Advocacy

UNAIDS China has appointed the actor and humanitarian Huang Xiaoming as a UNAIDS National Goodwill Ambassador for China. The announcement was made on 28 November at an event at the UNAIDS office in Beijing, China.

“Huang Xiaoming is an inspiration for millions of people,” said Catherine Sozi, UNAIDS Country Director for China. “I am thrilled that he will leverage his platform as a gifted actor, entrepreneur and philanthropist to help end the AIDS epidemic by 2030. His efforts can re-energize HIV prevention and transform many lives in China and beyond.”

The nomination ceremony included a panel discussion with young people on HIV prevention. The football champion and UNAIDS National Goodwill Ambassador for China, Shao Jiayi, participated in the event and gave congratulatory remarks.

In his new role, Mr Huang will raise awareness on the importance of universal access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support, with a special emphasis on HIV prevention among young people. Immediately after his appointment, the star showed his support for the UNAIDS global “Hands up for #HIVprevention” campaign, which has been taking place in the lead-up to World AIDS Day on 1 December. Mr Huang posed for photographs with an HIV prevention message written on the palm of his hand. People around the world have been sharing similar photographs and messages through social media.

“I am honoured by this appointment as a UNAIDS Goodwill Ambassador for China,” said Mr Huang. “I am glad that I can play at a least a small part in helping to intensify efforts on HIV prevention. My hope is that young people understand the need to take proper measures to protect not only their own health but the health of the people they love.”

Chinese authorities say there were 654 000 people reported to be living with HIV in China by the end of September 2016. Young people are particularly vulnerable to HIV. Thirteen young people (age 15–24) are infected with HIV every hour in Asia and the Pacific.

1 December 2016

Michel Sidibé, Executive Director of UNAIDS, Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations

Today, we commemorate World AIDS Day—we stand in solidarity with the 78 million people who have become infected with HIV and remember the 35 million who have died from AIDS-related illnesses since the first cases of HIV were reported.

The world has committed to end the AIDS epidemic by 2030 as part of the Sustainable Development Goals. We are seeing that countries are getting on the Fast-Track—more than 18 million people are on life-saving HIV treatment and country after country is on track to virtually eliminate HIV transmission from mother to child. 

We are winning against the AIDS epidemic, but we are not seeing progress everywhere. The number of new HIV infections is not declining among adults, with young women particularly at risk of becoming infected with HIV.

We know that for girls in sub-Saharan Africa, the transition to adulthood is a particularly dangerous time. Young women are facing a triple threat: a high risk of HIV infection, low rates of HIV testing and poor adherence to HIV treatment.

Coinfections of people living with HIV, such as tuberculosis (TB), cervical cancer and hepatitis C, are at risk of putting the 2020 target of fewer than 500 000 AIDS-related deaths out of reach. TB caused about a third of AIDS-related deaths in 2015, while women living with HIV are at four to five times greater risk of developing cervical cancer. Taking AIDS out of isolation remains an imperative if the world is to reach the 2020 target.

With access to treatment, people living with HIV are living longer. Investing in treatment is paying off, but people older than 50 who are living with HIV, including people who are on treatment, are at increased risk of developing age-associated noncommunicable diseases, affecting HIV disease progression.

AIDS is not over, but it can be if we tailor the response to individual needs at particular times in life. Whatever our individual situation may be, we all need access to the tools to protect us from HIV and to access antiretroviral medicines should we need them. A life-cycle approach to HIV that finds solutions for everyone at every stage of life can address the complexities of HIV. Risks and challenges change as people go through life, highlighting the need to adapt HIV prevention and treatment strategies from birth to old age.

The success we have achieved so far gives us hope for the future, but as we look ahead we must remember not to be complacent. We cannot stop now. This is the time to move forward together to ensure that all children start their lives free from HIV, that young people and adults grow up and stay free from HIV and that treatment becomes more accessible so that everyone stays AIDS-free. 

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.

The First Lady of Malawi and Vice-President of the Organisation of African First Ladies against HIV/AIDS (OAFLA), Gertrude Mutharika, has spoken to Chinese high school students about the impact of the AIDS epidemic on African women and children. The First Lady spoke at an event in Beijing, China, on 31 October celebrating the participation of the Affiliated High School of Beijing University in an ongoing campaign called China–Africa Hand in Hand: Chinese Youth’s Campaign for the Social Benefit of Africa.

Students from several high schools in Beijing and representatives of UNAIDS, the China–Africa Business Council (CABC), the China–Africa Development Fund and volunteer groups participated in the event.

