Middle East and North Africa

A dynamic AIDS response characterized by partnership and passion across all sectors, and prioritizing youth and innovation, was celebrated in Algeria on World AIDS Day.

At a lively World AIDS Day commemoration filled with colour and song held in Algiers, key actors in Algeria’s AIDS response came together to reflect on the county’s successes, consider ongoing challenges and emphasize commitment towards ending AIDS by 2030.

Reacting rapidly to the challenges of HIV, Algeria’s response has consistently prioritized cross-sectoral action, community involvement and evidence and innovation within its strategies and policies. Significant results include a sustained low-level epidemic and free provision of antiretroviral therapy for 90% of people living with HIV.

“Algeria has been a pioneer on AIDS in the region, and the response remains highly dynamic. Continued innovation—particularly through harnessing the power of the young, vibrant population—is maximizing gains made and contributing to broader development and rights outcomes,” said UNAIDS Deputy Executive Director Jan Beagle, who welcomed Algeria as a new member of the UNAIDS governing body, the Programme Coordinating Board, from 2017.

To build on the gains made, Ms Beagle noted areas for increased focus, including: access to services for the prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV; greater investment in programmes for key populations; and prioritization of women, girls and young people. “Sustained leadership, integration, evidence and rights-based and people-centred approaches that are adaptable at all stages in the life cycle are needed. Let us build on the progress made and continue to be passionate partners in Algeria’s collective efforts,” she said.

Emphasizing commitment to mobilize an accelerated response towards an AIDS-free generation, Ministry of Health Secretary-General Ali Rezgui said, “Young people are this country’s greatest asset. We must treasure them, listen to them and equip them with education, knowledge and tools to prevent HIV and drive forward Algeria’s AIDS movement.”

“Today we celebrate determination, perseverance and progress driven by a highly multisectoral, inclusive response. This model of joint action is critical for the achievement of the interconnected Sustainable Development Goals,” said Eric Overvest, United Nations Resident Coordinator in Algeria.

Commitment to continued collaboration and dynamism was evident through the active participation of young people at the World AIDS Day celebration. “It’s our dream to protect the world against HIV. With solidarity, prevention and knowledge, together we can end AIDS,” a group of schoolchildren sang loudly and clearly.

At a regional forum focusing on optimizing the demographic dividend in the Middle East and North Africa, lessons learned from the AIDS response were emphasized as critical to guiding investment and efforts for development responses for young people and women.

Representatives of government, international organizations, civil society, the media and others joined together in Algiers, Algeria, for a two-day forum organized by the United Nations Population Fund, the League of Arab States and the Government of Algeria. The forum explored how economic growth, comprehensive education and health and social systems that put young people and women at the centre can result in lower maternal mortality, higher life expectancy and gains across the Sustainable Development Goals.

UNAIDS Deputy Executive Director Jan Beagle opened the forum, emphasizing that the experiences of the multisectoral, multistakeholder and inclusive AIDS response can be leveraged for wide-reaching results.

“By investing in girls and young women, boys and young men at the critical stages in their lives, and building coalitions across sectors, we can end AIDS by 2030 and contribute to broader health, development, rights and gender outcomes in the region,” Ms Beagle said.

Ms Beagle stressed the importance of prioritizing awareness-raising and education among young people, ensuring a specific focus on women and girls and increasing synergies between health and development responses, including for tuberculosis, human papillomavirus and hepatitis C.

To address stigma and discrimination in the region, which hampers access to services, legal and policy environments need to promote change and protect the vulnerable and to enable the effective implementation of laws and policies. “The laws on the books need to be mirrored by the laws on the streets,” Ms Beagle said.

Political commitment for the AIDS response is growing in the region, but challenges persist, including in terms of low treatment coverage, preventing mother-to-child-transmission of HIV and the increase in HIV infections in some communities. The renewed political commitment expressed at the forum can help to counter those challenges. 

Ahmed was dismissed from his job as a plumber for a club in Giza, Egypt, in 2015 after his employer discovered he was living with HIV. Rather than remain silent, Ahmed decided to pursue legal action with the help of the Al Shehab Foundation for Comprehensive Development.

