UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé (left) met with M.R. Sukhumbhand Paribatra, Governor of Bangkok, on 16 February at the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration City Hall. Credit: UNAIDS/V. Dithajohn

In an official mission this week to Thailand, UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé held discussions with M.R. Sukhumbhand Paribatra, Governor of Bangkok, on progress, challenges and opportunities for the AIDS response in the Thai capital. During the meeting, Mr Sidibé asked for increased support to help make Bangkok the first city to reach the goal of "zero new HIV infections."

Acknowledging the specific challenges faced by mega-cities in Asia—where new HIV infection rates among some key populations, including men who have sex with men, remain high and where migration is a complex daily reality—Mr Sidibé urged the Governor to play an active role in the June 2011 UN General Assembly High-Level Meeting on AIDS with other high-level city officials from mega-cities around the world. "This would be a perfect opportunity to tell the world that Bangkok is committed to getting to zero," said Mr Sidibé.

In his discussions with Mr Sidibé, Governor Paribatra said that a focus on marginalized populations, particularly migrants, is critical to effective AIDS responses in Bangkok. While underscoring the complexity of city-based approaches to the HIV epidemic, he stressed his intention to rise to the challenge of "zero new HIV infections" in the Thai capital. Governor Paribatra expressed interest in attending the High-Level Meeting in June and in addition hosting a "getting to zero" gathering of officials from other mega-cities in the region during his term.

UNAIDS International Goodwill Ambassador Toumani Diabaté Credit: Malik Sidibé

UNAIDS International Goodwill Ambassador Toumani Diabaté received a GRAMMY award for best traditional world music album for his joint album with Ali Farka Toure's entitled “Ali and Toumani”.

The album is a recording of duets from two of Africa’s most distinguished musicians, the late guitarist Ali Farka Touré and kora player Toumani Diabaté. The duo’s first album together, also won a GRAMMY following its 2005 release.

At the 53^rd GRAMMY Award ceremony, which took place in Los Angeles on 13 February, Vieux Farka Toure accepted the Award on behalf of his late father, Ali Farka Toure, and Toumani Diabaté.

Toumani was appointed UNAIDS International Goodwill Ambassador on 12 December 2008. He uses music as a tool to reach out to people with important messages on HIV prevention and educating his audiences about stigma and discrimination. Today, his music encourages the empowerment of people and spreads AIDS awareness messages in Mali and overseas.

Toumani descends from a long line of oral historians and singers. He has blended ancient West African music tradition with other modern and traditional music from across the world and been instrumental in introducing the kora, a 21-string harp lute, to audiences around the world and in developing it into a solo concert instrument.

Sabu Yerkoy (Radio Edit)

In an official visit to the Suan Kalub Palace in Bangkok, UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé met with HRH Princess Soamsawali of Thailand.

In an official visit to the Suan Kalub Palace in Bangkok on Monday, UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé commended HRH Princess Soamsawali of Thailand for her “tireless dedication, commitment and leadership” in the country’s HIV response.

“Through deeds, words and provision of resources where they are most needed, Your Royal Highness has shown true vision and commitment on HIV,” said Mr Sidibé, who is currently in Thailand on a three-day country mission. “I look forward to our ongoing collaboration to save and improve lives,” he added.

Presenting the Princess with a commemorative plaque for her ongoing efforts to prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV (PMTCT) and HIV-related stigma and discrimination, Mr Sidibé noted Princess Soamsawali’s longstanding involvement in the HIV response, which dates back some 25 years.

Through her patronage of the Thai Red Cross, HRH Princess Soamsawali helped bring PMTCT services to Thailand in 1996, several years before a PMTCT programme was introduced as part of Thailand’s national response to the HIV epidemic. Within the programme, triple antiretroviral therapy is made available for all pregnant women living with HIV, independent of their CD4 count.

During their meeting, UNAIDS Executive Director and HRH Princess Soamsawali emphasized the importance of ensuring access to HIV programmes for marginalized populations and those at higher risk of  HIV exposure—particularly men who have sex with men and illegal migrants.

While noting progress in Thailand’s HIV response, the Executive Director highlighted that more needs to be done. An estimated 530 000 people in Thailand are living with HIV and prevalence of the virus among people aged 15-49 is 1.3%.

“I would like to see Bangkok free of HIV,” said Mr Sidibé. “This means greater action is needed to break down barriers to ensure support is given to those who need it most,” he said. HIV programmes supported by HRH Princess Soamsawali provide antiretroviral treatment to marginalized populations, and the Princess underlined that her support in this area would continue.

