Campaigns

From left to right : Cameroonian football star Samuel Eto'o, Issa Hayatou, Chairperson of the African Football Confederation, First Lady of Gabon Sylvia Bongo Ondimba and UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé.

UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé travelled to the West African nation of Gabon on 23 January to lend his support to an innovative campaign launched by the Sylvia Bongo Ondimba Foundation—a charitable organization run by Gabon’s First Lady.

 The campaign, called “CAN without AIDS,” uses sports as a platform to reach millions of people with messages on HIV prevention across Africa, particularly youth. Timed with the 2012 Coupe d’Afrique des Nations (or “CAN”)—a football championship co-hosted by Gabon and Equatorial Guinea—the campaign is supported by Cameroonian football star Samuel Eto’o and Didier Ovono, captain of Gabon’s national football team.

In a meeting at the First Lady’s offices in Libreville, the capital city of Gabon, Mr Sidibé thanked Madam Sylvia Bongo Ondimba for integrating the UNAIDS vision of “three zeroes”—Zero new HIV infections, Zero discrimination and Zero AIDS-related deaths—in the “CAN without AIDS” campaign. He encouraged the First Lady to continue her efforts to strengthen the HIV response in Gabon and across the continent.

“I am very happy to be associated with the President and the First Lady of Gabon in this important campaign,” said Mr Sidibé. “UNAIDS will continue to work with the First Lady’s Foundation beyond the CAN 2012 tournament, and we want young people to respond to our call for a final score of zero,” he added.

After the football tournament ends in mid-February, “CAN without AIDS” will focus on the national HIV response in Gabon, with each quarter of the year dedicated to one of the “three zeroes.” UNAIDS and the First Lady’s Foundation signed an agreement to work together on this country-focused campaign.

Meeting with Gabon’s Head of State

In a separate meeting with President Ali Bongo Ondimba of Gabon on 23 January, Mr Sidibé congratulated the Head of State for his personal engagement in the HIV response—nationally and globally. The UNAIDS Executive Director thanked the President for his participation in the June 2011 UN General Assembly High Level Meeting on AIDS, and for his leadership in the adoption of an historic Security Council resolution on AIDS.

During their discussion, Mr Sidibé and President Ali Bongo Ondimba expressed concern over Africa’s dependence on external financing for the HIV response. “The level of development aid is a reflection of our own commitment,” noted President Ondimba. “I am ready to open the debate on AIDS dependency with colleagues to find local solutions,” he added.

An estimated two-thirds of AIDS expenditures in Africa come from external sources. Between 2009 and 2010, international investments for AIDS dropped by 13%.

AIDS advocacy with football star Samuel Eto’o

Later in the day, UNAIDS Executive Director held a joint press conference with Samuel Eto’o at the Agondjé stadium in Libreville.  Mr Sidibé emphasized that an international football player like Eto’o can carry a powerful message to young people in Africa and beyond—including Eastern Europe, where the HIV epidemic is growing at a rapid rate.

Samuel Eto'o (pictured left) and the UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé.

During the press briefing, Mr Eto’o underscored the need to openly discuss HIV-related issues and to find solutions. “I hope HIV will stop being taboo in our communities,” he said.

The visit to Gabon culminated with a symbolic gesture: the release of 50 000 red and white balloons above the stadium in the presence of the First Lady, Samuel Eto’o, the UNAIDS Executive Director, the Chairperson of the African Football Confederation, Issa Hayatou, and the Director-General of the First Lady’s Foundation, Guillaume Adam.

A hula hoop competition taking place at the Nelson Mandela/Soshanguve sports ground in South Africa. The event was part of the campaign to raise HIV awareness.
Credit: UNAIDS/P. Thekiso

UNAIDS and the Standard Bank Group entered into a two year partnership in December 2011 to raise public awareness of the HIV epidemic within the African continent. Using the Standard Bank‘s marketing and communication resources, UNAIDS will bring its knowledge and expertise in the AIDS response to help raise awareness about HIV among the Bank’s employees and beyond into the local communities.

The Standard Bank Group is Africa’s biggest banking group in terms of assets, geographic spread and market capitalization. In the lead up to this year’s World AIDS Day, the partnership organized activities in four African countries—Ghana, Nigeria, Uganda and South Africa—around the theme of “Getting to zero”.