The Al Shehab Foundation is an Egyptian nongovernmental organization that defends the legal rights of marginalized people, including the rights of people living with HIV to work and access education and accommodation without discrimination. The legal action was supported by the International Development Law Organization, which works closely with UNAIDS through a memorandum of understanding.

In a historic decision for Egypt and the region, a court in Cairo ruled in Ahmed’s favour, stating that people living with HIV cannot be dismissed because of their HIV status. The court’s directive, issued in February 2016, stated that employment is a basic human right for all Egyptian citizens, regardless of their health condition, as long as they can still work.

This seminal court ruling has been applauded by civil society, activists and international development organizations engaged in the AIDS response in Egypt and across the Middle East and North Africa. The ruling sets an important legal precedent for future discrimination cases and is consistent with UNAIDS guidance and the Arab AIDS Strategy (2014 – 2020). 

The Council of Arab Ministers of Health has unanimously endorsed a resolution that urges countries to accelerate their efforts for the implementation of the Arab AIDS Strategy and to Fast-Track national responses to end AIDS by 2030.

Speaking at the council meeting, held in Cairo, Egypt, on 3 March, UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé commended the leadership the council and ministers have demonstrated in the AIDS response. He noted that the Arab AIDS Strategy (2014–2020) presents a unified position, is informed by evidence and considers regional specificities. He said that, in the context of the Sustainable Development Goals, there is an urgent need to reduce health inequities between countries by embracing global health security principles derived from values of social justice and inclusive societies for all.

Mr Sidibé also expressed hope that Oman, the United Arab Emirates and other Arab countries would soon be certified as having eliminated mother-to-child transmission of HIV. He urged countries that are on the verge of achieving this goal to finalize the validation process and become pioneers in the region.

The Deputy Secretary-General of the League of Arab States, Ahmed Benhelli, met with Mr Sidibé and pledged to mobilize support for the upcoming United Nations General Assembly High-Level Meeting on Ending AIDS, to be held in June in New York, United States of America. In bilateral meetings with the Ministers of Health of Bahrain, Djibouti and Libya, Mr Sidibé highlighted the importance of high-level participation by Arab countries and their effective contribution to a strong political declaration.

The significant and catalytic leadership role Egypt has in the region was raised by Mr Sidibé in a meeting with the Egyptian Prime Minister, the Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Minister of Health and the Minister of Social Solidarity. He emphasized that Egypt is forging strong partnerships in Africa, especially in the local production of medicines, which is essential to ensure and sustain universal health coverage in the Middle East and Africa.

During his visit to Egypt, Mr Sidibé was introduced to Yousra, a renowned actress and singer who was recently appointed as a UNAIDS Regional Goodwill Ambassador for the Middle East and North Africa. Through her advocacy, Yousra has shown the impact regional champions and celebrities can have in building bridges and reaching out to leaders to end AIDS in the region by 2030.

Egyptian actress and singer Yousra was appointed as a UNAIDS Regional Goodwill Ambassador for the Middle East and North Africa at an event held in Cairo, Egypt, on 31 January that brought together a wide range of key partners.

The Secretary-General of the League of Arab States, ministers, former ministers, ambassadors, policy-makers, people living with HIV, representatives of the private sector, civil society, United Nations agencies and academia, celebrities and the media came together for the event.

UNAIDS Deputy Executive Director Jan Beagle announced the regional goodwill ambassador appointment, underlining that Yousra, with her iconic status, will be a critical voice for UNAIDS and the AIDS response in the region, particularly in the lead-up to the High-Level Meeting on AIDS, to take place in June 2016 in New York, United States of America.

Ms Beagle stressed that Yousra will be a champion for the implementation and financing of the Arab AIDS Strategy. Her engagement will contribute significantly to ensuring a Fast-Track response to HIV in the region, towards the goal of ending AIDS by 2030.

Speaking at the event, Yousra emphasized her commitment to uniting people across sectors and to being a champion to advance the AIDS response in the region. She underlined the importance of eliminating stigma and discrimination against people living with and affected by HIV and of empowering women.  

In 2014, an estimated 240 000 people were living with HIV in the Middle East and North Africa region, which faces growing inequalities, rising migration, escalating humanitarian emergencies and discriminatory laws. To end the AIDS epidemic in the region, there is a strong need to address the determinants of these vulnerabilities and deliver holistic services free from stigma and discrimination to people living with and at risk of HIV.