The CABC and partners have established the Increasing Love for Decreasing AIDS Fund, which has raised US$ 200 000 for HIV programmes in eight African countries. High schools participating in the youth campaign are helping to collect donations for the fund. The campaign is also encouraging young people to join hands with their counterparts in Malawi and other African countries in order to build a brighter future together.

UNAIDS has announced the extension of the appointment of singer, actress and television presenter Vera Brezhneva as UNAIDS Goodwill Ambassador for Eastern Europe and Central Asia.

Since her appointment in November 2014, Ms Brezhneva has been drawing attention to the HIV epidemic in the region. During her visits to countries, she has spoken to health workers, people living with HIV and women, children and young people affected by HIV. Ms Brezhneva has also served as a spokesperson for public information campaigns and has promoted HIV prevention messages on social media.

The HIV epidemic continues to grow in eastern Europe and central Asia, where an estimated 1.5 million people were living with HIV in 2015.

Adolescent girls with Rise Young Women’s Club emblazoned on their bright red polo shirts sang and danced to welcome the delegation visiting the community centre of Ward 11, a small township of more than 40 000 people on the outskirts of Durban, South Africa. The community centre is part of the province’s innovative Operation Sukuma Sakhe and acts as the hub for coordinating community-based health, social and educational outreach activities in the ward—the smallest division in South Africa’s governmental structure.

The Rise Young Women’s Club uses the centre as a base from which to engage, empower and support adolescent girls and young women in their community to grow up healthy and safe. The club organizes weekly meetings to discuss the challenges that young women and adolescent girls face at home, at school and in the community and stages plays and community dialogues to educate the broader community. As an offshoot of the popular Soul City infotainment campaign, they follow a weekly soap opera on TV with materials that help support their discussions around HIV, sexual and reproductive health and rights, gender equality and violence against women.

The principals in the visiting delegation were Princess Tessy of Luxembourg, who is UNAIDS Global Advocate for Young Women and Adolescent Girls, and Princess Sikhanyiso of Swaziland, who recently spoke passionately about gender inequality at the United Nations General Assembly High-Level Meeting on Ending AIDS. The princesses travelled to South Africa for a joint visit before the start of the 21st International AIDS Conference in order to learn more about how HIV is affecting the lives of young women and adolescent girls in South Africa.

The princesses visited the packed one-room centre to hear the ward counsellor explain the main challenges affecting the community—unemployment, community safety, inadequate education and teenage pregnancy. Rise Young Women’s Club members moved the audience by disclosing their first-hand experiences of school exclusion, family and community rejection, gender-based violence and lack of opportunities for personal development. However, their close peer support and empowerment through the club was clear. Club members invited the delegation to walk to their homes in the informal settlements surrounding the community centre, where they met their families and neighbours to gain a deeper understanding of the daily realities of growing up in peri-urban South Africa.

The Rise Young Women’s Club and its staff provide essential mentoring and motivation for young women and adolescent girls in the community through an innovative peer education and support group model.Unfortunately, long-term support for the programme has not been secured.

One-stop care centre

The next visit was to the Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Regional Hospital, known for its one-stop care centre—the Thuthuzela centre—for people who have been subjected to rape or gender-based violence South Africa has one of the highest rates of gender-based violence in the world. The Mahatma Gandhi Thuthuzela care centre hospital alone processes more than 120 rapes cases per month, mostly young women and children. prides itself in turning victims into survivors. The self-contained centre, which is set away from the main hospital in order to ensure confidentiality and promote a safe and comforting environment, takes direct referrals from police stations in the district 24 hours a day.

Specially trained nursing staff, police officers, doctors, counsellors and social workers are on hand to provide all the immediate medical, forensic and support services needed, minimizing the trauma for victims in the immediate post-violence period and helping to ensure rapid recovery and resolution for each individual. They cover the big issues, but take care to look after the small details—teddy bears, big and small, and a plethora of toys lie in a box by the examination rooms to comfort child victims or the victim’s children.

By coordinating the work of medical staff, police and the prosecution authority, the centre also helps to ensure that the correct evidence is collected and proceduresare followed to secure the conviction of the perpetrators.

Help my sisters

The final visit for the princesses was the TB/HIV Care Association’s Durban office, a comprehensive wellness programme for sex workers with an emphasis on peer counselling. Their two vans, turned into mobile health clinics, cruise the bustling streets of Durban distributing condoms, offering testing for HIV and other sexually transmitted infections and providing treatment and referrals.

Getting ready to go out on an outreach visit, one of the outreach team members explained that like many of her peer educator colleagues she used to engage in risky sexual behaviour in order to increase income when work was slow, putting her at a much greater risk of HIV infection and other sexually transmitted infections.