In South Africa activities included community football matches and hula hoop competitions, engagement of local radio stations to conduct competitions around HIV knowledge, condom distribution and HIV information dissemination. Voluntary HIV counselling and testing was also provided and approximately 1150 people tested over a two week period.

“This is the first year we have partnered with UNAIDS for World AIDS Day,” said Udo Raab, Director, International Development Group at Standard Bank. “We believe that the 2011 campaign has laid a solid foundation for the partnership for years to come,” he added.

Activities in Uganda, Ghana and Nigeria also included community voluntary HIV counselling and testing, condom distribution, HIV information dissemination and a football gala with young people, bankers, ministers and parliamentarians. There were also AIDS awareness raising sessions conducted among young people in 24 secondary schools by Standard Bank wellness champions.

“Our partnership with the Standard Bank Group is an excellent example of how businesses can significantly contribute to the AIDS response,” said Regina Castillo, head of UNAIDS private sector partnerships. “The Standard Bank Group is making a real difference by keeping both their workforce and their businesses healthy and contributing to the communities in which they work”.

Standard Bank conducted internal HIV awareness raising and advocacy throughout the campaign period. This included providing information to staff on how to stay HIV free, supporting staff members affected by AIDS and the promotion of an accommodating, discrimination-free working environment. The internal campaign reached about 50,000 employees.

UNAIDS Executive Director, Michel Sidibé and Xinhua’s President Li Congjun at the news agency’s headquarters in Beijing, China on Wednesday, November 30th.

The Chinese news agency, Xinhua and the Joint United Nations Programme for HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) launched a global media campaign this week to promote public awareness of HIV on the eve of World AIDS Day. UNAIDS Executive Director, Michel Sidibe met with Xinhua’s President Li Congjun at the news agency’s headquarters in Beijing, China on Wednesday, November 30th.

The campaign promotes this year’s World AIDS Day theme, “Getting to Zero” which is based on the UNAIDS vision: zero new HIV infections, zero discrimination and zero AIDS-related deaths. Advertisements with the campaign’s messages are running in more than ten Chinese newspapers and magazines owned by Xinhua, as well as on the agency’s Chinese and English websites. Xinhua is also running a public service announcement on the largest screen in Times Square in New York City.

Xinhua’s President Li reiterated the importance of the AIDS response and Xinhua’s commitment to raising public awareness. He said, “My father said don’t make promises easily, but if you make a promise you must keep it.”

Mr Sidibé said “Xinhua has delivered so much in such a short period of time and thanks to President Li’s commitment to the AIDS movement, we are able to promote this year’s World AIDS Day messages to millions of people. This is helping to keep HIV at the forefront of people’s minds.”

In September of this year, UNAIDS and Xinhua signed a two-year Memorandum of Understanding where they agreed to leverage each organization’s skills to reach universal access goals towards HIV prevention, treatment, care and support.

Mr Sidibé’s visit to Xinhua came on the first day of a three day trip to Beijing. On December 1rst, he will be marking World AIDS Day with government officials and health care professionals at an event at the Great Hall of the People and by participating in a High-Level panel on HIV convened by China’s Centres for Disease Control.

(L to R) Natalya Lukyanova, Red Card Campaign Coordinator, Andriy Shevchenko, Ukrainian National Team football player, Dr Ani Shakarishvili, UNAIDS Country Coordinator in Ukraine
Credit: UNAIDS/K.Gladka

The ‘Give AIDS the red card’ campaign, an initiative that uses the power of football to eliminate stigma and discrimination against people living with HIV, kicked off on Thursday 27 October in Ukraine. Organized by the Government of Ukraine, the new campaign was launched within the framework of the European Football Championship 2012 to be co-hosted by Ukraine and Poland in summer 2012.

“To reach out to young people, we speak ‘football language’ because football unites us regardless of our social, gender, ethnic or religious differences”, said Ravil Safiullin, Head of the State Service for Youth and Sports of Ukraine.

