Advocacy

Red Ribbon Award—honouring the best in community support to people living with and affected by HIV

1 December 2015—On this year’s World AIDS Day, UNAIDS and civil society partners, in collaboration with the organizers of the 21st International AIDS Conference, jointly announce a global call for nominations for the 2016 Red Ribbon Award. The award, which will be presented at the 21st International AIDS Conference, to be held in July 2016 in Durban, South Africa, honours community-based organizations for their contributions to the response to AIDS.

Community-based organizations have been instrumental in achieving the progress made so far towards ending the AIDS epidemic, which has seen new HIV infections fall by 35% since 2000 and AIDS-related deaths fall by 42% since the 2004 peak. Moreover, 15.8 million people living with HIV now have access to antiretroviral treatment.

Winning a Red Ribbon Award is highly respected by community-based organizations around the world. In 2014, more than 1000 nominations were received. The award not only brings a deserved spotlight on the most inspiring and innovative community responses, it also highlights the crucial importance of the community response to HIV and helps communities advocate for their involvement in the AIDS response with local, national and global leaders and decision-makers.

The biennial award is given to 10 organizations that have shown outstanding community leadership and action on HIV. The five award categories are:

• Good health and well-being (Sustainable Development Goal 3).
• Reduced inequalities (Sustainable Development Goal 10).
• Gender equality (Sustainable Development Goal 5).
• Just, peaceful and inclusive societies (Sustainable Development Goal 16).
• Global partnerships (Sustainable Development Goal 17).

These categories highlight the key elements of the UNAIDS Fast-Track Strategy targets to be met by 2020 to end the AIDS epidemic as a public health threat by 2030. Community-based organizations active in these categories have an important role to play in achieving the UNAIDS 90–90–90 treatment target by 2020 of 90% of people living with HIV knowing their status, 90% of people who know their HIV-positive are on treatment and 90% of people on treatment have suppressed viral loads.

Each winner of the award will receive US$ 10 000. Representatives of each winning body will present the work of their organization, their priorities, the challenges they face and their approaches to community engagement at the 21st International AIDS Conference.

Nominations will be accepted from 1 December 2015 to 14 February 2016. Nominations can be submitted online at www.redribbonaward.org, where further information can be found. Community-based organizations* working to halt and reverse the spread of HIV are encouraged to apply.

* Please note that only community-based organizations with an annual operating budget below US$ 200 000 should be nominated, and that organizations should have been established for more than one year at the time of nomination.

For more information, please visit www.redribbonaward.org.

UNAIDS

The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) leads and inspires the world to achieve its shared vision of zero new HIV infections, zero discrimination and zero AIDS-related deaths. UNAIDS unites the efforts of 11 UN organizations—UNHCR, UNICEF, WFP, UNDP, UNFPA, UNODC, UN Women, ILO, UNESCO, WHO and the World Bank—and works closely with global and national partners towards ending the AIDS epidemic by 2030 as part of the Sustainable Development Goals. Learn more at unaids.org and connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

Fiji has shown significant leadership and commitment to the response to HIV. On the occasion of World AIDS Day 2015, UNAIDS has appointed the country’s former President, Ratu Epeli Nailatikau, as a Regional Goodwill Ambassador for the Pacific. The announcement was made by Jan Beagle, Deputy Executive Director of UNAIDS, during a World AIDS Day ceremony in Suva attended by representatives of government, civil society and international organizations.

“Fiji has some important lessons to share in a number of areas, including leadership, multisectorality, integration and partnership, that can benefit the region, and beyond, as we strive to reach the goal of ending AIDS by 2030,” said Ms Beagle. “His Excellency Ratu Epeli Nailatikau has been a steadfast advocate and at the forefront of these efforts, championing the HIV response and the meaningful inclusion of key populations.”

Building on his experience and years of commitment, Mr Epeli Nailatikau will help mobilize political support for the UNAIDS Fast-Track approach across the region, to accelerate and front-load investment over the next five years as a critical step towards ending the AIDS epidemic as a public health threat by 2030. In his new role as Regional Goodwill Ambassador he will also work with UNAIDS to help to ensure that the human rights of people living with HIV and key populations at higher risk of HIV are protected and respected, and that young people, women and girls and people living with and affected by HIV are meaningfully engaged in the HIV response.

With the exception of Papua New Guinea, HIV prevalence is low across the Pacific. However, a combination of factors could lead to a rise in the HIV epidemic in the region. These include widespread migration and mobility, high levels of multiple sexual partners, a large caseload of untreated sexually transmitted infections (STIs), low knowledge about HIV and STIs, high levels of transactional sex and significant levels of intimate partner violence. Stigma and discrimination towards key populations at higher risk of HIV is also high.

Former President Ratu Epeli Nailatikau said, “To get where we need to be, I believe it is time to Fast-Track the HIV response. As UNAIDS Regional Goodwill Ambassador I will work tirelessly to end the AIDS epidemic not only in Fiji but throughout the Pacific. You can count on me.”

ProTest HIV, a global initiative that encourages young people to get tested for HIV, was launched by UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé in Libreville, Gabon, on 28 November. At the event, Mr Sidibé called on young people worldwide to join the movement and get involved in ending the AIDS epidemic.

Young ProTest HIV ambassadors selected by their peers participated in the launch, which was held at an HIV testing site set up at the Gabon marathon. UNAIDS is working with young people on the initiative to spread the word on the importance of HIV testing.

UNAIDS estimates that 17.1 million of the 36.9 million people living with HIV worldwide do not know they have the virus. Getting tested is a crucial first step for people living with HIV to access life-saving antiretroviral therapy.

Mr Sidibé urged young ambassadors to take the lead in Gabon on the first 90 of the UNAIDS 90–90–90 treatment target and to invite their peers to get tested, too. The UNAIDS 90–90–90 treatment target is that, by 2020, 90% of people living with HIV know their HIV status, 90% of people who know their HIV-positive status are accessing antiretroviral treatment and 90% of people on treatment to have suppressed viral loads.

In Gabon, new HIV infections among children, adolescents and young people have largely declined since 2001, but AIDS-related deaths of adolescents have increased. This is partly due to the lack of integrated youth-friendly services and HIV-related stigma and discrimination. Adolescent girls in Gabon are particularly vulnerable—in 2014, 80% of adolescents newly infected with HIV were girls. 

The global AIDS response requires emphasis on the people not reached by essential services, the places that are hardest hit and the people who bear the brunt of social inequality. Robert Carr’s entire professional life as a social worker, academic, advocate and activist was dedicated to pointing the Caribbean, and the world, in that direction.

On 10 November, UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé visited the Kingston, Jamaica, offices of the Caribbean Vulnerable Communities Coalition—founded by Mr Carr in 2004—where he paid his respects to Mr Carr, who died in 2011, and recommitted to his legacy. Ending AIDS as a public health threat would not happen without concrete investments in addressing social exclusion and promoting human rights, Mr Sidibé said.

Mr Sidibé said, “I will always hold dear the memory of Robert Carr, because he helped us understand we will never end the AIDS epidemic if we don’t deal with people who are excluded.”

Mr Carr was a past Co-chair of both the Global Forum on MSM & HIV and the Global Coalition on Women and AIDS. He was at various times Policy and Advocacy Director of the International Council of AIDS Service Organizations and a member of both the UNAIDS Reference Group on HIV and Human Rights and the nongovernmental organization delegation to the UNAIDS Programme Coordinating Board. 

In the Caribbean he mobilized partners around the goal of addressing the deep-seated prejudices that left people excluded and often criminalized, pushing them away from HIV services.

Carolyn Gomes, Chairperson of the Caribbean Vulnerable Communities Coalition, said, “Robert’s vision is beginning to take shape.” She pointed to several aspects of the organization’s work, including helping to strengthen the Caribbean Sex Worker Coalition, collaborating with the Caribbean Forum for Liberation and Acceptance of Genders and Sexualities and supporting burgeoning transgender groups in different countries.

“We try to continue Robert’s special legacy, his subversiveness”, Ms Gomes said. “He spoke truth to power but also had a genuine heart and insistence that voices be heard.”

During the visit Mr Sidibé paid tribute to Mr Carr’s parents, Peter and June Carr. He was presented with Who cares? The economics of dignity, a book Mr Carr co-authored that calls for increased emphasis on people who provide care and support to people living with HIV.

Mr Sidibé reaffirmed his commitment to the Robert Carr Civil Society Networks Fund, which seeks to strengthen international collaboration and provide funding to civil society networks assisting inadequately served populations. Community organizations, he emphasized, are critical to reaching the Fast-Track Targets.

The First Lady of Panama, Lorena Castillo de Varela, has been named as a UNAIDS Special Ambassador for AIDS in Latin America. UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé appointed her during a visit to Panama, noting her commitment to expanding HIV testing coverage and bringing services closer to people. More than 15 000 people were tested for HIV in June 2015 as part of the Tests Save Lives campaign, which was led by the First Lady and the Ministry of Health.

The ceremony was held at the Presidential Palace on 16 November with the participation of President Juan Carlos Varela, Vice-President Isabel de Saint Malo de Alvarado and Minister of Health Francisco Terrientes. The dignitaries, along with the First Lady, reaffirmed their commitment to Fast-Track the AIDS response and work towards ending the epidemic as a public health threat by 2030.

Panama has made important progress in the AIDS response. HIV prevalence was 0.6% in 2014, with an estimated 53% of adults living with HIV receiving antiretroviral therapy. Mr Sidibé lauded Panama’s efforts and noted that the country is in a position to eliminate mother-to-child transmission of HIV. These figures hide large disparities by geographic region and population group, however. For example, HIV prevalence among men who have sex with men was 7.7% in 2014.

Mr Sidibé said that social issues that increase vulnerabilities need to be addressed and that improved comprehensive sexuality education can have a significant impact on reducing new HIV infections. He also encouraged increasing sustainable funding to civil society organizations working on HIV and on human rights issues related to the epidemic.

The government agreed that it is important to include vulnerable and marginalized people in the AIDS response. Nationwide there are six primary health centres for key populations, such as men who have sex with men, sex workers and transgender people. An additional three centres will open soon. The clinics focus on the unique needs of the clients, provide accessible health care and offer HIV testing and treatment for sexually transmitted infections.

While in Panama, Mr Sidibé also met with representatives of civil society, applauding their role in advocating for the adoption of a legal framework for the HIV response.

UNAIDS International Goodwill Ambassador Victoria Beckham was honoured on 9 November as one of Glamour magazine’s Women of the Year 2015 for her fashion design work, business acumen and philanthropic work on HIV.

As an International Goodwill Ambassador, Ms Beckham is collaborating with UNAIDS to raise awareness around HIV, particularly around the importance of empowering young women and girls, who continue to be disproportionally affected by the epidemic.

Ms Beckham recently undertook a joint field mission to Ethiopia with the Executive Director of UNAIDS, Michel Sidibé, to learn more about the progress and challenges in preventing new HIV infections and ensuring access to antiretroviral therapy. During the visit she met with young women and girls living with and affected by HIV and was moved by their stories. Ms Beckham reiterated her commitment to speak out for the voiceless and call for the empowerment of women everywhere.

Ms Beckham will continue her advocacy work with UNAIDS and plans to launch a series of initiatives in support of this year’s World AIDS Day, which is marked every year on 1 December.

UNAIDS is deeply saddened by the sudden death of Joel Nana, the founding Executive Director of African Men for Sexual Health and Rights (AMSHeR) and a former member of the NGO delegation to the UNAIDS Programme Coordinating Board. He was 33 years old.

Mr Nana, a tireless advocate for the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) people, was AMSHeR’s Executive Director from 2009 to 2014. Under his leadership, the regional network of organizations worked to advance the health and human rights of gay men and other men who have sex with men in Africa. The coalition became a strong voice and partner in the quest for protection and access to HIV and other health services for this population.

A law graduate, Mr Nana recognized the power of bodies such as the African Commission in interpreting and creating norms for the protection of minorities. He championed AMSHeR’s engagement with institutions such as the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, which in May 2014 adopted its first resolution on "Protection against violence and other human rights violations against persons on the basis of their real or imputed sexual orientation or gender identity". A year later, the Commission granted observer status to the Coalition of African Lesbians.

“Joel was a shooting star, a passionate advocate whose energy and commitment to the health and human rights of LGBTI people have touched many, particularly in Africa,” said UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé. “Let’s remember him for his contribution to ensuring the HIV response leaves no one behind.”