Since 2011, the TB/HIV Care Association has provided health screening and preventive services through a multidisciplinary team made up of nurses, social workers, sex workers and volunteers, reaching more than 20 000 sex workers across five sites in South Africa—a feat the Durban site manager, Robin Ogle, is particularly proud of considering the high HIV prevalence among female sex workers in South Africa which ranges between 40 to 60% depending on the region. Trained as a nurse with 18 years of hospital work under her belt, she has witnessed a marked improvement in the health and well-being of sex workers under her care. Noting that building relationships with sex workers had been key, she showed the UNAIDS delegation the in-house pharmacy and the “friendly rooms”, a seal of approval reassuring patients that the health-care staff are non-judgemental and that everyone will be treated with dignity. Part of the DREAMS initiative, funded by the United States President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, the centre in Durban has just started a pilot project to provide access to pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for sex workers. To date, 44 women have been given access to PrEP through the centre since June 2016. 

UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé has presented the President of Xinhua News Agency, Cai Mingzhao with the UNAIDS Leaders and Innovators Award in recognition of his leadership as a media partner and his contribution to the AIDS response

BEIJING, 28 July 2016—In recognition of the key role that media plays in the Fast-Track response to ending the AIDS epidemic, Cai Mingzhao, the President of Xinhua News Agency, has been presented with the UNAIDS Leaders and Innovators Award at an event held during a joint cooperation visit to Xinhua headquarters in Beijing, China.

The award recognizes Mr Cai’s efforts towards reaching the globally shared vision of Zero new HIV infections, Zero discrimination and Zero AIDS-related deaths. 

“Mr Cai is a leader with vision. He understands that the three zeros are not just about the numbers but about social justice and inclusion," said the Executive Director of UNAIDS, Michel Sidibé. “AIDS is not over in any part of the world and Mr Cai’s leadership is helping to ensure that HIV remains at the forefront of public awareness so that no one is left behind.”

With Mr Cai at the helm of Xinhua, the media news group has promoted public awareness of HIV in China and abroad. During the United Nations General Assembly High-Level Meeting on Ending AIDS in June 2016, Xinhua showcased UNAIDS “Fast-Track to an AIDS-Free Generation” message on a giant electronic screen in Times Square, New York. In addition, the group is working with UNAIDS to promote zero discrimination messages through social media and other platforms. 

“We understand that the fight against AIDS requires concerted efforts from the whole of society — especially the media.” said Mr Cai. “We have a key role to play to ending AIDS." 

UNAIDS recognizes the unique role of the media in the global effort to end the AIDS epidemic. Media is able to reach billions of people with important life-saving messages and to encourage engagement and action. With more than 30 domestic branches and nearly 170 offices overseas, Xinhua is one of the largest news agencies in the world.

The Vice-Minister of Information at the Office of the State Council, Guo Weimin, underlined the importance of Xinhua’s contribution. "Xinhua News Agency is an active supporter of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and promotes efforts to involve more people in achieving these aims."

The Vice-Minister of the National Health and Family Planning Committee, Cui Li said, "The cooperation between Xinhua News and UNAIDS is a good example of multi-sector participation and cooperation in advancing the AIDS response."  

In March 2016, UNAIDS and Xinhua signed a two-year Memorandum of Understanding of Strategic Cooperation to find innovative solutions to end the AIDS epidemic as a public health threat by 2030 within the framework of the Sustainable Development Goals. 

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.

Two major stars of the footballing world have joined forces to encourage young people in China to get informed and protect themselves from HIV. UNAIDS Special Ambassador for Youth and China-Africa Collaboration, Gervinho, and UNAIDS National Goodwill Ambassador for China, Shao Jiayi took part in an event with Chinese media called Sports For Change which was moderated by another UNAIDS National Goodwill Ambassador, the television personality, James Chau. The Executive Director of UNAIDS, Michel Sidibé, also attended the event in Beijing.

The event on 26 July honoured Gervinho in his new role. The football star, whose full name is Kouassi Gervais Yao moved to China in January 2016 to play for the Chinese Super League team, Hebei China Fortune. Originally from Côte d’Ivoire, Gervinho is already active in promoting HIV awareness and prevention to young people in Africa and will expand this work in China.

Shao Jiayi has actively used his popularity in China to speak up on issues surrounding HIV, highlight the challenges faced by people living with HIV in their everyday lives and encourage young people to take up leadership roles in the AIDS response.

Mr Sidibé, who is on a five-day visit to China, thanked the two football stars and Mr Chau for their continued efforts to reduce the impact of the AIDS epidemic in China and around the world. He also underlined how new HIV infections had to be stopped and stressed the role that Gervinho and Shao Jiayi could play in raising HIV awareness among young people.        

