It is with great sorrow that members of the Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions mark the passing of former politician, activist and global HIV/AIDS advocate Stephen Lewis. His work and advocacy around preventing the spread of HIV/AIDS in Africa and ensuring access to quality health care will be recognized and celebrated by all Canadians.
Stephen Lewis believed that access to health care was a human right, and he championed that throughout his life. His commitment to public life gave him the opportunity to speak out, and he did so with remarkable prose and power. He served Canada and the United Nations for many decades. He was Canada’s ambassador to the UN from 1984 to 1988, the deputy executive director of UNICEF from 1995 to 1999, and the UN Secretary General’s Special Envoy for HIV-AIDS in Africa from 2001 to 2006.
The CFNU has been proud to support the organization he co-founded, the Stephen Lewis Foundation, to take on the fight against HIV/AIDS in Africa and support nurses and health care workers providing care. As Canada’s nurses we offer our condolences to his family and urge all to continue the fight Stephen Lewis took on so fiercely and effectively.
