First Lady of Namibia and OAFLA President Penehupifo Pohamba (pictured left) at the 11th OAFLA General Assembly, together with the First Lady of Chad, Hinda Déby Into (centre) and the Ethiopian First Lady, Azeb Mesfin.
Credit: UNAIDS/J.Ose

Speaking at the 11^th General Assembly of the Organization of African First Ladies Against HIV/AIDS (OAFLA) on 30 January, Madame Penehupifo Pohamba, First Lady of Namibia, identified the prevention of new HIV infections among children as a key objective for her new term as President of OAFLA.

Madame Pohamba noted that in most African countries, lack of male involvement in sexual and reproductive health programmes is a challenge. She urged her fellow First Ladies to launch a continent-wide campaign to encourage the participation of male partners in efforts to stop new HIV infections in children.

“Let us conduct this campaign under the theme, An HIV-free generation tomorrow needs caring men and women today,” said the Namibian First Lady. “I believe that zero HIV infections among new born babies is an achievable goal,” she added.

Mrs Ban Soon-taek, wife of the United Nations Secretary-General, highlighted in her remarks the growing momentum and support for the goal of an HIV-free generation. “Around the world, in developing and developed countries, in the North and in the South, in the streets of communities and the halls of governments, people know that no child should be born with HIV,” said Mrs Ban.

According to the latest data from UNAIDS, WHO and UNICEF, there has been considerable progress over the past decade in reducing new HIV infections among children in sub-Saharan Africa. An estimated 350 000 children were newly infected with HIV in sub-Saharan Africa in 2010 compared to about 500 000 children in 2001—a 30% reduction. An estimated 230 000 children died from AIDS-related causes in 2010, down from about 320 000 in 2005.

In his keynote address at the OAFLA General Assembly, UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé applauded the First Ladies for their collective action in the HIV response across the continent. He said that through the strong leadership and advocacy of OAFLA members, 12 of 22 high burden countries in Africa had launched accelerated national plans to stop HIV transmission from mother to child. “The results of your efforts are increasingly visible and are making a difference in the lives of women, youth and children across Africa,” said Mr Sidibé.

Expressing concern over Africa’s dependency on external aid, the UNAIDS Executive Director requested the support of OAFLA members in mobilizing funding from local sources for HIV prevention, treatment and care. “Working with leaders of your countries, we need to focus all efforts on the issue of sustainable funding for the AIDS response. We must advocate for new partnerships with the private sector,” said Mr Sidibé.

According to a new UNAIDS issues brief — “AIDS dependency crisis: sourcing African solutions”—an estimated two-thirds of AIDS expenditures in Africa come from international funding sources. The vast majority of life-saving antiretroviral medicines consumed in Africa are imported from generic manufacturers.

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon speaking at the 18th annual meeting of the African Union. Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Credit: UNAIDS/J.Ose

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon stressed the need to anchor Africa’s development to the respect for human rights. “The Universal Declaration of Human Rights is a promise to all people in all places at all times,” said Mr Ban at the 18^th annual meeting of the African Union.

Mr Ban noted that discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity is one of the injustices that has been ignored or even sanctioned by many States. “This has prompted some governments to treat people as second-class citizens, or even criminals. Confronting this discrimination is a challenge. But we must live up to the ideals of the Universal Declaration,” said Mr Ban.

Currently, an estimated 76 countries and areas worldwide have laws that criminalize same-sex sexual relations between consenting adults––five impose the death penalty. UNAIDS considers the criminalization of people based on their sexual orientation a denial of human rights and a threat to public health in the context of the HIV response. Such discriminatory laws drive people underground and create obstacles for people accessing HIV services.

Countries such as the US and UK have already modified their provision of foreign aid to ensure that the rights of sexual minorities are being respected. These countries will use their assistance to protect human rights and advance non-discrimination, and will work with international organizations to end discrimination against gays and lesbians.

In 2009 the Delhi High Court overturned a law that criminalized consensual adult sexual behaviour. This stand was also supported by the Government of India in its affidavit filed with the Supreme Court. But not all countries are following India’s approach.

