barça chairman was at the press conference with representatives of UNICEF, the UNAIDS and the WHO. Apart from chairman Laporta, director Albert Perrín and the director general of the Foundation, Marta Segú, were also at this important event which was eagerly followed in the US media. FC Barcelona is the first organisation in the world to be invited to the launch of this report.

Joan Laporta reviewed what Barça has done in the last two years through its Foundation to combat AIDS in Swaziland, Angola and Malawi as a result of its agreement with UNICEF and which it funds with €1.5 million a year.

The impact of Swaziland

The chairman focussed his talk on the Swaziland experience, the first country to benefit from links between UNICEF and the FC Barcelona Foundation. “I was most affected by the look of a nine year old kid with AIDS,” said Laporta. “I promised that we wouldn’t let them down.”

The Barça chairman announced the latest figures for programmes that work to prevent AIDS being transmitted from mothers to children and to foster paediatric care in the country. Because of what Barça has done in Swaziland, “80% of women take the test to see if they have the disease, 73% of women who have it are now being treated, and 63% of kids who have seropositive mothers are being treated as well”.

Awareness in Angola and centres in Malawi

Laporta also spoke about projects in Malawi and Angola. In the former, aid and support are given to children orphaned mostly because of AIDS. Barça is to fund 30 help centres for these 550,000 orphans.

In Angola, Barça is starting to put in place the first programmes to tackle the disease and the key is awareness. Through sport the goal is to make people aware about the disease and prevention as cure. This is a new and ambitious project for the Foundation.

Spots

In the hall at UN headquarters, the spots featuring Barça players were shown which are designed to raise awareness and provide information about the joint projects being run by the Foundation and UNICEF in Swaziland, Malawi and Angola.