1 December 2010 marks the 22nd anniversary of World AIDS Day. The theme for this year is “Universal Access and Human Rights”. To mark the day, the United Nations Secretary General, the Executive Director of UNAIDS Secretariat and Heads of UNAIDS Cosponsors and partners speak out in special World AIDS Day statements.

Statement for World AIDS Day, 1 December 2010 by Michel Sidibé, Executive Director of UNAIDS and Under Secretary-General of the United Nations

For World AIDS Day 2010, MTV Staying Alive foundation, with support from UNAIDS, has produced the documentary Me, Myself And HIV. It will be airing globally across MTV channels. More than.100 other broadcasters across the world are also committed to airing the film on 1 December. 

Me, Myself and HIV follows two young people in their twenties—Slim, a DJ from Lusaka, Zambia and Angelikah a college student from Minneapolis, USA. Both are HIV positive and aim to offer the viewer an insight into the realities of living with HIV, the daily medications, the check ups and the effect it has on the body.

But the focus is also on the issues every young person has to deal with – dating, socializing, expressing their sexuality and achieving their ambitions. 

The full film can be watched at:

ME, Myself And HIV from MTV Staying Alive on Vimeo.

MTV Staying Alive are also trying to get 10 000 people to pledge to take an HIV test. Find out more about the initiative here www.bit.ly/mtvgettested

Commemorating World AIDS Day 2010, lights on landmarks all over the world—from New York to Paris and from Ethiopia to Thailand—will be turned off Wednesday, December 1, during more than 100 events to remember those lost to AIDS. Those same lights will then be turned back on to emphasize the importance of human rights for people living with HIV and people at risk of infection.

The events are part of a series of nearly 100 global activities marking World AIDS Day and the LIGHT FOR RIGHTS Campaign, organized by UNAIDS, amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research, Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, and the World AIDS Campaign.

“The dimming of lights reminds us of the continued violations of human rights that force marginalized populations and people living with HIV to live in the shadows,” said Michel Sidibé, UNAIDS Executive Director. “When cities turn back on the lights, they symbolically remind us of the need to shine the spotlight on the human rights of every person affected by HIV.”

Across the world, thousands of people on six continents and more than 100 events are organizing rallies, symposiums, testing days, and memorial services to mark World AIDS Day under the Light for Rights banner.

For example, in New York, Liza Minnelli and United Nations General Assembly President Joseph Deiss will join Kenneth Cole, chairman of amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research, and others at an event in Washington Square Park, and lights on 35 Broadway theaters, the Brooklyn Bridge, Carnegie Hall, and other New York landmarks will be turned off.

In Paris, Brussels, Lisbon, and Amsterdam, Light for Rights coalition partners rang the opening bells of each city’s NYSE Euronext exchanges. Throughout India, the National Council of Churches in India will organize “Light a Lamp, Pledge for Rights” events, honoring those who have been affected by HIV by banding together.

According to data released last week in the UNAIDS 2010 AIDS epidemic update, new HIV infections have fallen 20% over the past 10 years. But the update also reported that 33.3 million people worldwide are living with HIV—the highest number ever, as people are living longer due mainly to the beneficial effects of antiretroviral therapy.

The report also noted that 2.6 million people were newly infected in 2009, and nearly 2 million people died of AIDS-related illness during that year.

Inspiration for involving lights on World AIDS Day comes from “Night Without Light,” a project undertaken in 1990 by Visual AIDS, a group dedicated to using the arts to bring attention to the AIDS crisis—and the same group that created the red ribbon symbol for AIDS awareness.

Full list of events at www.lightforrights.org

(From left to right): Lucinha Araújo, founder of the Viva Cazuza Society, holding an HIV-positive newborn;H.E. Festus Mogae, the former President of Botswana; UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé; and Nobel Prize Laureate Dr Mohammed ElBaradei. Credit: UNAIDS/Martino

UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé and a delegation of internationally-known leaders and personalities—including H.E. Festus Mogae, the former President of Botswana, and Nobel Prize Laureate Dr Mohammed ElBaradei—are visiting Brazil to mobilize support and dialogue around HIV prevention globally.

Approximately one third of all HIV-positive people in Central and South America live in Brazil. Although the HIV epidemic in Brazil is relatively stable, there were as many as 70 000 new HIV infections in 2009.  