In June 2010, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), with the support of the UNAIDS Secretariat, launched the Global Commission on HIV and the Law. The Commission’s aim is to increase understanding of the impact of the legal environment on national HIV responses. Its aim is to focus on how laws and law enforcement can support, rather than block, effective HIV responses.

UNAIDS urges all governments to ensure full respect for the human rights of men who have sex with men, lesbians and transgendered people through repealing laws that prohibit sexual acts between consenting adults in private; enforcing laws to protect these groups from violence and discrimination; promoting campaigns that address homophobia and transphobia; and ensuring that crucial health needs are met.

A health care worker examines a child in l’Auberge de l’Amour Rédempteur clinic, Benin. The clinic benefits from Global Fund financing for antiretroviral and other HIV-related medicines, HIV testing, medical personnel and training of health workers.
Credit: The Global Fund / John Rae

This year marks the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (Global Fund). Through all these years, the Global Fund has made a profound difference in saving millions of lives around the world. It has created momentum and helped countries achieve results.

In the past decade, the Global Fund has approved more than US$ 22.6 billion in grants to 150 countries. These grants are helping countries provide 3.3 million people access to HIV treatment and have ensured that more than one million pregnant women living with HIV have had access to antiretroviral drugs to prevent the transmission of HIV to their children.

Praising the work of the Global Fund to date, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urged business leaders at the World Economic Forum in Davos, to continue to support the global response against AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria.

“For the first time, the number of people falling ill with tuberculosis each year is declining. And malaria has been cut by more than half in 43 countries,” Mr Ban said during a dinner to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the organization. “The Global Fund has contributed to international efforts to scale up prevention. And it has helped create a world where nearly seven million people lived longer, healthier lives thanks to antiretroviral treatment for HIV,” added Mr Ban.

Investments that make a difference

Since the inception of the Global Fund, UNAIDS has stressed its commitment and support. UNAIDS participates in Global Fund processes at the global, regional and national levels, and works to ensure that others, including partners from governments, civil society and the private sector can do the same.

At the global level, UNAIDS supports the Global Fund with strategic analysis, policy advice and technical expertise on AIDS to make the money work and, ultimately, to save lives.

Commending the Global Fund in its 10th anniversary, UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé highlighted the work of the organization and specially the role of its Executive Director Michel Kazatchkine in the remarkable progress achieved in the AIDS response.  "Michel Kazatchkine is a passionate leader and powerful advocate for countries and people affected by HIV. I want to thank him for his outstanding commitment to the Global Fund and his pivotal contributions to the global AIDS response," said Mr Sidibé.

In the last 10 years, UNAIDS has supported countries at all stages of the Global Fund grant cycle, including in the development of HIV grant proposals, the signing of grants, the building of capacity around programme implementation, and on monitoring and evaluation. Countries that have received UNAIDS support in proposal development reported more than 70% success compared to those that did not receive technical assistance from UNAIDS.

In 2011 alone, UNAIDS assistance enabled countries to address bottlenecks and release over US$600 million of blocked funds. In closed collaboration with the Global Fund staff, UNAIDS provided support to the national authorities (in more than 27 countries in 2011) and Principal Recipients to address major systemic bottlenecks in implementation on a range of issues such as stock-outs of ARVs and distribution challenges, strengthened management capacities and strengthening active participation of communities and people living with HIV. 

However, the Global Fund is facing a shortage of resources as a consequence of the international financial crisis.  The majority of the countries in sub-Saharan Africa—the region most affected by AIDS—depend on international aid to provide antiretroviral treatment for people living with HIV. Countries faced a major setback with the recent cancellation of Round 11 grants by the Global Fund.

UNAIDS is confident, that in the Global Fund’s transition phase, its transformation plan will help deliver further results. UNAIDS will continue to work in partnership with countries and with the Global Fund to reduce risks and ensure high-impact programmes continue on the ground.

United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and the Archbishop Desmond Tutu during the 2012 World Economic Forum session to improve women’s and children’s health.
Credit: World Economic Forum

United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and the Archbishop Desmond Tutu have brought together leaders from the United Nations, governments, academia, civil society and private sector companies to identify ways to improve women’s and children’s health through innovative technologies and broad partnerships at the 2012 World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting taking place from 25 to 29 January in Davos, Switzerland.

