GENEVA, 21 May 2013—The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) is deeply saddened by the death of Shivananda Khan, an AIDS activist who was known and respected for his tireless promotion of the rights of men who have sex with men and transgender people.
Mr Khan, the founder and Chief Executive of the Naz Foundation International based in London and Lucknow became active in the AIDS response after losing a close friend to AIDS in the early 1990s. In recognition of Mr Khan’s work with men who have sex with men and transgender people in Asia and globally, he was awarded the Order of the British Empire in 2005.
“The global AIDS movement has lost a leading and passionate advocate on HIV, men who have sex with men and transgender issues,” said Michel Sidibé, Executive Director of UNAIDS. “Shiv was an inspiration and a committed champion for community-led HIV responses. He will be greatly missed.”
For over two decades, Mr Khan campaigned to bring greater attention to the challenges and strategies needed to address HIV among men who have sex with men and transgender people. He was a strong advocate for the development of community-led organizations in South Asia. Mr Khan was the central figure in the development of the Asia Pacific Coalition on Male Sexual Health (APCOM), serving as its Chair from 2009-2012.
