United States of America

UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé met with Metro TeenAIDS (MTA), a community health organization in Washington, DC dedicated to supporting young people to overcome the impact of AIDS. Credit: UNAIDS/Jati Lindsay

UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé met yesterday with Metro TeenAIDS (MTA), a community health organization in Washington, DC dedicated to supporting young people to overcome the impact of AIDS.

Currently, 1% of young people ages 13-24 in Washington, DC are confirmed to be living with HIV.

Metro TeenAIDS is the leading youth organization in the Washington DC-metro area focusing all its efforts on the prevention, education, treatment and the unique needs of young people around HIV. Its mission is to prevent the spread of HIV, promote responsible decision making and improve the quality of life for young people living with or affected by HIV. Metro TeenAIDS also provides HIV counseling and testing services to young people. In the last three months alone, over six hundred youth have been tested at MTA.

During his visit, Mr Sidibé met with Mr. Adam Tenner, Executive Director of Metro TeenAIDS, Metro TeenAIDS staff, as well as some of its youth staff who work as peer-educators. Metro TeenAIDS staff gave Michel Sidibé a tour of the facilities, including its youth center Freestyle which is currently being renovated, and took part in a lively roundtable discussion on HIV prevention with youth.

Together, they discussed MTA’s innovative programming, varying from youth leadership and advocacy, text messaging, internet outreach, and other new media social marketing campaigns. One member of the staff, Carmel Pryor, discussed REALtalk DC, a social marketing campaign that has been extremely successful in the District and includes a texting service for free testing information and HIV education.

Some youth and staff had recently traveled to South Africa on a work trip and discussed their experiences. “South Africa looks a lot different from DC, but it’s really, really the same in terms of the scope of the issues and how it affects community” said Nicole Styles, Outreach Coordinator.

During his visit, Mr Sidibé met with Mr Adam Tenner, Executive Director of Metro TeenAIDS, as well as peer-educators working in the program and with youth benefiting from their services. Credit: UNAIDS/Jati Lindsay

With Washington DC having the highest HIV prevalence of any city in the US, at a striking ten times the national average, Mr Sidibé underlined the importance of the work undertaken by Metro TeenAIDS to expand access to youth-friendly health services. “Young people are our window of opportunity. What do we do to accompany them to stay HIV free?” asked Mr. Sidibe.

“The HIV epidemic in the U.S. is part of the global AIDS response” said Mr Sidibé highlighting the fact that young people aged 15-24 account for 45% of new infections worldwide. One of the key priority areas in the UNAIDS outcome framework is empowering young people, and Mr. Sidibé reaffirmed UNAIDS’ commitment to genuine participation of youth in expanding international response to HIV.

Established in 1988, the Metro TeenAIDS has provided education programs and prevention resources to over 200 000 young people, affected family members as well as youth workers in Washington, Maryland and Virginia.

(L to R): Krista Lauer, AIDS Project Los Angeles, Dr Cheikh E. Traoré, Sexual Diversity, UNDP Senior Advisor, Tudor Kovacs, Population Services International, Romania, Ambassador Eric Goosby, U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator and UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé.
Photo credit: UNAIDS/Jati Lindsay

As part of his official visit to Washington, D.C., UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé participated in the Forum on HIV, Human Rights and Men Who Have Sex with Men on 16 September 2009. The event was organized by UNAIDS in collaboration with the HIV Policy Working Group on Men Who Have Sex with Men and Other Sexual Minorities, and in cooperation with the Honorable Howard Berman (D-CA) and the Honorable Barbara Lee (D-CA).

The Forum was held to raise attention to the human rights issues that affect men who have sex with men (MSM) and other sexual minorities, as well as the policy and structural barriers that prevent MSM and other sexual minorities from accessing HIV services, including prevention, treatment, care and support.

“We are here because it remains an undeniable fact in all regions of the world—including here in the US—that men who have sex with men lack universal access to HIV services,” said Michel Sidibé.