At the end of 2015, there were 3.9 million young people aged 15 to 24 living with HIV and 670 000 new HIV infections among this age group. 

Leaders of private sector organizations, investors, civil society and United Nations representatives met in Nairobi, Kenya, during the World Investment Forum 2016 to discuss business opportunities for expanding local production of pharmaceutical products in Africa and beyond.  The event was part of efforts to support the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and particularly to improve access to testing and treatment for HIV, TB and other health conditions.

UNAIDS and UNCTAD with support from the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) held a roundtable discussion where participants highlighted the challenges facing African local pharmaceutical producers including how to meet requirements related to the quality, safety and efficacy of medicines and good manufacturing practices. The need for foreign investment and government support was underscored as essential to the promotion of local production of quality medicines and the transfer of technologies and know-how.

During the session the African Union Commissioner for Trade and Industry Fatima Haram Acyl, Kenyan Cabinet Secretary (Minister of Health) Cleopa Mailu, South African Trade and Industry Minister Rob Davies, UNCTAD Secretary-General Mukhisa Kituyi and UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé signed the Nairobi Statement on Investment in Access to Medicines which highlights the importance of African domestic policies on health, investment, trade, technology and intellectual property, as well as the integration of markets.

In a statement delivered at the meeting, Mr Sidibé underscored the importance of access to medicines and the need for domestic solutions on the African continent. Mr Kituyi noted that pharmaceutical investment was particularly sensitive due to its impact on public health and stressed the need for concerted effort and political will. According to Mr Mailu many national pharmaceutical markets in Africa are relatively small on their own and that, without international support and in the face of competition from low-priced generic products, local manufacturing would continue to struggle. Mrs Acyl highlighted the need to accelerate implementation of the Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Plan for Africa, which was adopted by the Heads of State and Government of the African Union.

UNCTAD Director of Investment and Enterprise, James Zhan, discussed the importance of policy coherence, building local manufacturing capacities through investment, and developing multilateral cooperation to strengthen the pharmaceutical sector. Mr Zhan stressed that investment facilitation could not be promoted in isolation from a country's overall development goals.

The event brought together senior figures in health, development, investment and pharmaceuticals, to explore practical issues around access to finance, challenges for local producers, what investors need and look for, and examples of successful operations. The event was attended by pharmaceutical manufacturers from Bangladesh, Germany, India, Thailand and West Africa and trade and investment representatives from Belgium, China, Germany, Kenya, Switzerland and Uganda. 

Quilts of various sizes, colours and shapes ripple like waves by the various entrances to the Durban International Conference Centre, hosting the 21st International AIDS Conference. Laid out or hung up, inscriptions vary from “Empower together we shall win” to “Positive link.” The AIDS Quilt Project is back in South Africa telling the story of the journey from Durban 2000—the last time the AIDS conference took place in the city—to Durban 2016.

In 2000, fewer than one million people had access to life-saving treatment and South Africa had the greatest number of people living with HIV.

“In 2016, we wanted to tell this journey and how we came from a time of loss and death and stigma and discrimination to where we are now, where we can talk about treatment and HIV, and we are much more open,” explained Kanya Ndaki, from the South African National AIDS Council. She added, “The quilts visually tell the story.”

Communities, schools, nongovernmental organizations, the health department and civil society partners submitted their decorated cloth panels from across the country. More than 450 in total were collected. Many grace the grounds of the conference, with a few quilts dating back to 2000.

“Blesser”

One quilt told the story of the sugar daddy phenomenon, known in South Africa as “blessers,” depicted schoolgirls in pigtails with an iPhone in hand and big purses next to a grey-haired man in a fancy car.

Young women and adolescent girls make more than 70% of new HIV infections in Sub-saharan Africa. A rate two and a half times greater than boys of the same age. Many point the finger at the fact that young women are having sex with much older partners unlike their male peers.

Prison story full of optimism

Ms Ndaki proudly showed off a quilt hanging prominently outside the entrance to the Global Village—a space open to the general public. “This quilt came from the Department of Correctional Services, a prison in Pretoria,” she said pointing to the long orange-hued panel. “Care for me, I care for you,” “Take courage,” “Love life” and “Condomize” grace the panel. Initially, prisoners were to sew different panels together, but in the end they designed their very own creation.

“It is a very powerful quilt and it was one of the ones displayed when government officials handed over the quilts to the South African National AIDS Council for the Durban AIDS Conference,” she said as two women posed for selfies with the quilt in the background.