The new campaign also aims to promote safe sex and condom use along with addressing gender inequality, sexual exploitation, and domestic violence. To that end, images of celebrities with the campaign messages will be place on billboards and on metro stations around Kiev and the other country regions. Posters will also be distributed in educational institutions as well as railway stations. Finally, public service announcements will be broadcasted via national media.

The Red Card campaign starts simultaneously in all regions of the country and is supported by the football star Andriy Shevchenko and other celebrities such as singers Ani Lorak and Gaitana and the World’s Strongman 2004 Vasyl’ Virastyuk.  UNAIDS, UNICEF and UNFPA as well as civil society organizations such as the All-Ukrainian Network of People Living with HIV, the International HIV/AIDS Alliance in Ukraine and La Strada are also supporting the campaign.

“This initiative emphasizes the growing commitment of the Government of Ukraine and the society at large to tackle key social problems facing the country,” said Dr Ani Shakarishvili, UNAIDS Country Coordinator in Ukraine. “We hope that the campaign will help remove existing barriers to an effective national AIDS response and it will bring Ukraine closer to the UNAIDS vision of Zero new HIV infections, Zero AIDS-related deaths and Zero discrimination”.

The HIV epidemic continues to grow in Ukraine and it has become the most severe of whole of Europe. Only one third of the estimated 350 000 people currently living with HIV is aware of their status and has access to HIV services. Furthermore, only 26 000 people living with HIV are currently on treatment. According to the Stigma Index research conducted in 2010, more than half of Ukrainians living with HIV are victims of some sort of stigma and discrimination.

“Getting to Zero” is the theme selected by the World AIDS Campaign (WAC) to commemorate this year’s World AIDS Day on 1st December. The new theme, that will be used until 2015, echoes the UNAIDS vision of achieving “Zero new HIV infections. Zero discrimination. Zero AIDS-related deaths.”

The decision to choose "Getting to Zero" as the theme came after extensive consultations among people living with HIV, health activists and civil society organizations.

"The potential for creative, connected and meaningful campaigning is really exciting,” said World AIDS Campaign Africa Director, Linda Mafu. "Our organization will focus on Zero AIDS Related Deaths, but the choice is there for others to pick a different zero or all three. It's time to use our imaginations and let everyone know that Getting to Zero is a must,” she added.

Giving regions, countries and constituencies the latitude to focus on one or all of the Zeros that is most relevant to their context was central to the WAC’s decision, an approach fully supported by UNAIDS. “Getting to Zero is the overall agenda for responding to HIV in the next five years, but the priority may be zero discrimination in some parts of the world and zero AIDS related deaths in some other parts—it’s important to keep this connection with the local realities” said Djibril Diallo, Director of Global Outreach at UNAIDS.

This year’s World AIDS Day is anticipated to see renewed activism from the civil society as 1st December 2011 falls only 6 months before the International AIDS Conference taking place in Washington DC. This year also marks the 30th year since AIDS was first report. World AIDS Day will be a platform to pay tribute to early advocates of the response.

Observed worldwide on 1 December since 1998, World AIDS Day is the moment of the year where millions of people  come together across the globe to commemorate people who lost their lives to HIV, applaud progress made in responding to the epidemic and recommit to ending the epidemic.

President of Xinhua News Agency Li Congjun and UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé signing a Memorandum of Understanding of Strategic Cooperation between Xinhua and UNAIDS. 15 September 2011. Geneva.
Credit: UNAIDS

GENEVA, 15 September 2011—The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) and Xinhua, China’s all-media news group, announced Thursday a plan to launch a media campaign globally on World AIDS Day 2011.

This cooperation is part of the two institutions’ new strategic partnership, which aims to raise public awareness of the HIV epidemic.

Li Congjun, the President of Xinhua News Agency and Michel Sidibé, Executive Director of UNAIDS participated in a signing ceremony of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) of Strategic Cooperation between Xinhua and UNAIDS.

Mr. Li signed the MOU during a visit to UNAIDS’ headquarters in Geneva, while  Mr. Sidibé joined in the ceremony through a video conference from Washington DC.

Both organizations will leverage their expertise to reach universal access goals towards HIV prevention, treatment, care and support. UNAIDS will provide its knowledge concerning the epidemic in China and worldwide, while Xinhua will mobilize its all-media service around the world to promote HIV issues and call for support from countries, civil society, businesses and other key players in the AIDS movement.

