The Health and Foreign ministries have for the first time signed an agreement
between the State of Israel on the one hand and the World Health Organization
and UNAIDS on the other – turning this country into a “contributing nation,”
providing both funding and knowhow to the fight against AIDS.
The two
ministries will give $150,000 to the WHO and $100,000 to UNAIDS.
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agreement was announced on Tuesday between the two Israeli ministries and the
two UN agencies that battle against the infectious disease, which has in the
last 30 years has killed millions, especially in the developing
world.
Israel is thus committed to help the UN bodies with its own
experts in the HIV and AIDS.
Signing for Israel was Aharon Leshno Yaar,
its ambassador to UN institutions in Geneva, with representatives of the two
ministries looking on; senior officials of the UN agencies signed as
well.
The agency officials thanked the Israelis for their agreement to
financially aid the fight against AIDS despite the world economic crisis. They
also looked forward very much to the participation of Israeli AIDS experts,
noting their special expertise in emergencies, public health and the
organization of public health services.
During Israel’s first two
decades, it received health assistance from UN bodies, but in the last few
decades, its knowhow has been much sought out by them, and some of its experts
advise the WHO.
The country’s health system is now regarded as one of the
best in the world in its services and quality compared to its per/capita costs.
It is also well regarded for having successfully absorbed many thousands of
doctors, nurses and other medical manpower from the former Soviet Union during
the 1990s.