David Murray, Chief Executive at CWB said of this move:

‘As a small charity attempting to battle against the ‘Goliath’ of HIV and AIDS, we need to collaborate in order to turn this epidemic on its head. As we develop our partnerships with health, education and sports agencies in Africa, we see great value in joining UK networks like STOPAIDS to further develop our approach to tackling HIV/AIDS. It is through a joined-up, global effort that we can expect to beat this illness’

‘The recent UNAIDS Gap report tells us that for those who know their HIV-positive status in Sub-Saharan Africa, almost 90% have access to treatment. And yet, there are 19 million people globally living with the virus who do not know their status. This highlights just how important it is to promote access to testing, treatment and counselling, and provides us with a clear challenge’.

CWB places HIV messaging at the heart of its cricket coach education, through innovative associations between the language and form of cricket and that of HIV awareness-raising. By partnering with national Cricket Associations, British High Commissions, and local health and education agencies, CWB’s collaborative approach has seen the establishment and growth of cricket in 5 countries (Botswana, Cameroon, Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda). Nearing its 10th anniversary celebrations next year, CWB aims to have reached 100,000 children with its awareness messages and to have qualified 3,500 adults as HIV awareness advocates and cricket coaches.