Under the theme The Great Transformation: Shaping New Models, the WEF brings together a unique multi-stakeholder audience of global decision-makers, thought leaders and representatives of the world's biggest companies to shape the future of the world economy.

Speaking in today’s session, UNAIDS Deputy Executive Director, Management and External Relations, Jan Beagle, cited  the Global Plan towards the elimination of new HIV infections among children and keeping their mothers alive as a concrete example of the power of collaborative multi-stakeholder partnerships.  Partners and stakeholders are linking up in new and innovative ways, tapping capacities and sharing responsibility and accountability for results.

Stopping new HIV infections among children and keeping their mothers alive is essential to reach the Millennium Development Goals of reducing maternal mortality, child mortality and reversing the AIDS epidemic (MDG 4, 5,and 6). “Stopping new HIV infections among children is a smart investment that saves both money and lives,” said Ms Beagle. “The economic arguments are clear. For US$300 today we can prevent a baby from becoming infected and save 3 times as much per year for life which would otherwise be needed for treatment,” she added.

Momentum around the Global Plan, spearheaded by UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé and the United States Global AIDS Coordinator Ambassador Eric Goosby, is building quickly as countries prepare their national plans and begin implementing the 10-point roadmap outlined in the Global Plan. Neither technical nor scientific barriers stand in the way of responding to this global call to action. What is needed is leadership and a focus on inclusive approaches to reach the most vulnerable. There is also a need to catalyze synergies by integrating services and to unite movements.

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.

First Deputy Minister of Health of Libya, Dr. Adel M. Abushoffa (Left) and UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé

A Libyan delegation headed by the Deputy Minister of Health Dr. Adel M. Abushoffa met with UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé on 24 January at UNAIDS headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. The aim of the meeting was to set up the short-term priorities for the country’s response to AIDS as well as to establish the basis for the development of a strong national AIDS plan.

Libya is gradually recovering from civil war. As a result the country is spearheaded by a transitional government that has the rebuilding of social and health services among its priorities, including HIV. 

“We have important and urgent issues to tackle regarding the provision of health services to the people of Libya, including the need to deal with refugees coming from all parts of the country,” said Mr Abushoffa. “We count on UNAIDS to help us re-establish a functioning health system through an integrated approach to resolve the post crisis health situation in the country.”

During the meeting, UNAIDS offered its support and expertise to the government in defining an inclusive strategy that will bring all sectors together to effectively respond to AIDS in the country. In collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO), UNAIDS will also provide technical guidance to the government in terms of monitoring the epidemic, identifying priorities and building the government’s capacity to take ownership of the response. 

“We are encouraged by Libya’s pursuit of democracy,” said Mr Sidibé. “UNAIDS will do its part in providing solutions for the reconstruction and sustainability of the health system, helping the country provide universal access to HIV services to all it citizens.”

HIV surveillance needed

Peripheral health services in the country are hardly functioning due to shortage of liquidity, supplies and staff. The remaining functioning hospitals carry the burden of primary care and additional caseload of war wounded due to the occasional fighting still taking place. The transitional government is also faced with other immediate health challenges such as securing drug supply; disease control; information and surveillance.

The HIV prevalence prior to the war was estimated at 0.13% based on a 2006 survey with the main mode of transmission being the sharing of contaminated injecting equipment among drug users. Mr Sidibé pointed out the importance of accurate and up-to-date HIV information in order to develop evidence-based programmes that efficiently respond to specific contexts. 

Between 2000 to 3000 people living with HIV were accessing antiretroviral (ARV) treatment before the war. Now the ARV supply has been interrupted for more than six months. Despite efforts from the Ministry of Health to procure the HIV drugs, challenges remain. The ministry of Health together with WHO has discussed the possibility to launch an appeal to get immediate supply of ARVs on loan from other countries or from drug companies. UNAIDS will coordinate the work of the UN in collaboration with the transitional government in order to re-construct the procurement and supply system of ARVs to restore the continuity of services and support to people living with HIV.