The meeting also facilitated a conversation on how US policy makers and AIDS organizations could support PEPFAR countries in national AIDS responses that are relevant to men who have sex with men.

“If we are to see a renewed emphasis on human rights in the proposed Global Health Initiative and if we are to see commitment to MSM programming in PEPFAR II—we need to see unwavering leadership,” said Sidibé.

UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé shared the platform with Ambassador Eric Goosby, U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator. Other speakers included Jaevion Nelson, Jamaica Youth Advocacy Network, Dr Cheikh E. Traoré, Sexual Diversity, UNDP Senior Advisor, Tudor Kovacs, Population Services International, Romania and Krista Lauer, AIDS Project Los Angeles. Evelyn Tomaszewski of the National Association of Social Workers moderated the forum.

Ambassador Eric Goosby, U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator and UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé during the UNAIDS Forum on HIV, Human Rights and Men Who Have Sex with Men. Washington, September 16, 2009.
Photo credit: UNAIDS/Jati Lindsay

According to UNAIDS, unprotected sex between men accounts for between 5% and 10% of global HIV infections, although the proportion of cases attributed to this mode of transmission varies considerably among countries. It is the predominant mode of HIV transmission in much of the developed world.

Evidence-based research demonstrates that providing HIV services to men who have sex with men helps to reduce the rate of HIV infection among this at-risk group. In many communities taboo and stigma towards men who have sex with men forces them to conceal their sexual practices which in turn may put their female partners at risk of HIV infection. Additionally, criminalizing men who have sex with men excludes them, or encourages them to exclude themselves, from accessing HIV related services out of fear.

In the coming months, UNAIDS and its partners will host a series of events on three high risk, marginalized populations: men who have sex with men, people who inject drugs, and sex workers. These meetings will build understanding of the importance of addressing the human rights needs of marginalized populations within the global AIDS response. The events will address policy and programmatic issues to increase awareness among AIDS policy and advocacy organizations to better address the needs of marginalized populations. The MSM event was the first of this series. UNAIDS will host the next Policy Forum on Sex Workers on 15 October 2009.

The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) Global Health Policy Center invited the UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé to share his vision for the future direction of UNAIDS, including prospects for accelerated global action in support of universal access to HIV services.

In his first public address in Washington D.C. since assuming his position as head of UNAIDS, Mr Sidibé recognized the efforts made by the United States in responding to AIDS, from the gay rights movement of the early days of the epidemic to the PEPFAR programme and the leadership of the Obama administration, and in particular the new comprehensive global health strategy. However, he stressed that “Despite these heroic efforts, HIV continues to outstrip our response.”

“Change is possible,” he stated “but only if we are ready to address the underlying drivers of the epidemic.” Mr Sidibé emphasized the need to take the AIDS response out of isolation and link it to the Millennium Development Goals (MDG). “The AIDS plus MDG agenda provides an opportunity to unite the creativity, determination and momentum of the AIDS movement with movements for other MDGs,” he said. “Surely this will accelerate progress on AIDS as well as other MDG targets—reaping bidirectional benefits and multiplier effects,” he added.

UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé addressed CSIS, 14 September 2009. Credit: CSIS/Daniel J. Porter

During his presentation, Mr Sidibé took the opportunity to outline UNAIDS strategy for the AIDS response. Mr Sidibé underscored that the “value proposition” of UNAIDS—advocating, brokering and convening—is now more urgent than it has ever been.

As part of his official visit to the country’s capital, Mr Sidibé will meet with representatives of the United States Senate, Congress and Administration as well as with the country’s Global AIDS Ambassador Mr Eric Goosby.

Later in the week, Mr Sidibé will participate in the Forum on HIV, Human Rights and Men Who Have Sex with Men. This event will raise attention to the human rights issues that affect men who have sex with men (MSM) and other sexual minorities. It will also look at the policy and structural barriers that prevent MSM and other sexual minorities from accessing HIV services, including prevention, treatment, care and support.

