Victoria Beckham, wife of football superstar David Beckham and former member of the UK all-female pop group, Spice Girls is set to visit Ghana in support of UNAIDS Ghana and its HIV/AIDS campaign.
The announcement was made recently by Girmay Haile, UNAIDS Ghana Country Director at the Television Awards Ghana.
Back in September 2014, Beckham was appointed UNAIDS International Goodwill Ambassador in support of the UNAIDS campaign for an AIDS-free generation in Ghana.
Ambassador: @victoriabeckham to visit Ghana for @UNAIDS programs > http://t.co/Wsnjaxu97u pic.twitter.com/QIZLwPYORG
— AllSports.com.gh (@AllSportsGh) August 21, 2015
More than 200,000 children die each year in Ghana from AIDS-related illnesses. Victoria Beckham’s current trip to Ghana is to raise awareness as part of the UNAIDS global plan to eliminate new HIV infections among children in the country and to also help keep their mothers alive.
According to Ghanaweb , Beckham will speak out on behalf of all young women and girls that have been affected by the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the West African country.
This is nothing new, as Victoria Beckham has been involved in humanitarian issues for several years and has shown a long-standing interest in the fight against HIV/AIDS.
Ambassador: Victoria Beckham visits Ghana for UNAIDS programs M> http://t.co/Yvo3WPS2w1 pic.twitter.com/Llt7hUYm95
— Pulse Ghana (@PulseGhana) August 21, 2015
Victoria has also been a patron of the Elton John AIDS Foundation for over a decade, working alongside other celebrities such as her husband, David Beckham, singers Annie Lennox and George Michael, professional tennis player Boris Becker, and actresses Emma Thompson and Elizabeth Hurley, among others.
Victoria Beckham hopes that her involvement with UNAIDS in Ghana will now allow her to reach a wider audience to spread her important message. Beckham was quoted by UNAIDS on their website as saying that this is the beginning of an important journey for her in the fight against HIV/AIDS .
“As a woman and a mother, I have a responsibility to support other women.
“I am proud and honored to be working with UNAIDS in this new role to help to raise awareness to support and empower women and children affected by HIV.”
Beckham has participated in high-level advocacy meetings with the group and has undertaken several fact-finding missions to learn more about the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Ghana.
Victoria Beckham has also visited HIV clinics in South Africa, meeting with both women and children affected by the epidemic and finding out about various intervention models. In South Africa, she learned first-hand the difference that can be made with access to both prevention and treatment for victims and hopes that this will assist in the fight against HIV/AIDS in Ghana.
[Photo: Victoria Beckham by Ian Gavan / Getty Images Entertainment]