Elena Pinchuk ANTIAIDS Foundation announced the winners of the “Social Media and Mobile Phones for HIV Prevention” competition on 18 January 2012.  The project entries by South African non-profit organization Cell-Life and by Chinese internet portal Danlan were declared winners.  More than 50 teams from 19 countries took part in the competition.

“We’ve received lots of creative ideas. We were really impressed by the high level of proposed projects,” said Olga Rudneva, Executive Director at Elena Pinchuk ANTIAIDS Foundation. “The format of the competition has made it possible to select the best works and also to find new associates in the response to AIDS.”

Organized in collaboration with the UNAIDS High Level Commission on HIV Prevention, the competition was launched on June 2011. It aimed at identifying innovative projects that use popular communication technologies to spread knowledge about HIV among young people.

The idea for the competition emerged from the UNAIDS supported Social Media and Mobile Technology Symposium held at Stellenbosch University in South Africa on 2 May 2011. The contest provided medical professionals, software designers, social media marketing experts and non-government organizations working on AIDS with an opportunity to present HIV prevention strategies that use online technologies to reduce HIV infection among youth as well as reducing stigma and discrimination against people living with HIV.

Winning project Cell-Life from South Africa will aim at reducing HIV infections by providing HIV prevention messages to young people in Khayelitsha through mobile technologies. The second winner project, Danlan portal, will develop online games containing HIV prevention information focusing on men who have sex with men. Through online versions of games such as “Truth or dare”, players will be informed about the risks associated with unprotected sex and the importance of preventive measures.

"Social media is a major new channel of communication. It is changing fast, it is highly scaleable, and it is a powerful channel for influencing people's views and opinions,” said Geng Le, a Danlan company official.  “We think our programme is a simple way of getting across important messages about a serious issue. This will make it more effective and easily accepted by those it seeks to target”.

Both winners will receive grants worth US$ 10 000 each to implement the projects. Elena Pinchuk ANTIAIDS Foundation also plans to adapt the technologies proposed by the winning projects' to be used in Ukraine. 

According to Michael Bartos, Team Leader, Strategy, at UNAIDS the competition has given a boost to some of the most cutting-edge responses to AIDS. “Reinforcing HIV prevention needs to be a constant part of everyday life – as natural as receiving a text message or opening a web browser has become,” said Mr Bartos. “Elena Pinchuk ANTIAIDS Foundation has inspired an outpouring of new and creative ways of setting the world on the path to zero new HIV infections," he added.

The projects were evaluated by a jury consisting of leading technology and HIV prevention experts including Chris Hughes, Executive Director of Jumo International, Inc and a co-founder of Facebook; Garth Japhet, CEO of Heartlines and member of the UNAIDS High Level Commission on HIV Prevention Scientific Advisory Panel; Bill Roedy, former Chairman and Chief Executive, MTV Networks International; Debbie Rogers, Lead Strategist, Praekelt Foundation; Serge Dumont, Vice Chairman and Chairman Asia Pacific of Omnicom Group Inc. and Elena Pinchuk, founder and chair, Elena Pinchuk ANTIAIDS Foundation and member of UNAIDS High Level Commission on HIV Prevention.

The ANTIAIDS Foundation was founded by Elena Pinchuk in 2003 and is the first and the only privately funded anti-AIDS charity in Ukraine. The foundation aims to operate on all levels – from national projects to direct support to individuals affected by the HIV epidemic. The Foundation is known for implementing innovative and interactive projects using web-technologies.

The UNAIDS High Level Commission on HIV Prevention, launched on 21 July 2010, leads a global advocacy campaign to build broad support for effective HIV prevention programmes. It is co-chaired by Professor Francoise Barré-Sinoussi, Nobel Laureate in Medicine for her role in the discovery of HIV, and Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate and includes more than 15 world renowned leaders.

90 young leaders from Kazakhstan gathered in Almaty to summarize their discussions and provide recommendations for the CrowdOutAIDS project.
Credit: UNAIDS

In October 2011, UNAIDS launched CrowdOutAIDS, an online/offline collaborative project to ‘crowdsource’ the organization’s new youth strategy.

