[stop-imf] Jubilee Zambia: Loans Not a Solution to AIDS Pandemic (fwd)

[Robert Weissman]

3the April 2001

PRESS RELEASE!	PRESS RELEASE!	PRESS RELEASE!

NO!  LOANS: NOT A SOLUTION TO THE AIDS PANDEMIC IN
Zambia

Loans will not solve the AIDS/HIV pandemic that Zambia is
currently facing. As Jubilee-Zambia, we are concerned with the
World Bank's insistence that Zambia should acquire loans to
tackle the AIDS problem.  The World Bank should realise that
Zambia is actually losing more lives as a result of servicing debts
for the loans that we are being encouraged to borrow.

Responding to press article in which World Bank Country Director
for Zambia and Zimbabwe, Yaw Ansu justified the need to borrow in
order to overcome the problem, Jubilee-Zambia Acting Co-ordinator
Charity Musamba explained that if indeed the World Bank is
concerned about AIDS in Zambia, then it should change its
approach to this crucial matter - HIV/AIDS.

Loans are not the main option especially if "thousands of people
are dying" as Mr Ansu noted.  Instead, it would be important to
empower countries such as Zambia to tackle this problem in a
more sustainable way.  The most critical question the World Bank
must respond to is "why are thousands of people dying of
HIV/AIDS in Zambia today?" Secondly, if the World Bank's concern
is true, the solution to this problem should be "people-centred" as
opposed to the current strict "monetary and commercial" approach
the Bank is promoting.

It is true that Zambia needs an urgent solution to the AIDS crisis
but the solution is not "more loans." We are all aware of how loans
affected our country today and one of the major results is that we
are now failing to deal with the crisis.  More loans will only continue
to undermine the prosperity and opportunities of Zambia to deal
with the AIDS crises and the related challenges such as poverty.

Zambia is poor and heavily indebted to effectively deal with the
problem at hand.  Zambia needs grants and other non-exploitative
forms of external assistance.  World Bank can play a key and
positive role by facilitating debt cancellation for poor nations so that
they are empowered to take charge of challenges such as
AIDS/HIV. Only when this is done will Zambia confidently acquire,
effectively utilise and repay loans.

As partners in development, let us show commitment to true
human development by encouraging sustainable approaches in
dealing with the crises that heavily indebted poor countries are
facing.  Serious and real assistance to Zambia will aim at avoiding
any chances of worsening the country's debt problem.  Let us fight
AIDS by avoiding debt traps!



Charity Musamba Acting Co-ordinator: Jubilee-Zambia


> Chrispin Mphuka       Coordinator, Jubilee 2000-Zambia
Campaign Jesuit Centre for Theological Reflection P.O BOX 37774
Lusaka, Zambia. Tel: 260-01-290410 Fax.  260-01-290759 E-mail:
debtjctr@zamnet.zm WEB SITE:   www.jctr.org.zm