More than 250 people from business and NGO sectors, government and multilateral bodies are gathering in Washington, D.C. for the annual conference of the Global Business Coalition on HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria. The Coalition, know as GBC, has convened the two-day event to help ensure that private sector initiatives on these three diseases remains high on the corporate agenda.

The GBC brings the private sector's solutions-oriented approach and drive for measurable results to addressing HIV, tuberculosis and malaria. Members will discuss how to deliver practical tools and strategies that result in programmes achieving greater impact while being more cost-effective. Sessions are designed for exchanging knowledge and a diversity of perspectives, and also for investigating how to turn these reflections and ideas into action and results.

Participants from partner organizations and businesses include Clarence Cazalot, Marathon Oil CEO and Sir Mark Moody-Stuart, Chairman of Anglo American plc; who will join participants from global health and development including Philippe Douste-Blazy, Under-Secretary-General In Charge of Innovative Financing for Development United Nations; Gayle Smith, Special Assistant to U.S. President Obama; Mark Dybul, Former U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator and Co-director; Stefan Emblad, Director of Resource Mobilization Unit of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria; Hannah Kettler, Senior Program Officer and Economist, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation; British Robinson, Director of Public-Private Partnerships of PEPFAR; and Ambassador Karl Hoffman, President & CEO of Population Services International (PSI).

Regina Castillo, UNAIDS Head of Private Sector Partnerships will speak at a session on Collective Action where she will share UNAIDS’ perspective on facilitating next generation public-private partnership and the Programme’s experience in developing approaches that yield results for universal access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support.

The conference will end with the GBC's annual awards for business excellence which recognizes successful business action in the AIDS, TB and malaria responses. The awards dinner will take place on 24 June and be presented by Fareed Zakaria, Newsweek International and CNN Foreign Affairs Journalist.

For more information, please visit website

By Eric Sawyer, veteran AIDS activists and cofounder of Housing Works.

appeared at a screening of Outrage at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York in May 2009.
Credit: Getty Images/Andrew H. Walker

This week, I got the unexpected news that my friend, the legendary AIDS activist Rodger McFarlane had taken his own life. I was in shock and deeply saddened.

Roger was a terrific friend, not only to me as an individual and countless others around the world but a terrific friend to the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) and HIV communities as well. Rodger was a co-founder of ACT UP New York. He was a mentor to countless activists and employees at numerous AIDS organizations and a critical supporter, both intellectually and financially of advocacy for gay and lesbian and HIV causes. Rodger was a hero!

Rodger was critical to the development of many of the largest and most effective organizations that would lead the fight against AIDS. He started the first AIDS hot line on his own home phone; he was the first executive director of GMHC (Gay Men’s Health Crisis) and Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS (he combined the two organizations). Rodger was also the President of Bailey House and later the executive director of the Gill Foundation.

An accomplished athlete, Rodger had no physical fear and his quick mind made him a brilliant strategic activist; Rodger always could construct a plan to rectify any problem and was able to find the clever media hook to draw public attention to the problem. He never reacted with anger and haste. He preferred a planned response, crafted with a cool hand. He was insightful, never flustered and always had a “we can lick this approach” to overcoming any challenge.

“Tell me what's going on," would be followed by, "That outrageous!" and then, "Here's how we fix this thing." He would then ask "What do you think?" He was always ready to hear suggestions to refine his ideas.

Rodger takes on Guantanamo Bay

When ACT UP and others were fighting to close the HIV detention camp at Guantanamo Bay, I went to Rodger and asked for help planning a high profile press event and civil disobedience action. Again it was: "Tell me what's going on, -that's outrageous!” followed by, “Let's kick their motherf***ing asses!" and, "Here's what we do..."