In the first two phases, youth networks and young people were connected via social media and eight online forums in seven languages were held in each region of the world, where young people debated key priories for youth and HIV.

Through this inclusive process, CrowdOutAIDS has engaged more than 20 000 young people from almost all countries, using mailing lists, Twitter, collective libraries on HIV and young people, and the forums. On World AIDS Day 2011, some 25 million people using the mircoblogging service Twitter were reached with key messages on HIV awareness under the CrowdOutAIDS banner.  

To ensure that people who live in countries and communities where Internet penetration is low had an opportunity to contribute to the project, offline Open Forums were organized by volunteers, mobilized via the CrowdOutAIDS platform.

Reports from these offline Open Forums have come in from more than 30 countries, and participants include students, peer-educators and community workers, as well as key populations at higher risk such as young men who have sex with men, young people who use drugs, and young people living with HIV.

“The offline meet-ups have been a unique experience and the input provided has been insightful,” wrote Anthony Karanja Mute, Open Forum facilitator in Kenya in his report. ”This is the first clear indication by UNAIDS of the need to have inclusive and far reaching contribution by young people.”

“Young people always feel marginalized and no one ever seeks to interact with them in a positive way. It’s my sincere hope that this will be the first of many such offline meet-ups,” wrote Mr Mute. “On a personal note this has been a fulfilling experience knowing that I was part of the greater good.”

The CrowdOutAIDS team is now preparing for the next phase that will see the Open Forum reports transformed into an actionable strategy. An online application to collect specific solutions to the challenges identified in the forums will be launched, and an independent drafting committee made up of young people who participated in the project is being selected. The drafting committee will collaboratively author the outcome document of CrowdOutAIDS via online tools during real-time drafting sessions.

CrowdOutAIDS case study: 2000 students have their say in Kazakhstan

A special round-table was organized by the Republican AIDS Center of Kazakhstan and the Students Debate Forum of Almaty to discuss how to overcome HIV-related stigma and discrimination in the country. The purpose of the meeting was also provide recommendations for UNAIDS’ new strategy on HIV and young people.

A lead-up debate series, which began on 11 November, was attended by more than 2000 students, followed by forums at 14 universities in seven regions of the country. The discussions continued on Facebook. In December, more than 90 young leaders from across the country gathered in Almaty to summarize their discussions and provide recommendations for the CrowdOutAIDS project.

The panelists concluded that one of the main causes of discrimination against people living with HIV is actually rooted in the campaign against HIV itself; scare tactics are often the main messages of media coverage on AIDS which stigmatizes people living with HIV.

Ignorance and misinformation about how HIV is transmitted and how it can be prevented was also raised as a concern. The students said that people continue to be afraid because they still do not know the basics about HIV.

“The participation of young people in such discussions is not only important for raising HIV awareness among youth, but it is also a valuable source of new ideas and approaches for UNAIDS,” said Roman Gailevich, UNAIDS Country Coordinator in Kazakhstan.

The young people who participated in the Almaty meeting offered various suggestions on how to better disseminate heath-related information. “We are fed up with people lecturing us. Down with the boring posters! Go to where people search information: Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube,” according to participants.

To find out more about CrowdOutAIDS and how to get involved, visit: www.crowdoutaids.org.

UNAIDS Executive Director addressing the opening plenary of the 2011 General Assembly High Level Meeting on AIDS
Credit: UN Photo/Paulo Filgueiras

The AIDS response saw remarkable progress in 2011. Until recently, the end of the HIV epidemic seemed a distant dream, but science, political leadership and community responses have helped to deliver clear and tangible results—2011 will be remembered as a game-changing year.

“A year ago, skeptics said that getting to zero—zero new HIV infections, zero discrimination and zero AIDS-related deaths—was just a slogan. But countries, partners and people around the world have embraced the UNAIDS vision and are now working to translate it into reality,” said UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé at the Joint Programme’s Board meeting on 13 December.