Mr Sidibé’s official visit to Thailand, which ends on 17 February, includes a number of meetings with high-level government officials and representatives from civil society organizations.

UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé met with a number of German ministers and parliamentarians on 8 February, including Dr Philipp Rösler, Germany’s Minister of Health.

UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé held discussions with the German government on Tuesday on the future of the global AIDS response and asked for its continued support to keep HIV on the international development agenda.

In meetings with Guido Westerwelle, Germany’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Vice Chancellor, and Dr Philipp Rösler, the Minister of Health, Mr Sidibé called on Germany to maintain its investments in AIDS. He also urged the country to play an active role in the June 2011 UN General Assembly High-Level Meeting on AIDS, ensuring participation at the highest possible level from a range of ministries. Dr Rösler and Mr Westerwelle, in turn, expressed their interest in attending the meeting.

Mr Sidibé shared with the German Ministers his concern over the growing HIV epidemic in Eastern Europe and encouraged Germany to expand its support to this region. Between 2000 and 2009, the number of people living with HIV in Eastern Europe and Central Asia nearly tripled—from an estimated 530 000 to 1.4 million. The Russian Federation and Ukraine together account for nearly 90% of newly reported HIV infections.

While in Berlin, Mr Sidibé also met with a number of members of German parliament, including Gudrun Kopp, Parliamentary State Secretary at the Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, and Annette Widmann-Mauz, Parliamentary State Secretary at the Ministry of Health. He briefed the parliamentarians on the status of the global HIV epidemic, the High-Level Meeting in June and UNAIDS’ strategy for the period 2011-2015.

In his discussions with German officials on Tuesday, Mr Sidibé raised a number of other topics, including access to HIV prevention for populations at higher risk of HIV exposure—such as men who have sex with men, sex workers, transgender people, and people who inject drugs. He stressed the importance of ensuring that trade agreements do not pose an obstacle to sustained access to AIDS treatment. Mr Sidibé also highlighted that AIDS funding is a shared responsibility, requiring increased and predictable investments from both donor governments and developing countries.

In 2009, Germany invested nearly US $398 million in the global AIDS response—the third largest contribution from a donor government after the United States and the United Kingdom. 

On 7 February, UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé spoke at the opening ceremony of a high-level consultation on HIV, the law and human rights in Dakar, Senegal.

Ministers of Justice and judges from across West and Central Africa gathered on 6-8 February in Dakar, Senegal, for a high-level consultation on HIV, the law and human rights. The meeting aimed to increase the engagement of judicial officials in the HIV response at national levels.

Eighty percent of countries in West and Central Africa have laws that criminalize HIV transmission, same-sex relations or sex work. Across the region, people living with HIV experience widespread stigma and discrimination in access to employment, education, health and social services. In many countries, people living with HIV and key populations at higher risk of HIV exposure—including sex workers and men who have sex with men—have limited access to legal support when injustices are committed.

“Laws should work for the AIDS response, not against it—they should never obstruct the health or survival of any individual,” said UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé, in his opening remarks at the consultation. “We must truly address discrimination and injustice related to AIDS,” he added. Mr Sidibé urged justice ministers to base their laws on science and ensure that all people have equal access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support.

“We can no longer ignore the law as a means of combating HIV,” said Senegal’s Minister of Justice, Cheikh Tidiane Sy, noting that the epidemic had generated complex legal and human rights issues in the jurisprudence of countries across the region. Mr Sy underscored that judicial officials should not be limited to rendering decisions in a court of law. “It is equally important that magistrates involve themselves in activities that will increase legal knowledge among populations and ensure that they have access to justice,” he said.

The consultation—organized by the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the African Association of Highest Francophone Jurisdictions (AA-HJF) and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR)—offered an opportunity for discussion on a range of HIV-related judgements, legal instruments and country-level initiatives. The meeting also provided a forum for individuals directly impacted by HIV-related laws, including people living with HIV, to share their experiences and perspectives.

Speaking to meeting participants on Sunday, Jeanne Gapiya Niyonzima, an HIV-positive woman and President of the Burundian Association of People Living with HIV, recalled how her doctor immediately ordered the termination of her pregnancy and removal of her uterus after she tested positive for HIV. “As magistrates, you can appreciate the gravity of this kind of assault on the physical and social integrity of a human being,” said Ms Niyonzima. “If we fail to provide a conducive social and legal environment, we risk losing all gains in the HIV response,” she added.