Xinhua is China’s most influential news institution with over 30 domestic branches and 150 branches outside of China.

Group picture of the Xinhua News Agency delegation with UNAIDS Deputy Executive Director Dr Paul De Lay (center) and UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé (on screen).
Credit: UNAIDS

Mr. Li, who is in Geneva as part of an European working tour said, “The MOU lays a solid foundation for Xinhua and UNAIDS’ long term cooperation. The World AIDS Day 2011 news campaign is a great starting point for this strategic partnership.”

Mr. Sidibé said, “I welcome this new partnership with Xinhua which combines the power of Xinhua’s extensive global media presence with UNAIDS’ in-depth knowledge of the AIDS epidemic worldwide to promote a revitalized AIDS movement. Together we can reach Zero new HIV infections, Zero discrimination and Zero AIDS-related deaths.”

UNAIDS’ vision of “Getting to Zero” has been chosen as the main theme for World AIDS’ Day during the next five years. Millions of people around the globe mark World AIDS day on December 1 by commemorating the lives lost to AIDS and recommitting to the AIDS response.

The New MOU between UNAIDS and Xinhua is for an initial period of two years, ending in September 2013.

Xinhua has formed partnerships on important development projects with several UN agencies, including the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Secretariat.

Last year the news organization worked with one of UNAIDS’ Co-Sponsors, WFP on a special report to coincide with World Food Day. Earlier this year, Xinhua worked on an photo exhibition with another UNAIDS’ Co-Sponsor, UNESCO.

The 7 Billion Actions campaign is intended to act as a rallying point for collective action to improve life for present and future generations.

By the end of this year there will be 7 billion people on the planet. To mark this global milestone, which represents both significant opportunities and challenges, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and its partners have launched an innovative campaign.

Called 7 Billion Actions, the platform is designed to promote a healthy and sustainable world. It brings together a wide range of UN bodies, including UNAIDS, governments, businesses, NGOs, academics, media practitioners, grass roots organizations and individuals. The campaign, according to UNFPA, will act as a rallying point for collective action to improve life for present and future generations.

According to UNFPA Executive Director Dr Babatunde Osotimehin the campaign aims to realize untapped potential, “It is about embracing the dignity and human rights of every individual. We need to create conditions for each one of us to live on a healthy planet, so we can all reach our full potential. In a world of 7 billion people, we need to count on each other.”

On September 14 the UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, will host an interactive discussion for its official launch. The event will be live streamed and participants from around the world can be part of the global conversation through questions and comments. The campaign’s key launch activities will take place in September and October, culminating in 7 Billion Day on 31 October.  

There are a number of thematic areas that the 7 Billion Actions will address. These include: breaking the cycle of poverty and inequality; promoting the empowerment of women and young people and reproductive health and rights; and focusing on the environment, ageing populations and urbanization.

“This inspirational campaign connects people, ideas and actions. UNAIDS looks forward to joining the effort to ensure all voices are heard as we reach this important milestone,” said UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé.

The challenge to HIV is a critical component of several themes. Greater empowerment of women and girls will have an impact on the AIDS epidemic. For example, many women are subjected to gender-based violence and this may severely hamper their ability to protect themselves against HIV. In the area of the right to an education; increasing girls’ access to schooling has been seen as a ‘social vaccine’ against the virus.

Dealing with HIV and maternal and reproductive health and rights in an integrated way also makes for stronger and more effective service provision. Where HIV testing, eliminating new HIV infections among children, access to condoms, contraception and correct information are all ‘under one roof’ women are more likely to stay healthy.  AIDS is still the leading cause of death and disease among women of child-bearing age in low- and middle-income countries.

How to support the initiative

In practical terms, support for the initiative can be shown in a number of ways. For instance, its main messages can be integrated into partners’ programme development; a commitment to the platform championed in statements and public appearances; financial contributions made on individual and corporate levels, and projects, work and best practices shared using the 7 Billion Actions online tools, such as the global website, Twitter and Facebook. 

According to the campaign, it is possible to not only build on the work of UN bodies, companies and NGOs, but also on the efforts of individuals: in a world of 7 billion people, incremental actions can create exponential results.

