On the conclusion of their joint AIDS mission to Tanzania to gain a deeper understanding of the challenges AIDS poses for children and young people and the country’s AIDS response to date, UNAIDS/UNICEF Special Representative for Children and AIDS Her Royal Highness Princess Mathilde of Belgium, the Executive Director of UNICEF, Ms Ann Veneman and the Executive Director of UNAIDS, Dr Peter Piot, today encouraged greater action to support children and young people in Tanzania in the AIDS response.

During the three-day visit to Tanzania, the high-level delegation met with the Tanzanian President and First Lady, government officials, the donor community, children orphaned by AIDS, and people living with HIV. They visited community-based programmes that provide care and support to children and young people living with HIV, as well as prevention services, including HIV testing and counselling.

The visit aimed to assess the situation of children and AIDS in the country as part of the UN-wide campaign on children and AIDS: “Unite for Children – Unite Against AIDS”. HRH Princess Mathilde was appointed as UNAIDS/UNICEF Special Representative for Children and AIDS in 2005 and this is her first country visit in this capacity.

Feature story: UNAIDS and partners launch ‘living positively’ book in Tanzania (http://www.unaids.org/en/Resources/PressCentre/Featurestories/2006/Febr…)

Photograph: UNAIDS/Emmanuel Kwitema

Read more on Mission to Rwanda: http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/rwanda_31039.html

Photographs: UNAIDS/Riccardo Gangale

Kigali, 13 February 2006
Photos: UNAIDS/Riccardo Gangale

Feature story
AIDS mission to Rwanda to discuss coordination, next steps in AIDS response
(http://www.unaids.org/en/Resources/PressCentre/Featurestories/2006/Febr…)

Photos: UNAIDS/Riccardo Gangale

UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan (right) meets with Dr Peter Piot, Executive Director of the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) during the World Economic Forum, held in Davos, Switzerland.

UNAIDS Executive Director Dr Peter Piot met with the Prime Minister of Morocco Mr Driss Jettou during his visit to the country from 9-17 December. As part of the visit, Dr Piot also met with people living with HIV and AIDS support groups and took part in the televised fundraising drive 'SIDACTION Maroc 2005' which raised over US$2 million for AIDS.

Dr Piot also participated in the High-Level Session on the fight against AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria in the Middle East and North Africa Region. Organized by the Ministry of Health of the Kingdom of Morocco, and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria and held under the High Patronage of His Majesty King Mohammed VI this event took place in Marrakech, Morocco, 14 December 2005.

Photo credits:
UNAIDS/R. Bourgoing
UNAIDS/M. Chamali
UNAIDS/Y. Barka

Africa's leading forum for discussion of HIV developments and trends on the continent, ICASA opened on 4 December in Abuja. Speaking at the opening ceremony, UNAIDS Executive Director Dr. Peter Piot underlined the priority to ensure that funds are available to those who need it. "I increasingly wonder whether the countries most affected by AIDS don't merit a special effort akin to the Marshall Plan," Dr. Piot said.

All photos credit: UNAIDS/S. Aghaeze

On 1 December, UNAIDS Executive Director Dr Peter Piot met with the Vice President of the Republic of Indonesia H.E. Yusuf Kalla in Jakarta. Both took part in special World AIDS Day activities. In his World AIDS Day message, Dr Piot stressed that with increased investments in HIV prevention, treatment and care each and every country can reverse the spread of AIDS.

Prior to the observance, HE Yusuf Kalla met privately with Dr Peter Piot, UNAIDS Executive Director, Suma Chakrabarti, Permanent Secretary to DfID and Bruce Davis, General Director of AusAID, who came together to Indonesia in an official joint AIDS mission. At the end of the private meeting, the Vice President and the joint AIDS delegations also met with ten representatives of people living with HIV.

In commemoration of World AIDS Day, Dr Peter Piot attended a number of events with the government and civil society in Indonesia. While in Indonesia he had the opportunity to visit several resource centres and meet staff, volunteers and people living with HIV as well as participate in dialogue with Indonesian women's groups.

The UNAIDS/WHO annual AIDS epidemic update for 2005 was released on Monday 21 November. This year's report features a special section on HIV prevention. UNAIDS Executive Director Dr Peter Piot launched the report in Delhi, India with the Indian government and other special guests. ''We have a historic opportunity to reverse this epidemic globally. It will not be easy, but for the very first time this goal is within grasp," he said. "We have to intensify our efforts more than ever before. We have come so far that we cannot accept failure."

Photo credit: UNAIDS/Ashok K.Vahie

The III Latin America and the Caribbean Forum on HIV/AIDS/STDs and the IV Central American Congress on STD/HIV/AIDS (CONCASIDA), held in San Salvador, culminated on 11 November with a Presidential Summit of Central American heads of state and other leaders. UNAIDS Executive Director attended the summit and also spoke on the closing day of the conference.