Judicial officials can play a critical role in protecting human rights and pushing forward the HIV response. In Burkina Faso, for example, where an estimated 1.2% of the adult population is living with HIV, the UNDP-led Programme d’appui au monde associatif et communautaire (PAMAC) is collaborating with other non-profit organizations and David Kaboré—a judge and human rights defender—on a legal literacy project to promote and safeguard the rights of people living with HIV. Launched in 2003, the project offers free and confidential legal advice to people living with HIV and has been instrumental in highlighting and addressing cases of HIV-related discrimination in the country.

Many countries around the world continue to have laws or policies that undermine HIV responses and punish, rather than protect, people in need. Seventy-nine countries criminalize same-sex relations between consenting adults. More than 100 countries, territories and areas criminalize some aspect of sex work. And 48 countries, territories or entities impose some form of restriction on the entry, stay or residence of HIV-positive people based on their HIV status.

UNAIDS advocates for protective laws and measures to ensure that all people in need benefit from HIV programmes and have access to justice, regardless of health status, gender, sexual orientation, drug use or sex work.

Last year, UNAIDS and UNDP launched the Global Commission on HIV and the Law, bringing together public leaders from many walks of life and regions, as well as experts in law, human rights and HIV. The UNDP-led Commission is working to ensure that laws support effective AIDS responses.

Thirty years into the AIDS epidemic, and 10 years since the landmark UN General Assembly Special Session on HIV/AIDS, the world will come together to review progress and chart the future course of the global AIDS response at the 2011 UN General Assembly High Level Meeting on AIDS from 8 –10 June 2011 in New York.

Member States are expected to adopt a new Declaration that will reaffirm current commitments and commit to actions to guide and sustain the global AIDS response.

The meeting will be convened by the President of the 65th Session of the United Nations General Assembly H.E. Joseph Deiss, who has urged countries to participate in the event. “I call on all nations to unite at the High Level Meeting on AIDS. Together we can chart the future of the AIDS response,” wrote Mr Deiss.

UNAIDS data shows that steady progress is being made towards the vision of zero new infections, zero discrimination and zero AIDS-related deaths through universal access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support. However, stigma and discrimination continue to be obstacles and services do not reach everyone in need. There are still 10 million people waiting for HIV treatment and for every person starting treatment, two others become infected.

The Secretary-General of the United Nations Ban Ki-moon has highlighted the need for global solidarity and partnership at this time. “The 2011 High-Level Meeting on AIDS comes at a pivotal moment in the history of the epidemic. Thirty years into the AIDS response, let us unite for universal access. Let us, once and for all, set the course for zero new HIV infections, zero discrimination, and zero AIDS-related deaths,” wrote Mr Ban.

The event will take place in a global context of fiscal austerity. Both donor and recipient countries face new opportunities and challenges through such issues as innovative financing, technology transfer and the integration of AIDS and health and other services. 

Remembering the 33.3 million people living with HIV, UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé reminds us: “The decisions made at this High Level Meeting on AIDS will change lives today and for future generations.”

Get more information on the civil society application process to participate in the 2011 United Nations General Assembly High Level Meeting on AIDS and Civil Society Hearing.

More information on the 2011 High-level meeting on AIDS

(from left) 11-year-old Oluebuechukwu Sylvia Taylor and her mother Uchechukwu Florence

Preventing mother-to-child transmission of HIV (PMTCT) was high on the agenda at a General Assembly of the Organization of African First Ladies Against HIV/AIDS (OAFLA), held 31 January in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

“For every dollar spent preventing HIV among children, we save thousands more in treatment avoided,” said UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé, addressing the gathering of African First Ladies, as well as representatives from civil society and the United Nations. “We are making so much progress for mothers and children, but gains are fragile.”

In recent years, African countries—together with national and international partners—have made great strides in reducing the rate of new HIV infections among children. In 2009, an estimated 54% of pregnant women living with HIV in sub-Saharan Africa received antiretroviral medicines to prevent HIV transmission from mother to child, up from 15% in 2005. Several countries are leading the way, including Botswana, Namibia, South Africa and Swaziland, where coverage of antiretroviral drugs for PMTCT is now higher than 80%.