In June 2011, and amidst one of the most severe financial crisises in recent history, countries came together to adopt a new and historic Declaration on AIDS at the 2011 UN High-Level Meeting on AIDS. The 2011 Political Declaration on HIV/AIDS: Intensifying Our Efforts to Eliminate HIV/AIDS set forth bold new targets to advance the AIDS response even further. As never before, the concept of shared values and shared responsibility became a reality. Countries committed to meeting critical investment needs by identifying new funding opportunities, as well as contributing according to their differentiated responsibilities and respective capacities.

The 2011 High-Level Meeting on AIDS also witnessed the launch of the Global Plan to eliminate new HIV infections among children and keeping their mothers alive by 2015, where world leaders stood together to say that an AIDS-free generation is possible and that no child should be born with HIV.

International funding for HIV has declined and is jeopardizing the gains made in the AIDS response. “We must continue to scale up our investments in those areas where we are producing results,” said Mr Sidibé at the opening of the 16th International Conference on AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Infections in Africa (ICASA), held in Ethiopia from 4-8 December 2011. “I am very sensitive to the financial constraints the world is facing. But if we do not pay now, we will pay forever,” he added.

Even in a difficult year, the world produced results. The 2011 World AIDS Day Report, released in November, showed that new infections have fallen 21% since 1997 and AIDS-related deaths have decreased by 21% since 1995. At the same time, the report outlined a road map for a long-term strategic response with matching investment to help countries deliver greater value for money.

Click here to see some of the many highlights of 2011.

Mayor Robert Bowser (left), President of the National Conference of Black Mayors, and Dr. Djibril Diallo, UNAIDS Senior Advisor, at the World Summit of Mayors.
Credit: Logan Coles

More than 250 mayors from sub-Saharan Africa and of African descent from the United States, the Caribbean and Latin America focused on strengthening the AIDS response in urban areas during an historic conference held in Dakar, Senegal from 15-19 December.

The 2011 World Summit of Mayors Leadership Conference was hosted by Senegalese President Abdoulaye Wade and co-organized by the US-based National Conference of Black Mayors (NCBM), the National Association of Senegalese Mayors, and UNAIDS.

At a plenary session chaired by the mayors of Dakar and Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, delegates engaged in a discussion on HIV risks, prevention strategies and the need to end stigma and discrimination.

“Today we can say with confidence that HIV prevention programmes are producing results. We can report today that 22 countries in Africa have lowered the rate of new HIV infections by 25% since 2001”, said Djibril Diallo, UNAIDS Senior Advisor, in a statement on behalf of UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé.

Citing the challenges posed by the global financial crisis, Dr. Diallo urged municipal leaders to reinforce their efforts to find ways to take greater ownership of the AIDS response and promote shared responsibility. “This will bring the world closer to the UNAIDS vision of zero new HIV infections, zero discrimination, and zero AIDS-related deaths,” he added.

The plenary session concluded with a proposal for pilot partnerships for HIV prevention between 10 cities and towns in sub-Saharan Africa and the Americas. The proposal was incorporated in the Summit’s action plan. The municipalities will share information on their five most effective activities to reduce HIV infections and ways to increase budget allocations for HIV prevention as well as to improve prevention services. The organizers plan to enlist several large U.S. cities, such as Atlanta, Las Vegas and Washington, DC in the pilot initiative.

“The foundational belief of the Summit is that cooperation between municipalities on the development challenges facing cities on the global landscape, including the HIV epidemic, is essential to the improvement of the well-being of all citizens in urban areas,” said Mayor Robert L. Bowser of East Orange, New Jersey, President of the NCBM, whose membership includes 682 mayors with a constituency of 55 million people across the U.S.

The World Summit of Mayors was convened within the framework of the UN International Year for People of African Descent 2011. Outside of sub-Saharan Africa, an estimated 200 million people in the Americas identify themselves as being of African descent, as do millions more in other parts of the world.

The United Nations Resident Coordinator in Senegal, Bintou Djibo, saluted the Summit’s efforts to forge international partnerships for development between mayors of the Diaspora and in sub-Saharan Africa. “Cooperation between mayors can promote decentralized governance that takes local conditions into account, and advance progress towards the achievement of the MDGs by 2015,” said Ms Djibo.