A dialogue with civil society

“With current new HIV infection rates outpacing progress in treatment programmes, a prevention revolution is more important now than ever to make the AIDS response sustainable,” said Mr Sidibé, in a discussion with Brazilian civil society organizations on Monday in Rio de Janeiro.

According to Ms Gabriele Leite, founder of the non-governmental organization Davida, an association of sex workers, recent studies in Rio de Janeiro show that condom use among sex workers and their clients is high, at 92%. “Surveys have shown that HIV prevalence among sex workers in the country is falling,” she added. 

Richard Parker, President of the Brazilian AIDS association ABIA, said that women and young people are increasingly impacted by HIV. Poor and marginalized people, as well as those living in rural areas of the country, are also especially vulnerable, he said.

“If there is a single challenge in the national AIDS response, it is the challenge of sustainability,” said Mr Parker, echoing comments from other participants in the discussion. “With a strong economy, Brazil is no longer a funding priority among major international development agencies,” he said.

Protecting children affected by AIDS

While in Rio de Janeiro, the UNAIDS delegation also visited Viva Cazuza Society, a non-profit organization that cares for AIDS orphans and children living with HIV. Children at the centre are provided with round-the-clock medical care and benefit from a range of educational and social services. There are currently 20 HIV-positive children living at the centre.

Viva Cazuza was established in 1990 by Lucinha and João Araújo in memory of their son “Cazuza,” a Brazilian singer who died of AIDS-related causes.  “AIDS is contagious—in quotes and not,” said Lucinha Araujo, while greeting the UNAIDS delegation. “After the death of my son, I couldn’t bury my head in the sand and watch other children die.”

Viva Cazuza works within schools in Rio de Janeiro where the children study to reduce prejudice and discrimination. Members of the organization also offer free lectures in the community focused on HIV prevention.

Kumar Sangakkara taking part in community visits to support the Think Wise partnership during the ICC World Twenty20 2010 earlier this year in West Indies. Credit: ICC

International cricket will mark World AIDS Day and show its support for people living with HIV this week. Players will wear red ribbons on their shirts during international matches.

On 1 December 2010 players and match officials will wear red ribbons in the One-Day International matches between Bangladesh-Zimbabwe, India-New Zealand and Sri Lanka-West Indies; as well as on the opening day of the Ashes Test Match between Australia and England on 3 December. There will also be activities taking place at South Africa’s domestic matches to show support for people living with HIV.

Sri Lanka captain and Think Wise champion Kumar Sangakkara believes it is vital that cricketers show their support for the Think Wise initiative, a joint partnership between the ICC, UNAIDS, UNICEF and the Global Media AIDS Initiative. The campaign to raise awareness around HIV prevention and reduce discrimination towards people living with HIV has been running since 2003.

“It is very important because many of the people living with HIV across the world live in cricket-playing countries. It is something that you cannot escape no matter where we play,” said Sangakkara.

“Lack of awareness about HIV is compounded by the discrimination that people living with HIV face. It is therefore important to create awareness to stop the spread of the virus while also curbing discrimination, and as international cricketers, we can help to achieve this objective,” he said.

The UNAIDS Global Report gives new evidence that investments in HIV prevention are producing significant results in many of the highest burden countries. Despite these gains, an estimated 2.6 million people became newly infected with HIV and 1.8 million people died from AIDS-related illnesses in 2009, and 33.3 million people were estimated to be living with HIV.

“The red ribbon that we wear symbolizes our support for the cause to help those with HIV and AIDS to live a full and productive life in society without giving up hope. It is a disease that we should fight by understanding how it spreads and encouraging people to talk about things like sexuality in their homes,” said Sangakkara.

ICC Cricket World Cup 2011

Players will also wear red ribbons in important matches at the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011, including the quarter-final, semi-final and final matches. South Africa’s skipper Graeme Smith, also a Think Wise champion, is delighted that that cricket will continue to show its public support for people living with HIV, particularly at the sport’s flagship event.

“You only have to look at the statistics to understand why I am passionate, as the captain of South Africa, to make a difference to HIV awareness. 1.8 million people die of AIDS-related deaths each year and nearly three-quarters of them come from Sub-Saharan Africa. These are people who watch me play cricket on television, support me in the stadium and this makes it all seem very real to me,” said Graeme Smith.

“If I can use my position as international cricketer to deliver important social messages, such as encouraging young people to use protection and wear a condom, and reduce the number of new infections then it is something that I am happy to do. By wearing a red ribbon we are sending a message to the millions of fans across the world that you shouldn’t discriminate against people living with HIV,” he concluded.