For more information on how to become part of the campaign visit:
www.7billionactions.org

Executive Director Michel Sidibé and Mozambique’s Minister of Youth and Sports H.E. Pedrito Fuleda Caetano with athletes from various African countries who signed the Give AIDS the Red Card initiative.
Credit: UNAIDS/A.Joe

UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé and Mozambique’s Minister of Youth and Sports H.E. Pedrito Fuleda Caetano launched the UNAIDS initiative Give AIDS the Red Card. The announcement was made on the eve of the 10^th All-Africa Games, the continent’s largest multi-sports tournament bringing together more than 5 000 athletes.

“Reducing the numbers of new HIV infections is nowhere more imperative or urgent than in Africa,” said Mr Sidibé. “The All-Africa Games are a great occasion to raise awareness about intensifying efforts to reach UNAIDS’ vision of Zero new HIV infections, Zero discrimination and Zero AIDS-related deaths.”

The launch took place under the patronage of Dr. Aires Aly Bonifácio, Prime Minister of Mozambique. Attending the launch were former Mozambican President Joaquim Alberto Chissano as well as many leading athletes.

The UNAIDS Give AIDS the Red Card campaign aims to raise awareness and mobilize action to strengthen the response to HIV and accelerate progress across Africa. The campaign was introduced at the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa with the support of 28 team captains. Captains of six teams at the 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Germany also endorsed the initiative.

At the Maputo event, heads of national delegations to the Games, including presidents of National Olympic Committees and Ministers of Sport from 47 participating countries, agreed to sign a pledge to support the Give AIDS the Red Card campaign for Zero new HIV infections, Zero discrimination, and Zero AIDS-related deaths.

By signing the pledge, each delegation is agreeing to set up a national plan of action on the Give AIDS the Red Card campaign in consultation with UNAIDS offices upon return to their respective countries.

The 2012 Africa Cup of Nations hosted by Equatorial Guinea and Gabon will be the next platform for pan-African mobilization of the initiative.

Youth participation critical to Mozambique’s AIDS response

UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé (left) and Mozambique’s Minister of Youth and Sports H.E. Pedrito Fuleda Caetano launched the UNAIDS initiative Give AIDS the Red Card.
Credit: UNAIDS/A.Joe

The importance of youth and sporting community participation in the response to AIDS was emphasized by the UNAIDS Executive Director during his meeting with Mozambique’s Minister of Youth and Sports, H.E. Pedrito Fuleda Caetano.

Mr Sidibé asked the Ministry to use the All-Africa Games to promote this initiative across all sports disciplines during the Games and beyond. Mr Sidibé emphasised that “sport events should be viewed as key platforms to link with other social movements to drive the prevention revolution including reducing vulnerability of women and girls, scaling-up HIV testing and counselling, reduction of multiple partnership and accelerating medical male circumcision.”

Sub-Saharan Africa continues to be the region most affected by HIV, with an estimated 22.5 million people living with HIV in the region representing 68% of the global total. However significant progress is being made in the region. In 22 countries, the HIV incidence rate has declined by more than 25% between 2001 and 2009.

AIDS advocate Shisu Alhaji Yakubu of Ghana has biked 238 000 kilometres to raise awareness about HIV.

AIDS advocate Shisu Alhaji Yakubu of Ghana has biked 238 000 kilometres to raise awareness about HIV. After travelling to New York to participate in the UN General Assembly High Level Meeting on AIDS that took place from 8-10 June, Mr Yakubu says he will now embark on a bike ride from Vienna to Washington, DC to attend the next International AIDS Conference to be held in the United States in 2012.

Mr Yakubu attended the UN High Level Meeting specifically to meet UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé. “I came here all the way from Africa to say thank you,” he explained. In addition to meeting Mr Sidibé, he cycled to New York City to demand world leaders participating in the High Level Meeting to join forces with the voices calling for a stronger AIDS response.

“‘In unity lies strength,’ so the old adage goes,” said Mr Yakubu. “I would therefore earnestly appeal to our leaders and people living in West Africa to unite against the stigma attached to the disease,” he said.

