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November 2007
It is not every day that a university
has the opportunity to involve international role players
from high-profile organisations such as the United Nations
in their work. From January 2008 Stellenbosch University
however has the honour of having Mr Michel Sidibe, a UN
assistant-secretary-general and director of country and
regional support at the HIV and AIDS global advocacy organisation
UNAIDS, as honorary professor at the Africa Centre for HIV/AIDS
Management.
Sidibe has been actively involved in public health and
development work for 26 years. From doing non-governmental
organisation (NGO) work in Mali, his home country, he became
a representative of UNICEF in Zaire, Swaziland, New York,
Burundi and Uganda. In 2001 Sidibe was appointed as director
of the country and regional support at UNAIDS.
He has had the opportunity to lead and manage initiatives
on a wide range of issues and working with marginalised
populations. Attention was paid to issues such as malnutrition,
abduction and diseases, in recent years focusing on HIV
and AIDS. He strongly focused on fund-raising to support
these actions, especially in the fight against HIV and AIDS
in Uganda, where he was chair of the United Nations Theme
Group on HIV/AIDS.
Sidibe’s appointment at the Africa Centre for HIV/AIDS
Management is no random decision: In August 2006 the Africa
Centre became a collaborating centre of UNAIDS, with the
focus on capacity building, community mobilisation and research
dissemination. The underlying principle of this agreement
is the recognition of HIV and AIDS as a workplace issue.
The main objective of the collaboration is to implement
and promote practical and innovative research, training
and community mobilisation activities that are focused on
the development of human capacity to improve the effectiveness
of HIV and AIDS responses in the workplace in all sectors.
The Africa Centre has commited to promoting the broad goals
and objectives of UNAIDS and its co-sponsors through its
own programmes and activities. This is where Sidibe’s
appointment will be of great use: “We are currently
trying to make a difference in a strategic field in Southern
Africa as well as the continent as a whole, but we cannot
do so without cooperation, influence and close contact with
people like Michel Sidibe,” says Prof Jan du Toit,
director of the Africa Centre. “He is the right person
at the right time for the Africa Centre.”
Sidibe’s stature as a leader can make a valuable contribution
to the Africa Centre’s work. His reputation as a recognised
expert on HIV and AIDS management contribute to the merit
of his appointment. Du Toit praises Sidibe’s involvement
with the Africa Centre: “He was involved with our
World AIDS Day concert in 2006, he visits the centre regularly
and gives essential input in our programmes. He will be
a big asset to the centre and to Stellenbosch University.”
It is the Africa Centre’s vision to become a world
player in the field of HIV and AIDS. To achieve this, close
contact with organisations such as UNAIDS is essential.
This is something Sidibe brings with him, giving the centre
even more potential to realise their dream of making a real-life
difference in society across all borders.
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