Posters developed for the UNAIDS and The Body Shop Be an Activist campaign. Photos by Rankin.

UNAIDS has teamed up with The Body Shop and world-renowned photographer Rankin to launch an international HIV solidarity campaign, which invites you to be ‘an activist’ and join the fight against HIV.

To highlight that HIV knows no boundaries, the poster campaign features a range of everyday ‘activists’ who come from all walks of life, captured by British portrait and fashion photographer Rankin. The campaign is a reminder that being an activist can mean many different things—from taking to a podium and speaking out, to wearing the red ribbon on World AIDS Day and supporting the fight against HIV.

Activists featured in the poster campaign include among others Michel Sidibé, UNAIDS Executive Director and singer and activist Annie Lennox
This campaign calls on everyone everywhere to show their support and solidarity with those affected by HIV. The visuals for this campaign developed in partnership with UNAIDS, herald a new take on the iconic red ribbon design, with a stencil logo designed by the in-house The Body Shop creative team.

“As we near 30 years of a world with AIDS, the fresh, new look of the red ribbon will help inspire the public and re-energize the movement to stand in solidarity with the more than 30 million people living with HIV worldwide,” said Mr Sidibé. 

The Body Shop stores across the world will support the campaign by selling red ribbons on World AIDS Day. All proceeds will go to local HIV partners and charities. The Body Shop Foundation charity, has long supported HIV activists and supporters, and raised over £1 million for the Staying Alive Foundation, a HIV youth-awareness organization.

Rankin is best-known for his portraits of people in the public eye including Madonna, Kate Moss, and Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. He creates images that draw out different aspects of each subject’s character, their personal nuances and with a range of people involved in this campaign, he was the perfect choice for this campaign.

We asked Rankin to share his thoughts on the images he shot to support the campaign, as well as asking him about the professional achievements that make him feel the most proud:

How do you feel about photographing “real” people for this campaign, as you work so often with models and celebrities?
I always enjoy meeting new people. This project was really inspiring, as everyone had their own story to tell, but we all had a common agenda. It felt great to see so many people with so many different experiences getting involved in promoting the same message.

I love shooting models and celebrities, and they are often amazing and surprising people. But working with this group really was special, simply because they were all passionate, and all wanted to stand clearly for their cause.

You are known for so many different projects, but which piece of work are you most proud of – and what inspired you?
That’s a really tough question. I am a perfectionist and am generally very proud of the work I do. Being a photographer affords me amazing opportunities and is very rewarding.

I try to give something back, and the only way I know how to do this is through photographs. This HIV campaign is very important to me, and I hope that the images will help influence attitudes.

I also work on an on-going basis with Oxfam, trying to support their aid effort in Africa. I have visited the Democratic Republic of the Congo twice in the last 3 years to photograph people displaced by the conflict there. We held a couple of exhibitions and published a book, which helped raise over a million pounds. I know that the money raised will make a huge difference to the lives of the people I met, and I am very proud to have been part of that effort.

Which image from the shoot is your favourite?
I love my image of Phoebe and Sadie. They are gorgeous girls who suffered through the loss of their dad. He was an aid worker in Africa, and stood on a contaminated needle.

They lost so much to HIV/AIDS, and I think their viewpoint is important to the campaign.

What did you wish to convey through the image of Michel Sidibé, Executive Director of UNAIDS?
Michel Sidibé is a quietly passionate man. He is one of the most open and approachable people I have ever met. His sincerity, stature and kindness shine through in the image, so I feel like it is a success.

What did you wish to convey through the image of Annie Lennox?
Annie Lennox is an incredibly strong person and vocal about her viewpoint. There is nothing I could portray onto Annie. It all comes from her.

She is beautiful and passionate, and I love my image of her as she has projected all this in one simple shot.

How do you get your subjects to relax, to best convey their personality in your images?
I talk to people. It’s hard to get me to shut up actually, and I think just chatting really relaxes people. Simply asking someone to pose will make them instantly close down – it’s just a reflex reaction. I suppose if you feel like you are being examined, it feels safer to put up a wall. When that happens, it makes it difficult to see beyond the subject’s projected self to the real person beneath.

I try to look at a person beyond the image, chatting as I photograph them, and telling the occasional joke to keep it all light. It is the best way to bring personality to a portrait.