And here is what he did: Rodger hired young ACT UP member and fledging producer David Binder (now a Tony nominee for “33 Variations”) to produce a rally and press conference at Rockefeller Center near the immigration programs passport office. We managed to get Dennis DeLeon (then the New York City Commissioner of Human Rights), Jessie Jackson, Susan Sarandon and director Jonathan Demme and other high-profile AIDS community members involved in a coalition planning effort, and before we knew it, 40 boldfaced names had been arrested on Fifth Avenue for blocking traffic while demanding medical parole for the sickest and the closing of the camp.

Jessie and Rodger insisted that we all go through the system and stay over night in jail to keep the TV cameras on the issue. They both agreed it would have optimal benefit to keep our issue in the media for as long as possible.

Within a few hours Mayor Dinkins was dispatched to the jail, at US President Clinton's request, to talk Jessie and the rest of us into a quick quiet release. He did not want negative attention about what was becoming an increasing public black eye to his fledgling Presidency.

Jessie was told that the Clinton Administration would look favorably on our demands if we took desk appearance tickets and left jail quickly to turn the press heat off. We were warned that to stay in jail over night would have a less favorable response. Jessie said that David had asked him personally as well, as a good Democrat, to leave with him right away.

We caucused and decided that we were likely to get some of our demands met if we left, ultimately helping the HIV-positive detainees in Guantanamo. We felt that while this war was not over, the battle had been won; we had Bill Clinton dispatching Mayor Dinkins to respond to our actions. We took the desk appearance tickets and left the holding cells. Shortly thereafter all the pregnant women and people with a full-blown AIDS diagnosis were released from the Guantanamo HIV detention camp—the same camp where the terrorist are being held today.

Thank you Rodger, for all you did. Rest peacefully our fearless warrior!

Eric Sawyer is a veteran AIDS activists and cofounder of Housing Works.

The Miller School of Medicine of the University of Miami and the Fogarty International Training Programme on AIDS and TB organized in collaboration with UNAIDS the ‘Health Research in the Americas V’ Conference on 7 and 8 May 2009, in Miami, Florida.

The aim of the conference was to highlight current evidence on HIV prevention, discuss the sustainability of comprehensive HIV prevention efforts as well as to debate how HIV prevention is situated within the broader discussion of ‘health in the Americas’ and other international development strategies.

Sir George Alleyne, Special Envoy of the United Nations Secretary General for HIV/AIDS in the Caribbean, was invited as a keynote speaker on the second day of the conference.

Numerous local and national achievements in curbing the epidemic have created a body of evidence about what works, but these successful approaches have not yet been fully applied.

At the conference, scientists, HIV prevention practitioners and policy makers explored scientific and programme experiences for prioritizing comprehensive, evidence-informed HIV prevention approaches and discussed effective solutions that could bridge the interface between HIV and other health and development issues.

The conference was open to behavioral scientists and researchers who work in the area of HIV prevention in the Americas, with a special focus on Guyana, the Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Brazil, Colombia and Peru.

The District of Columbia HIV/AIDS Epidemiology Update 2008 report.

At least 3% of residents in Washington D.C. are living with HIV according to a report published today by US health officials at the District of Columbia's HIV/AIDS Administration.

The leading mode of transmission of HIV in the district is men having sex with men. Heterosexual transmission and injecting drug use closely follow, the report says.

“Today’s findings by US health officials show that there is no room for complacency in responding to HIV,” said Paul de Lay UNAIDS Deputy Executive Director, Programme, ad interim and Director of Evidence, Monitoring and Policy.

“We must continue to learn from each other and work together - both in developing and high-income countries – to ensure universal access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support services for citizens.”

The District of Columbia HIV/AIDS Epidemiology Update 2008 reports that HIV is found in all demographics in Washington: more than 4% of African-Americans, almost 2% of Latinos and 1.4% of Caucasians are living with HIV. However African-American men are disproportionably affected, accounting for 76% of people living with HIV.