Mr Yakubu developed an interest for voluntary work when he was still in school, after having seen the difficulties faced by children orphaned by AIDS. When Planned Parenthood Association of Ghana selected him to represent his region of Brong-Ahafo in mid-western Ghana at the First National Youth Conference in Akropong, Mr Yakubu decided to harness his "voluntary spirit" in this direction.

During the youth conference, he says, he realized the alarming rate at which HIV was spreading in Ghana and other sub-Saharan countries. "Something must be done," he decided. "It was about time non-governmental organizations, community-based organizations, religious organizations and civil society all came together and joined the response. HIV is not a health issue any more. It's an issue about you and me."

He then chose cycling as an innovative way to raise awareness as well as a method to entertain, mobilize and encourage the involvement of communities as well as media houses.

In 2000, he organized an AIDS bike campaign in the Techiman district of Ghana, visiting schools, churches, mosques, football fields, and local radio stations. "Most of my work is concentrated towards my community, region, country and West Africa," he said.

In 2001, he embarked on a three-month nationwide bike campaign with the theme of behavioural change among young people towards safer sex. The campaign was aimed at increasing awareness about HIV and to encourage condom use. "Personally, I have a passion for humanity," he professed.

Mr Yakubu was also part of a 2009 "Know Your Status" campaign organized along with the American Peace Corps to address issues of stigma attached to testing for HIV, as well as to show support for people living with HIV.

With less than a year to go to the XIX International AIDS Conference, Mr Zakubu has many more miles to travel and people to meet to share his message that everyone can have an impact on the HIV epidemic through individual actions.

GENEVA, 24 June 2011—Captains of national football teams competing in the upcoming FIFA Women’s World Cup 2011 soccer championship in Germany are signing up to the Give AIDS the Red Card appeal in support of a global plan to eliminate new HIV infections among children by 2015. The Give AIDS the Red Card appeal, which was launched by the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) one year ago at the FIFA 2010 World Cup in South Africa, uses the power and outreach of football to unite the world around stopping new HIV infections in children.

UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé said, “As the most important international competition in women's football, this tournament provides a platform to raise global awareness about the campaign to keep babies from becoming infected with HIV, and their mothers from dying from AIDS.”

Every day more than 1000 babies are born with HIV. However with access to HIV counseling and testing for pregnant women and their partners, and treatment when needed, the risk of transmission can be brought down to less than 5%.

On signing the pledge, team captains appeal to football players and fans across the world to ‘celebrate life and support the global campaign to prevent mothers from dying and babies from becoming infected with HIV’.

The FIFA Women’s World Cup 2011 is taking place from 26 June to 17 July. So far five captains have signed the appeal; Faye White (England), Sandrine Soubeyrand (France), Rebecca Smith (New Zealand), Ingvild Stensland (Norway), and Christie Rampone (United States).

“One of the great things about representing our country on the big stages is the opportunity for us to support causes we care about,” said U.S. Women’s World Cup Team captain Christie Rampone. “I signed onto a global campaign called Give AIDS the Red Card which helps to generate political action towards ending the AIDS epidemic among babies and young children around the world. I am confident about linking this noble cause with the game we all cherish.”

Rampone, who is among the more experienced U.S. players and will be playing in her fourth World Cup added, “UNAIDS asked the U.S. soccer team to help lead this campaign around the world, and we are happy to lend our support on a global stage to a global problem. The UN wants to end pediatric AIDS by 2015 and so do we!”

The captains of the other competing teams, including Australia, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Equatorial Guinea, Germany, Japan, DPR Korea, Mexico, Nigeria, and Sweden, will also be encouraged to become “Red Card Advocates” by signing the appeal during the tournament and publicize global efforts to eliminate mother-to-child transmission of HIV by 2015.

There are 34 million people globally living with HIV, of whom 22.5 million are in sub-Saharan Africa. Despite progress towards the goal of eliminating new HIV infections among children , in 2009 alone there were 370,000 children born with HIV, bringing to 2.5 million the total number of children under 15 living with HIV.

The 2011 Women’s World Cup is one of several high-profile football championships, including the 2012 African Nations Cup and UEFA Euro 2012, leading up to the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil, that can provide platforms for raising wide awareness about the campaign to eliminate HIV in children.