The network of European Union (EU) delegations in southern Africa, known as ?Action Against AIDS?, met in Windhoek last week for their 5th annual meeting to share experiences and best practice, acquaint themselves with new research findings, and to develop a joint plan of action for the year to come.Sub – Saharan Africa remains the region most affected by HIV and AIDS in the world with 67% of all new infections worldwide in 2008, even though globally HIV incidence appears to be stabilising. Within the continent, southern Africa is the region with the highest prevalence and new infections rates.?The importance of addressing the epidemic in our aid efforts in this region which is the most infected and affected globally cannot be underestimated as AIDS changes the course of development,? says Elisabeth Pape, the head of the EU delegation to Namibia, who took over the chairmanship from Malawi for the coming year.Hon. Richard Kamwi, minister of health and social services, said that the fight against HIV/AIDS is shared by all and to move forward, better and smarter partnerships were necessary.?We have to hold each other accountable. Only, and only then, we can win the fight against HIV/AIDS. Prevention is not an easy thing to do for HIV/AIDS, in the absence of an effective vaccine. We will need to rely heavily, for many years to come, in a combination of strategies and approaches to reach our targets. We will have to rely hardly on multidisciplinary and multisectoral collaboration for prevention strategies and approaches to work,? he said.Kamwi also reported on Namibia?s progress on the prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) which ensured that almost all children being born by HIV/AIDS infected mothers, are saved from the virus.Representatives from the Global Fund, as well as a number of participants, failed to attend the meeting as their flights from Europe to Windhoek were cancelled due to the recent volcanic ash cloud in Europe. The EU Action Against AIDS Group which comprises of Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe has since its creation in 2006 worked to increase attention to the pandemic in southern Africa, in the Commission?s headquarters as well as among other stakeholders.