Accra, Nov. 28, GNA - The African Women's Development Fund, a non governmental organization, at the weekend launched an HIV/AIDS fund to help alleviate the plight and sufferings of women who are affected by the disease. The Nelson Mandela Foundation is contributing one million dollars to the Fund with other organizations making pledges to help boost the fund.

Statistics indicate that sub-Saharan Africa has about 25.4 million people living with HIV of which women and girls make up 57 per cent of the number of infected persons.

The HIV/AIDS Fund would complement existing resources available to African women's organization working to promote a culture of awareness, compassion and responsibility around HIV/AIDS issues and how gender inequality, the low status of women and girls, and its implications for the extreme vulnerability of women.

Ms Elaine Mckay of the Nelson Mandela Foundation said the best way to fight the disease was to learn from what other people say and to promote a culture of non-tolerance to all forms of violence against women as well as avoid discrimination.

The launch also saw the premiere in Ghana of the Oscar nominated film, 'Yesterday,' a film about women and HIV/AIDS, which is a Nelson Mandela Foundation collaboration.