In the 10 countries of southern Africa*, the number of children under 15 who became newly infected with HIV fell from 190 000 in 2004 to 130 000 in 2009—a 32% reduction. AIDS-related deaths among children in southern Africa have declined by 26%, from an estimated 120 000 in 2004 to 90 000 in 2009.

Despite progress, some 2.3 million children in sub-Saharan African are living with HIV. In many countries across the continent, stigma and discrimination prevent HIV-positive pregnant women from accessing the services they need.

UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé addressed the General Assembly of the Organization of African First Ladies Against HIV/AIDS (OAFLA), 31 January 2011, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

“I am pleading with you all to join hands and save our future,” said 11-year-old Oluebuechukwu Sylvia Taylor, the daughter of an HIV-positive woman who spoke at the OAFLA meeting. “No child should have to die because of HIV. Let’s work together to ensure zero mother-to-child transmission of HIV in Africa.” Ms Taylor was born HIV-negative as a result of her mother taking antiretroviral drugs during the pregnancy.

In nearly all countries in sub-Saharan Africa, a majority of people living with HIV are women, especially girls and women aged 15-24. The most recent prevalence data show that 13 women in sub-Saharan Africa become infected with HIV for every 10 men. Addressing gender inequalities and empowering women and girls are seen as critical to effective HIV responses in the region.

“Empowering women is not an abstract term,” said H.E. Woizero Azeb Mesfin, First Lady of Ethiopia and Chair of OAFLA. “It means ensuring that African women have adequate food and shelter, are free from disease, deliver their babies safely and stand alongside men equally and confidently.” With funding from UNAIDS, the First Ladies recently launched a campaign aimed at increasing PMTCT services and eliminating mother-to-child transmission of HIV.

African Union Summit

The meeting of First Ladies was held alongside the 16^th African Union Summit, a gathering of 24 Heads of State from across the African continent and a host of other leaders and dignitaries, including United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

“We are seeing success in the fight against HIV/AIDS,” said Mr Ban, in his remarks at the opening ceremony of the Summit. “As partners of Africa, our challenge is to maintain and increase this momentum,” he added.

The HIV response is one successful example of “humanity acting in solidarity,” said Bingu wa Mutharika, the President of Malawi and outgoing Chair of the African Union, in discussions with the UNAIDS Executive Director. “We must continue our efforts to deploy antiretroviral treatment to those affected, and we should not be complacent about fighting stigma,” he said.

* Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé (left) welcomes United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to UNAIDS Secretariat headquarters in Geneva on 26 January. Credit: UNAIDS/D. Bregnard

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon paid a visit to the UNAIDS Secretariat headquarters in Geneva on 26 January.

He was welcomed by Michel Sidibé, UNAIDS Executive Director and senior staff, as well as by Kate Thompson a UNAIDS staff member representing UN Plus and Jason Sigurdson from the UNAIDS Staff Association. Christopher Davis, Campaigns Director of The Body Shop was also present and thirteen year old Vilasini Mahesh greeted Mrs Ban with flowers.

In his welcome address to the Secretary-General, Michel Sidibe noted that Mr Ban was a “passionate supporter” of UN Cares and UN Plus and expressed his pride to work with such a leader. He described how UNAIDS follows Mr Ban’s call for organizations to be built around accountability, transparency and efficiency.

The Secretary-General, visiting UNAIDS for the second time, took the opportunity to share his thoughts and vision with staff, and encouraged them to work even harder to “remove the hidden obstacles” in the AIDS response. Regional Support Teams based in Johannesburg, Dakar, Port of Spain, and Panama City joined by videoconference.

Mr Ban highlighted the importance of doing more to prevent HIV infections and pledged to be an activist in this issue. He also drew attention to the need for countries to remove travel restriction laws that discriminate against people living with HIV saying, "I am continuing to raise this issue whenever I meet leaders of countries with these restrictions. This is a very important part of human rights." Endorsing UNAIDS vision, he said he would be an activist and a champion for “no new infections, no discrimination and no AIDS-related deaths.”

Mr Ban has shown special interest in issue of UN staff living with HIV and he thanked representatives from UN Plus broadening his vision on the issue of HIV and the workplace. He restated his personal commitment to the importance of the UN in providing an enabling environment for staff living with HIV and removing discrimination based on sexual orientation.

He also took the opportunity to interact with the UNAIDS staff and answer some of their questions. On being asked what motivates him to champion for rights of sex workers, drug users, men who have sex with men and transgender people, Mr Ban said, "As Secretary–General I have a responsibility to take care of all people suffering and experiencing discrimination."