This follows the broader pattern across the United States where racial and ethnic minorities are disproportionately affected by the HIV epidemic. Although African Americans represent about 13% of the population (US Census Bureau, 2006), in 2005 they accounted for 48% of new HIV diagnoses.

The United States of America has one of the largest HIV epidemics in the world, with an estimated 1.2 million people living with HIV in 2007 (UNAIDS, 2008).

(from left) Ambassador Susan Rice, U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations and UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé, UN HQ New York, 2 March 2009.
Credit: USUN

On 2 March 2009 UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé met with Ambassador Susan Rice, U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations.

During their meeting Mr Sidibé thanked Ambassador Rice and the US Government for their continued support to UNAIDS and shared his thoughts on how an effective HIV response will support the achievement of the other Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

Mr Sidibé also spoke on the need to address the obstacles to universal access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support services. These include addressing stigma and discrimination, human rights and gender inequality as well as specific support for key populations including people who inject drugs and men who have sex with men.

Permanent U.S. Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Susan E. Rice, shared her Government’s priorities and reaffirmed its continued commitment to the global AIDS response.

Ambassador Susan Rice was confirmed to the position of U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations by the U.S. Senate on January 22, 2009.

photo credit:

According to the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) 2009 Annual Report, PEPFAR has exceeded its five-year goals for treatment of two million and care of ten million people.

PEPFAR has supported life-saving HIV treatment for more than 2.1 million men, women and children worldwide. It also supported care for more than 10.1 million people affected by HIV, including more than 4 million orphans and vulnerable children.

On 12 January Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice delivered opening remarks for the release of the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) 2009 Annual Report to Congress. The report outlines the dramatic successes PEPFAR has had in the AIDS response and highlights the programmes’ achievements through its partnerships with host nations around the world.

In 2003, United States President George W. Bush launched the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) to tackle the global HIV epidemic. It was the largest commitment by any nation to combat a single disease in history. Through PEPFAR, the U.S. Government has provided $18.8 billion in HIV funding, and the U.S. Congress has authorized up to $48 billion for AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria over the next 5 years.

In the financial year 2008, PEPFAR provided $1.6 billion in support of HIV treatment programmes, in the programme’s focus countries and approximately $712 million to support prevention activities.

U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator, Ambassador Mark Dybul, highlighted the strengthening of health systems as another success of the President’s Emergency Plan. “The data that are available suggest that this intervention in HIV/AIDS is actually building the health care for other areas and having a spillover effect.”

In commemoration of this year’s World AIDS Day the UNAIDS Office Washington, in partnership with UNAIDS partners, cosponsors and local civil society organizations, is holding a week-long World AIDS Day visit for women living with HIV from India, Swaziland and the US.

The visiting participants are: Beri Hull, from the USA, who is North America representative of the International Community of Women Living with HIV and AIDS; Jahnabi Goswami from India who is general secretary, INP+ the national Network of People Living with HIV; and Thembi Nkambule of Swaziland who is national coordinator of Network of Women Living with HIV, Swaziland. All three lead education and advocacy efforts in their respective countries.

The three women hope through sharing their stories of courage, determination and selfless service to their communities they inspire leaders who will become champions on issues regarding women and AIDS.

The visit began yesterday in Washington, DC. Today a World AIDS Day luncheon commemorating the 20th Anniversary of World AIDS Day is being held at the National Press Club. Michele Moloney-Kitts, assistant coordinator, Office of the U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator and Tim Wirth, former U.S. senator and President, UN Foundation and Better World Campaign will also address this event.

On 3 December, the Global AIDS Alliance, UNAIDS, and participants will travel to Rock Hill, South Carolina for a two-day HIV awareness-raising tour, which is designed to educate and inform audiences about the role UNAIDS and the participants play in the global AIDS response. The visit will emphasize the need for effective leadership and AIDS solutions tailored to work for specific epidemics, including helping women and girls.