Harry Belafonte on the AIDS crisis in Africa

(CNN) -- As a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, Harry Belafonte and his wife Julie visited South Africa during June to mobilize support for the campaign to fight HIV/AIDS. Mr. Belafonte is a renowned concert singer, and film, theatre and television star. He has served as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador since 1987.

CNN Moderator: Welcome to CNN.com Newsroom, Harry Belafonte. We're very pleased to have you with us today.

BELAFONTE: I welcome this opportunity to be able to talk to your chat audience, and I thank you for giving UNICEF and myself a chance to address the audience.

CNN Moderator: You've just returned from several days in South Africa on a mission to raise AIDS awareness for UNICEF. How have South African children been affected by AIDS/HIV?

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BELAFONTE: I think if you were to pick any segment of the society that has been most affected by the ravages of HIV/AIDS, I'd say it is the children. Not only are they affected by the onslaught of the disease with all the contaminants we are aware of, but the ability to speak for themselves, to seek relief for themselves is non-existent. So the innocence of youth, coupled with the onslaught of the disease itself against those who are not old enough to fend for themselves, is a great part of the problem. You have to understand that most of the continent of Africa is poverty-ridden, and that almost 86 percent of the continent is illiterate. When you move to bring assistance and relief to tragic moments and moments of devastation, you have to also deal with the fact that communication is a huge problem. They cannot read, write, or follow simple instructions. They're also ravaged by malnutrition, and their conditions are physically and mentally weakened by malnutrition and other diseases like whooping cough and cholera. All of those are bombarding the bodies of the young people.

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We have just now begun to bring intelligence to the table, which can help us turn the corner. Added to this is the other mischief of society-- wars, destabilization, such as the civil war in the Sudan, which has been going on for three years. Almost three million people have died in that war. Then there's the Congo, and Sierra Leone, where people are fleeing in terror and have no sense of community. All of those things are part of the problem. When HIV comes on the table of contents, we have a terrible opponent that requires imagination and intelligence.

CHAT PARTICIPANT: What is Nelson Mandela's thoughts on AIDS in his country, and what does he think about Mr. Mbeki's approach (denial) to that disease?

BELAFONTE: First, I had the great pleasure of spending some quality time with Mandela, (Medba, as we call him) and his wife, Graca Michelle and they are both very full-time committed to all of the issues that involve the children of South Africa. He has the Nelson Mandela Foundation and an educational fund, and he supports other youth organizations in the country, many that are doing remarkable work in educating and spreading the word and creating an atmosphere for growth among the children.

President Mbeki's remarks have created some interesting and remarkable results in Africa. First, what he said about the medical environment-- he rebroadened the debate, so we won't just look at the myths of medical information, those things are a constant, as they should be in seeking a solution. But he said that we should focus on the things we know, things that contribute, like poverty, illiteracy, ignorance, health care issues, and all of the other attendant evils that come out of poverty. In the face of all of this, what his remarks did was to awaken a greater debate. I'm encouraged that Tony Blair hastened to embrace Mr. Mbeki, and hastened to throw his resources, endorsing him, in Mbeki's visit to England recently. The prime minister thought that Mr. Mbeki's approach and attitude are on the right track.

I should also say that the Leonardo da Vinci Institute has just given Mr. Mbeki their highest award. In talking to Mr. Mbeki himself, and getting a clear sense of what he said, I saw nothing that is inconsistent with where medical science is going. He doesn't dismiss sexual promiscuity, but he says that we need to stop ignoring other contributors to the problem.

CHAT PARTICIPANT: What is UNICEF doing about the drug companies' reluctance to sell HIV drugs at a price that people can afford in Africa?

BELAFONTE: UNICEF, through our remarkable leader Carol Bellamy, and with the assistance of Kofi Annan and others, has taken a strong and clear position on the misconduct that has been evidenced by the drug companies, and how they've approached the problem of HIV/AIDS, and their indifference of the problem, as it affects their profits in relationship to the drugs they make and sell.

These pharmaceutical companies in their arrogance decided to sue the South African government in their own courts. Mr. Mbeki asked: How dare you bring a suit because the profitability of your product is at stake, when there are life and death issues facing millions of people who are affected by the absence of drugs and medical care, and you are trying to deny our right to go to any source to find the medicine we need in this country. The position alone is immoral, and the pharmaceutical companies, because of the great outcry from the world, dropped the suit, because it was morally unacceptable.

CHAT PARTICIPANT: Is Mr. Belafonte doing any concerts to help raise money?

BELAFONTE: Yes. As a matter of fact, I've talked at great length with fellow artists in Africa, who are beginning to organize an artist's campaign to spread the word, to bring the voice of artists to educate and bring hope to millions who need to hear our voice, since many who can't read or write will need to hear our voice, directing people to intelligence that will help them get on with their lives.

CHAT PARTICIPANT: Is there anything we can do as American citizens to help you in this fight?

BELAFONTE: Yes. First, I would suggest that we seek to get information that more fully informs us about all the aspects of this campaign, and if people are to tap into our Web site, www.UNICEFUSA.org, that would give them access to endless information on many questions. Or call our number, 1-800-FOR-KIDS, which would also give them information on a host of questions that might be off the table of everyday dialogue. But I'd also hope that the citizens of this country, those who have been committed in giving and compassion, that they not give up in frustration. Some are led to believe that the money doesn't go to the people who need it, or the people who can manage the problem. Some believe the money is going to corrupt governments and leaders, and although this has happened occasionally, it's very rare, and the money is put to good use.

CNN Moderator: Thank you for joining us today, Harry Belafonte.

BELAFONTE: Good bye, chat audience, and thank you for the chance to chat with you. I wish I could stay forever, doing this work, because it's so important. Thank you for your thoughts and questions, and please don't give up on this campaign we're waging against this global problem.

Harry Belafonte joined the chat room via telephone from New York, NY. CNN provided typist. The above is an edited transcript of the interview on Tuesday, June 26, 2001.