GHANA: Prominent poets to tackle HIV/AIDS

A delegation of prominent African-American poets will follow Pulitzer Prize winner Yusef Komunyaaka to Ghana in the third week of March to motivate a literary and artistic response to the HIV/AIDS crisis in Africa.

The programme, titled "Making Heard the Buried Cry", will include poet and children's author Willie Perdomo, as well as Thomas Glave.

Delegates will visit the West Africa AIDS Foundation and also plan to meet with Ghana's President Edward Kufuor and key cabinet members and staff, to discuss future initiatives.

Komunyaaka was quoted by the Accra Mail, a local newspaper, as saying: "I realise poets will not find a cure for AIDS, but we hope that we can motivate, educate, and raise funds for organisations working in Africa. The lack of interest has caused the infection of 10 to 20 percent of populations in some African countries."

Theme (s): Care/Treatment - PlusNews, Children,

[This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations]