Advocacy

Considerable advances have been made in the global response to the AIDS epidemic over the last decades. Despite this progress, however, young women and adolescent girls in Africa are still being left behind.

In the sub-Saharan region, AIDS-related illnesses remain the leading cause of death among girls and women of reproductive age. In 2013, 74% of new HIV infections among African adolescents were among adolescent girls. Young women and adolescent girls acquire HIV on average five to seven years earlier than young men, and in some countries in the region HIV prevalence among this population can be as much as seven times that of their male counterparts.

In order to guide regional and global advocacy and inform political dialogue on HIV prevention and treatment among young women and adolescent girls, UNAIDS and the African Union have launched a joint report entitled Empower young women and adolescent girls: Fast-Tracking the end of the AIDS epidemic in Africa.

The document outlines three political commitments to advance the rights and empowerment of Africa’s young women and girls to help Fast-Track an AIDS response firmly rooted in gender equality and social justice. The commitments are to stop new HIV infections among young women and adolescent girls in order to ensure that AIDS is no longer the leading cause of death among adolescents; to empower young women and adolescent girls through comprehensive sexuality education; and to prevent HIV infections among children and keep their mothers alive.

The launch took place on 8 June as part of the 26th Gender is My Agenda Campaign pre-summit to the African Union meeting in Johannesburg, South Africa.

During a three-day visit to Cameroon, UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé named the First Lady, Chantal Biya, as a Special Advocate. Through her foundation and the non-profit organization African Synergy against AIDS and Suffering, Ms Biya has been advocating for the protection, education and health of women and children for more than 20 years, especially in the context of HIV.

“This award recognizes the work the First Lady has done for decades for mothers and their children, said Mr Sidibé. “We cannot forget the pioneers.”

President Paul Biya, who participated in the ceremony, which was held at the Unity Palace on 1 June, expressed his commitment to the AIDS response and said, “The government and African Synergy against AIDS and Suffering will double their efforts in the response to HIV.”

During his visit, Mr Sidibé met with 16 mayors from the cities of Douala, Bamenda and Yaoundé, home to 30% of people living with HIV in Cameroon. The mayors signed the Paris Declaration on Fast-Track Cities, which calls for ending the AIDS epidemic in cities by 2030.

Mr Sidibé also met representatives of civil society, including religious leaders, and joined Minister of Health André Mama Fouda at the launch of an HIV prevention campaign with truck drivers. In a meeting with the minister, Mr Sidibé noted that the country’s increase in national funding for the AIDS response had had good results and would have a positive impact on development.

On 1 May, Workers’ Day, UNAIDS joined up with the International Labour Organization’s VCT@WORK initiative to scale up voluntary counselling and HIV testing in Nigeria.

The VCT@WORK initiative aims to increase access to HIV testing services in the workplace and refer people living with HIV to HIV treatment, care and support services. It also aims to empower workers by providing them with information about HIV and encouraging them to find out their HIV status.

As part of the initiative, the Nigeria Labour Congress organized events throughout the country’s 36 states, bringing together workers, professionals, students and members of civil society organizations. Nearly 6000 Nigerian workers—including 1300 young people—took an HIV test. People who tested positive for HIV were referred to appropriate health services for follow-up.  

In Abuja in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), service providers linked to the National Agency for the Control of AIDS provided free multidisease screening, which included HIV testing and measurement of blood pressure, blood sugar and body mass index. This multidisease screening approach has proved to be effective in increasing the uptake of HIV tests and offers more value to workers who come to test. The FCT was selected since it is one of the 13 states that account for 70% of people living with HIV in Nigeria.

The VCT@WORK initiative of the International Labour Organization and the UNAIDS ProTest HIV initiative are joining forces to expand the reach of HIV testing to workers and young people worldwide. Both initiatives aim at demystifying and normalizing HIV testing and are exploring ways in which this can be achieved.

The Life Ball 2015 united celebrities and partners in the Austrian capital, Vienna, for one of Europe’s biggest fundraising events for HIV.

Organized by Gery Keszler, Chair of the nongovernmental organization AIDS LIFE, this year’s event featured Charlize Theron, representing the Charlize Theron Africa Outreach Project, Sean Penn, on behalf of the Clinton Health Access Initiative, UNAIDS Goodwill Ambassador for Eastern Europe and Central Asia Vera Brezhneva, Mary J. Blige, representing AmFAR, and fashion designer Jean-Paul Gaultier, who hosted this year’s Life Ball fashion show. Conchita Wurst, winner of the 2014 Eurovision Song Contest, performed at the opening show in front of thousands of people.

The evening’s activities began with the AIDS Solidarity Gala, a fundraising dinner under the patronage of Austrian Federal President Heinz Fischer and Editor of Vogue Italia, Franca Sozzani, and co-hosted by UNAIDS and AIDS LIFE at the Hofburg Palace. 

A portion of proceeds from the gala will be used by UNAIDS to implement the first-ever regional HIV awareness campaign in eastern Europe and central Asia. The campaign will feature Ms Brezhneva, whose popularity and social media following will reach millions of people. 

At the First Ladies Luncheon, hosted by the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria and Fashion for Development, Ms Theron highlighted the needs of young women and girls in southern Africa. The Charlize Theron Africa Outreach project works to provide girls with the tools to protect themselves from becoming infected with HIV.

This year’s Life Ball Crystal of Hope was awarded to Sentebale, a nongovernmental organization working in southern Africa founded in 2006 by Prince Harry of Wales and Prince Seeiso of the Lesotho Royal Family. Its goal is to help children in Lesotho affected by the HIV epidemic and extreme poverty.

With more than 1500 volunteers and hundreds of commercial partners volunteering their time and support, each year the Life Ball generates millions of euros to support national HIV programmes in Austria and programmes around the world.

The Champions for an AIDS-Free Generation in Africa—a distinguished group of former Presidents and influential African leaders—hosted a dinner in Johannesburg, South Africa, on 13 April to celebrate the role played by partnerships in ending the AIDS epidemic.

The evening included speeches to welcome five new Champions, a powerful contribution from a mother living with HIV and a special musical performance from Loyiso Bala, UNAIDS National Goodwill Ambassador for South Africa. Private sector representatives also pledged their support to move forward with the Champions. 

Champions who attended the dinner included Festus Mogae, former President of Botswana and Chairperson of the Champions, Kenneth Kaunda, former President of Zambia, Alpha Oumar Konaré, former President of Mali, and Kgalema Motlanthe, former President of South Africa.

The dinner came at the end of the first of three days of meetings and talks between the Champions and their partners to mark a strengthened commitment to ensuring that all children are born free from HIV and that both children and mothers living with HIV have access to life-saving treatment. During the day, the Champions also announced that they are extending the scope of their work to cover adolescents and HIV.

Partners attending the three day-meeting include UNAIDS, the South African Development Community (SADC), the SADC Parliamentary Forum, the Economic Community of West African States and the South African Broadcasting Corporation) Foundation. 

JOHANNESBURG, 13 April 2015—The Champions for an AIDS-Free Generation gathered together today to announce new efforts to ensure that all children in Africa are born free from HIV and that children living with HIV have access to life-saving treatment. Since young people continue to be deeply affected by the epidemic, the Champions also announced that they will add adolescents and HIV to their portfolio of work. 

“The Champions are determined to keep HIV high on the continental agenda,” said Festus Mogae, Chairperson of the Champions. “We will leave no one behind and we will not rest until Africa has reached the goal of an AIDS-free generation.”

During their three-day meeting, the Champions are scheduled to hold high-level discussions with the President of South Africa, Jacob Zuma, the Deputy President of South Africa, Cyril Ramaphosa, and leading figures from the private sector.

The Champions for an AIDS-Free Generation was launched in 2008 by Mr Mogae, the former President of Botswana. The Champions transcend political partisanship to speak freely and independently about the issues that need solutions, both publically and behind the scenes. Since November, five new leaders have joined their distinguished ranks: Kgalema Motlanthe, former President of South Africa; Joyce Banda, former President of Malawi; Alpha Oumar Konaré, former President of Mali; Olusegun Obasanjo, former President of Nigeria; and Hifikepunye Pohamba, former President of Namibia.

“Today, we come together as a strengthened group of Champions to reaffirm our commitment to ending mother-to-child transmission of HIV and to ensuring that mothers and children already living with HIV stay healthy,” said Ms Banda. “I am proud to be involved in the Champions for an AIDS-Free Generation.”

As the Champions reaffirmed their commitment to an AIDS-free generation, they were joined by partners that include UNAIDS, the United States President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) and private sector representatives.

“The Champions have been steadfast in calling for improved HIV prevention and treatment options, and there has been progress,” said UNAIDS Executive Director, Michel Sidibé. “Now, with their ranks strengthened, the Champions will be even stronger advocates to fast-track the AIDS response in Africa to ensure that every baby is born free from HIV and that their mothers stay healthy.”     

“An AIDS-free generation is within our grasp if we use the scientific knowledge, data and tools at our disposal,” said Ambassador Deborah Birx, United States Global AIDS Coordinator and United States Special Representative for Global Health Diplomacy. “I am inspired today by this committed group of leaders, who are using their wisdom and influence to move towards an AIDS-free generation in Africa.”  

“We need leaders like the Champions who are unafraid to speak out and put AIDS at the very top of Africa’s health agenda,” said Mark Dybul, Executive Director of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.

Other partners of the Champions for an AIDS-Free Generation include UNICEF, the World Bank, the South African Development Community (SADC), the SADC Parliamentary Forum, the Economic Community of West African States and the South African Broadcasting Corporation.    

The risk of a mother living with HIV passing the virus to her child can be reduced to 5% or less if she has access to antiretroviral medicines during pregnancy, delivery and breastfeeding. 

“Women need strong partners like the Champions so they receive access to proper HIV counselling, treatment and prevention services,” said Lorraine Mashishi, a mother living with HIV. “Women living with HIV can avoid passing the virus on to their children if they get the support they need.”

Currently 21 of the 22 countries that are part of the Global Plan to eliminate new HIV infections among children by 2015 and keeping their mothers alive are in Africa. Since 2009, there has been a 43% decline in new HIV infections among children in these countries, but there were still 210 000 (180 000–250 000) new HIV infections among children in sub-Saharan Africa in 2013. Only 42% of children exposed to HIV were tested for the virus within the recommended two months. Without treatment, half of all children living with HIV will die by the age of two and the majority will die by the age of five.

Sub-Saharan Africa remains the region most affected by the AIDS epidemic—in 2013, there were 24.7 million (23.5 million—26.1 million) people living with HIV in the region.

The Champions are:

• Festus Mogae, former President of Botswana and Chairperson of the Champions.
• Joyce Banda, former President of Malawi.
• Joaquim Chissano, former President of Mozambique.
• Kenneth Kaunda, former President of Zambia.
• Alpha Oumar Konaré, former President of Mali. 
• Benjamin William Mkapa, former President of the United Republic of Tanzania.
• Kgalema Motlanthe, former President of South Africa.
• Olusegun Obasanjo, former President of Nigeria.
• Hifikepunye Pohamba, former President of Namibia.
• Desmond Tutu, Archbishop Emeritus of Cape Town and Nobel Peace Prize Laureate.
• Speciosa Wandira-Kazibwe, former Vice-President of Uganda. 
• Edwin Cameron, Justice of the Constitutional Court of South Africa.
• Miriam Were, former Chairperson of the Kenya National AIDS Control Council.

Champions for an AIDS-Free Generation

The Champions for an AIDS-Free Generation is a distinguished group of former presidents and influential African leaders committed to an AIDS-free generation. Individually and collectively, the Champions rally and support regional leaders towards ending the AIDS epidemic as a public health threat. The Champions transcend political partisanship to speak freely and independently about the issues that need solutions, both publically and behind the scenes. www.aidsfreechampions.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. Learn more at unaids.org and connect with us on Facebook and Twitter.

GENEVA, 19 March 2015—UNAIDS, in partnership with the hotel InterContinental Genève, Cartier and Etihad Airways, is holding its first fundraising gala, in Geneva, Switzerland. The event is part of UNAIDS’ efforts to ensure that children everywhere are free from HIV and that mothers have access to antiretroviral medicines to ensure that they stay alive and well.

The gala is being held under the patronage of Caroline Rupert, Kweku Mandela and Ndaba Mandela, and is being attended by personalities from both Switzerland and abroad.

The Executive Director of UNAIDS, Michel Sidibé opened the event, emphasizing the importance of stopping new HIV infections among children. “The science and medicines exist to ensure that no child becomes infected with HIV. Mobilizing innovative partnerships and increased resources will be vital to reaching all women and children in need of life-saving HIV prevention and treatment services.”

Florence Ngobeni-Allen, Global Ambassador for the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation, from South Africa, and Ashley Rose Murphy, from Canada, spoke about their experiences of living with HIV. “I was born in 1998, when Canada had the medications and the ability to ensure that almost zero babies were born with HIV. I should not have HIV. But I do,” said Ms Murphy. “Now these life-saving medications can be available everywhere. If we work hard, we can make sure that no one, no matter where they live, is born with HIV.”

The musical highlight of the evening will be the Norwegian duo Nico & Vinz performing their hit songs Am I Wrong and My Melody, a song dedicated to people living with HIV.

A live auction will be curated by David Bennett from Sotheby’s, for which Maison Cartier has provided a set of high jewellry earrings and a lady’s watch. Further items include pieces from Victoria Beckham’s collection, Christian Louboutin custom-made shoes, a watch from Piaget and a Nelson Mandela limited edition print donated by Annie Leibovitz.

The theme of the gala is “Cities around the world”. Cities’ responses to HIV have been at the forefront since the start of the epidemic. Fast-Tracking the response to HIV in cities will be essential to ending the AIDS epidemic by 2030.

The partnership between UNAIDS and the hotel InterContinental Genève began in December 2013 with the launch of the Where History is Made campaign, a joint initiative to raise funds to support the Global Plan towards the elimination of new HIV infections among children by 2015 and keeping their mothers alive (Global Plan).

In 2013, some 240 000 children became newly infected with HIV and 190 000 children died of AIDS-related illnesses. Without HIV treatment, half of all children born with HIV die by the age of two and most die before their fifth birthday.

The Global Plan aims to reduce the number of new HIV infections among children by 90% and AIDS-related deaths among pregnant women and children by 50%. It focuses on all countries, but particularly on the 22 countries where 90% of new HIV infections among children occur.

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.