And finally, how do you think people could “be an activist – join the fight against HIV”?
I will wear a red ribbon on 1 December. HIV/AIDS must be acknowledged and we be brave enough to face it with an open mind. The more people that make a stand, the better.

They say knowledge is power, but empathy and compassion are the basis of humanity. If we can promote both by being an activist, there is hope.

A couple of weeks ago UNAIDS was approached by two students from a school in remote Sweden for information about political leadership and the AIDS response in Botswana. They were about to engage in a model UN General Assembly session together with the students at their schools. The focus was the HIV epidemic. UNAIDS invited the students, Amanda Garå and Fredrik Hellberg, to share some thoughts on their experience to find out more about how young people around the world are engaging in the response to AIDS.  

By Amanda Garå and Fredrik Helleberg, students at the Hulebäck secondary school

During the negotiations in the model General Assembly, the countries have the opportunity to speak for their interests. Credit: UNAIDS/Ahlberg"

On Tuesday 23^rd of November, the students of the IT-Media program at Hulebäck secondary school in Mölnlycke, Sweden, performed a model UN General Assembly session disucssing the AIDS epidemic. The whole day was a role play, where students acted as delegates from different United Nations member states. Before the big day we prepared ourselves, learning about the HIV epidemic, our respective adopted countries and international cooperation. As an example, we were visited by a person living with HIV, who spoke about his experience.

“We are trying to find ways to educate our young people not only about international relations but also about burning issues like the HIV pandemic,” says Maria Sjölund, teacher at the school.

During the day we held a meeting of the ”General Assembly”, which took place in the lobby of the school. We also had a press conference and a banquet in the evening. The students were divided into groups of two and acted as delegates from the country they had been assigned to represent. We acted as the honourable delegates of Botswana.

In total, there were 28 countries represented by 57 participants. The meeting was led by a chairman and some younger students from our school acted as journalists and photographers of the world press. The meeting was also open to spectators.

During the day several resolutions were approved, for example regarding education about HIV in primary schools. Another resolution that was written by Botswana, India and Nigeria, dealt with the production of a vaccine against HIV which received a unanimous yes-vote. One resolution which was not approved was about proposing circumcision for men as an HIV prevention method. Many countries found this proposal very devastating for their culture and also that this was a matter for every family to decide. The delegates of the model session could, like in the real UN, get up on the podium and speak for or against any proposal.

“It felt like it was a real meeting and it was very educational. I got a clearer picture about the HIV epidemic. It was a bit nervous when the opening ceremony started and every country was going to give a speech in English. After that, it was a lot of fun,” says Victor Fridh, a student at Hulebäcksgymnasiet who participated in the session.

During these three weeks, we have not just learned about the UN, but also about the HIV epidemic and the response. We felt that it was a much better way to learn about the UN and the General Assembly than just reading about how it works in school books. We really recommend other schools all over the world to host model UN General Assembly sessions because we think it could make a difference. Partly because you will learn about the subject, in this case HIV. Also partly because you will learn about how big decisions are made and that countries do not always agree, even if the proposal can look great to someone from the outside.

Before the role play, many students had preconceived ideas about AIDS and people living with HIV. Many students changed their minds. They felt it was interesting to realize that it is not only the poorest countries which are the worst affected. Before the lecturer visited us many were a little afraid of just being in the presence of an HIV-positive person, because we didn’t know much about it. Now that we understand more about the topic and how stigma and discrimination work we feel that these types of interactions where people can talk and learn can help break the silence around HIV.

By Michel Sidibé, UNAIDS Executive Director

A few days ago, I launched the UNAIDS Report on the global AIDS epidemic 2010 which contains some very encouraging findings that the world has been long waiting to hear.

Globally, new HIV infections have fallen by 20% over the past 10 years. At least 56 countries have stabilized or significantly slowed down the rate of new HIV infections, including almost all countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. South Africa and India, who together contributed nearly half a million new HIV infections in 2009, have dramatically decreased new HIV infections over the past decade. India by more than half and South Africa by more than one third!

This is also the first time we can show that reductions in the number of new HIV infections are clearly linked to an increase in knowledge about HIV, changes in social norms and the adopting of safer behaviors. It has given us evidence that HIV prevention programmes are producing significant results.

However we must not be lulled into complacency or denial. No one is immune from HIV. Not you, not me—irrespective of whether you are rich or poor. But we can protect ourselves and our loved ones. And we can show compassion for all people living with HIV.

