Ewuraba - Professional African Women with Class and Style

UN Special Envoy for AIDS in Africa

The United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has placed an African Woman at the helm of his organisation's fight against HIV and AIDS. On 21st May 2007, he appointed Elizabeth Mataka, a national of Botswana and a resident of Zambia, as his Special Envoy for AIDS in Africa.

She told IRIN/PlusNews: "Some people might feel that I have 'big shoes' to fill when considering my predecessor, but I am a woman who not only comes from one of the world's hardest-hit countries, but who also has been working in the field of HIV and AIDS for the past 16 years." She officially replaced Stephen Lewis as the UN Secretary-General's Special Envoy for HIV and AIDS in Africa.

"Stephen Lewis has done remarkable work on all fronts in the pandemic, but there is still a long way to go, especially when it comes to addressing the impact of this disease on women and children. I am confident that my experience as both a woman and a scholar make me a suitable conduit for moving the fight again AIDS to the next level," she commented.

A social worker by profession (BSW), Elizabeth Mataka has been working in the field of HIV/AIDS for the past 16 years and has been involved in all aspects of responding to the AIDS/TB epidemic. She has experience working in Government, the Private Sector and Non-Governmental Organisations. She has provided leadership in preventions, clinical treatment for opportunistic infections, care and support at community and national levels.

She is currently Executive Director of the Zambia National AIDS Network (ZNAN) which is a membership network whose major objective is to promote liaison, coordination and information sharing amongst Non-Governmental AIDS Service organisations in Zambia. The Network also mobilizes and disburses funds to qualifying Non-Governmental Organisations, Community Based Groups, and Groups of People Living with AIDS/TB/Malaria in the Country.

Ms. Mataka is a very strong advocate involved in advocating for the rights of vulnerable groups such as the differently abled persons, PLWHA, women and children. Through her organisation, she represents Civil Society on National Policy making bodies such as National AIDS Council. She has participated in the development of national strategies such as the National Communications Strategy and the National AIDS Policy.

She has also served as Executive Director for the Family Health Trust from 1990 to 2003. She pioneered peer education in Zambia through the facilitation of the formation of over 2,000 school/community based Anti-AIDS Clubs. She also pioneered work on mitigating the impact of HIV/AIDS on children by initiating the Children in Distress (CINDI) project in 1990. This was the first community based response to the increasing number of orphans and vulnerable children.

She has also been privileged to serve on various boards of both local and international non-governmental organisations. She is a founder member of the Southern African Network of AIDS Service Organisations (SANASO), the International Children in Need Network, the Zambia National AIDS Council.

Ms. Mataka has presented many papers at both local, regional and international conferences and workshops.

source: The Global Fund; PlusNews (22/05/2007)