11/22/2007

On November 22, 2007, as millions of Americans were preparing for a traditional Thanksgiving feast, Foundation Country Director for Uganda Willie Salmond was in the lobby of the Serena Hotel in Kampala preparing for an important meeting of his own. For the first time in 53 years, England’s Queen Elizabeth II was visiting Uganda and Salmond was invited, along with a group of government officials, foreign consuls, and Ugandan business professionals, to meet with her and discuss various issues facing the nation.

The Queen was introduced to each person in the room by the British High Commissioner. Following these formalities, she returned to talk at length with Salmond about the Foundation’s work in Uganda and its collaboration with the Ministry of Health. More specifically, she inquired about HIV prevention. Salmond explained to her that prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) was possible and treatment was effective if administered properly. He also explained the difficulties posed by HIV transmission via breast-feeding. The Queen smiled and praised Salmond and the Foundation’s work, and suggested that things in Uganda were improving.

At the same meeting, Salmond also met with the Duke of Edinburgh and British Foreign Secretary David Milliband. After a quick conversation about the recent soccer match between Croatia and England, the discussion turned to pediatric AIDS and the continued need for program support, especially in African nations such as Uganda, where more than 25,000 babies are born HIV-positive each year. Salmond explained to the gentlemen that mother-to-child transmission has been reduced to 1 to 2 percent in the developed world and expressed an urgent need to focus on this issue in Africa. The men agreed.

Once the Queen’s discussions with other guests concluded, everyone was invited to dine with her. “It was quite an honor to discuss this issue with Queen Elizabeth and to introduce her to the Foundation,” said Salmond at the conclusion of the meeting.