East African Business Week

GENEVA, Switzerland--Captains of national football teams competing in the upcoming FIFA Women’s World Cup 2011 soccer championship in Germany are signing up to the Give AIDS the Red Card appeal in support of a global plan to eliminate new HIV infections among children by 2015.
“As the most important international competition in women's football, this tournament provides a platform to raise global awareness about the campaign to keep babies from becoming infected with HIV, and their mothers from dying from AIDS,” said UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé.
 The Give AIDS the Red Card appeal, which was  Launched by the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) one year ago at the FIFA 2010 World Cup in South Africa.  On signing the pledge, team captains appeal to football players and fans across the world to ‘celebrate life and support the global campaign to prevent mothers from dying and babies from becoming infected with HIV’.
With access to HIV counseling and testing for pregnant women and their partners, and treatment when needed, the risk of transmission can be brought down to less than 5%. The FIFA Women’s World Cup 2011 is taking place from 26 June to 17 July. So far five captains have signed the appeal; Faye White  England), Sandrine Soubeyrand (France), Rebecca Smith (New Zealand), Ingvild Stensland (Norway), and Christie Rampone (United States).
“One of the great things about representing our country on the big stages is the opportunity for us to support causes we care about,” said U.S. Women’s World Cup Team captain Christie Rampone. “I signed onto a global campaign called Give AIDS the Red Card which helps to generate political action towards ending the AIDS epidemic among babies and young children around the world. I am confident about linking this noble cause with the game we all cherish.”
Rampone, who is among the more experienced U.S. players and will be playing in her fourth World Cup added, “UNAIDS asked the U.S. soccer team to help lead this campaign around the world, and we are happy to lend our support on a global stage to a global problem. The UN wants to end pediatric AIDS by 2015 and so do we!”
The captains of the other competing teams, including Australia, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Equatorial Guinea, Germany, Japan, DPR Korea, Mexico, Nigeria etc, will also be encouraged to become “Red Card Advocates”.