Earlier in the day, Mr Ban co-launched an accountability commission for the Global Strategy for Women’s and Children’s Health which was launched at the MDG Summit in New York in 2010. The strategy, developed with support and facilitation by The Partnership for Maternal, Newborn & Child Health, calls for all partners to unite and take real action towards recognizing that the health of women and children is key to progress on all development goals. He urged UNAIDS staff and UN country teams to take a strong role in integrating HIV response with this initiative.

After the staff interaction, the Secretary-General held a separate meeting with the UNAIDS Cabinet.

Dr Rajiv Shah, administrator of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) with Mr Michel Sidibé, Executive Director of UNAIDS. 27 January 2011. Credit: UNAIDS.

Dr Rajiv Shah, administrator of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) visited UNAIDS headquarters in Geneva to meet with Executive Director Michel Sidibé on 27 January.

During the meeting Mr Sidibé thanked Dr Shah for the continued strong partnership with the US government and shared his priorities for action for the AIDS response as outlined in the new UNAIDS Strategy. This strategy sets out ten key results aimed at achieving UNAIDS’ vision of Zero new infections, Zero discrimination and Zero AIDS-related deaths.  

Under the leadership of Dr Shah USAID has recently embarked on a comprehensive reform effort, called USAID FORWARD, with an emphasis on development aid delivering results and driving innovation.

Dr Shah and Mr Sidibé discussed how to ensure that recent breakthroughs in research and development of new HIV prevention technologies, such as the microbicide gel Tenefovir, can reach the people who need them. Dr Shah and Mr Sidibé also considered how the two organizations could strategically work together to ensure HIV prevention efforts are evidence informed.

The United States of America is a leader in development of new HIV prevention technologies and is the largest donor to UNAIDS as well as the largest funder of aid towards the global AIDS response.

In the comic UNAIDS International Goodwill Ambassadors Michael Ballack and Emmanuel Adebayor talk about HIV
Credit: 'Score the Goals' An educational comic book about the MDGs

A new comic book for children featuring Michael Ballack and other football stars who are United Nations Goodwill Ambassadors was launched on 24 January at the United Nations in Geneva, Special Adviser to the UN Secretary-General on Sport for Development and Peace, Mr Wilfried Lemke.

“Score the Goals: Teaming Up to Achieve the Millennium Development Goals”  is a 32-page educational comic book aimed at 8 to 12 year old children to provides a fun interactive way to help understand and reflect on the eight Millennium Development Goals.

The story features ten football United Nations Goodwill Ambassadors, including Michael Ballack, Emmanuel Adebayor, Roberto Baggio, Iker Casillas, Didier Drogba, Luis Figo, Raúl, Ronaldo, Patrick Vieira, and Zinédine Zidane.

The star-studded team journey to play an “all-star” charity football game in support of the United Nations. On the way they shipwreck on a deserted island and the story explores how the team copes by team spirit and survivor skills with the challenges that life on a deserted island brings.

The story simultaneously educates and entertains the young readers who are also invited to take action through several activities provided in the adjoining educational guide. The reader is invited to learn about the world’s challenges in ending hunger, universal education, gender equity, child health, maternal health, HIV, environmental sustainability, global partnership.

In 2000, the largest gathering of world leaders at United Nations Headquarters in New York adopted the United Nations Millennium Declaration. The Declaration, endorsed by 189 countries, committed nations to a new global partnership to reduce extreme poverty and it set out a series of targets to be reached by 2015. These have become known as the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

In the comic Michael Ballack and fellow UNAIDS International Goodwill Ambassador Emmanuel Adebayor talk about HIV in reference to Goal 6 which sets out by 2015 to have halted and begun to reverse the spread of HIV.

Michael Ballack who has been a UNAIDS International Goodwill Ambassador since 2006 is convinced of the importance of reaching young people with accurate information about HIV.

“I want people to know more about HIV as well as the other Millennium Development Goals because health and development are interlinked,” said Michael Ballack. “Everybody should have equal access to information and I hope that with this comic book we can reach out to a large young audience with important messages.”

The project has been carried out in a ‘One-UN’ spirit as an inter-agency collaboration between the UN Office for Sport for Development and Peace (UNOSDP), the UN Development Programme (UNDP), the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), the UN Department of Public Information (DPI), and the Stop TB Partnership.
The comic book is available in English, French and Spanish and other languages, including Arabic, Chinese and Russian, will be made available in the near future.