We still face significant challenges ahead. Yes, the total number of new HIV infections is decreasing, but there were 2.6 million people newly infected with HIV in 2009 and there are two new HIV infections for every one person starting HIV treatment. 370 00 babies were infected with HIV. Each one of them could have been prevented. HIV among babies has been virtually eliminated in high-income countries, but not so in other countries. The value of human life must be same—across the world.

So while we clearly see that investments in the AIDS response are paying off, the gains we have made are fragile. This is the time to scale up, not scale down the response to HIV. We have seen successes, but we cannot say we have succeeded until there are zero new HIV infections. Access to health should not be decided by who you are and where you live—but by equity and social justice.

To reach this goal, nothing less than a prevention revolution is needed. That is why I ask all of you, this World AIDS Day, to help put HIV prevention on the global agenda. Tell your friends, your family, your neighbour, your local politician—more than 7000 new HIV infections every day is unacceptable!

We can prevent HIV, but to get to zero new infections we need your help. Join the prevention revolution. Be the prevention revolution.

Find out more about the Prevention Revolution here.

Speakers at the HIV Solutions Forum held on 25 November as part of the Global South-South Development Expo held in Geneva, Switzerland. Credit: UNAIDS

The recently concluded Global South-South Development (GSSD) Expo in Geneva, Switzerland revealed how partnerships among countries in the South have brought forward innovative solutions to address challenging and sensitive issues in the AIDS response. The expo also underlined that continued investments are needed from developed countries to strengthen the management of South-South cooperation.

Organized by the Special Unit for South-South Cooperation, the annual GSSD Expo enables developing countries and development partners to showcase and learn from evidence-based South-South development solutions. This year’s event, held from 22-25 November at the headquarters of the International Labour Organization (ILO), attracted more than 600 delegates from 150 countries. UNAIDS Deputy Executive Director, Programme Branch, Dr Paul De Day, spoke at the opening of the expo.

HIV Solutions Forum

A first-time participant in the expo, UNAIDS hosted an HIV Solutions Forum that invited country partners and representatives from UNAIDS to explain the impact and reach of innovative South-South collaboration. The forum was moderated by South African AIDS activist and the Executive Director of Positive Women’s Network, Prudence Mabele. Representing UNAIDS was Tim Martineau, Director of the Programme Effectiveness and Country Support Department.

The Solutions Forum presented four examples of successful South-South cooperation on HIV, including a collaboration within the Arab region between Christian and Muslim religious leaders working towards reducing HIV-related stigma and discrimination.

Ehab El Kharrat, an elder of an Evangelical church in Egypt, shared with participants the transformation taking place among religious leaders in the Arab region. He gave examples of how religious leaders are talking about HIV as well as rights and dignity during their sermons and religious lectures. “Religious discourse is helping to overcome stigma and discrimination,” said Dr El Kharrat. “Religious leaders have transformed their messaging – some are even talking about condoms. You can imagine the impact this is having.”

Other examples included the sharing of experiences and knowledge between networks of people living with HIV in Burkina Faso and Togo.

The future of Southern-led solutions

Looking ahead to the future of South-South cooperation, participants expressed the need for more support in replicating Southern-led solutions across countries and regions. Continued investments from developing countries would also be required, according to the delegates, to strengthen the management of South-South cooperation and to establish a flexible funding mechanism for South-South initiatives.

The UNAIDS HIV Solutions Forum ended with the presentation of awards to the four forum partners by the President of the UN General Assembly High-Level Committee on South-South Cooperation, Josephine Ojiambo.

This year’s South-South Expo Leadership Award was presented to the group representing religious leaders in the Arab region in recognition of their innovative solution to addressing HIV-related stigma and discrimination.

Steve Kraus, Director of the UNAIDS Regional Support Team for Asia and the Pacific greet HRH Princess Bajrakitiyabha of Thailand at the launch of the Asia Pacific UNiTE campaign. 25 November, 2010.

Women aged 15-44 are more at risk from rape and domestic violence than from cancer, car accidents, war and malaria, according to World Bank data. The most common form of violence experienced by women globally is physical violence inflicted by an intimate partner, with women beaten, coerced into sex or otherwise abused.

On the 25 of November, to coincide with the International Day for the elimination of violence against women, the United Nations Secretary-General’s campaign “UNiTE to End Violence Against Women” was launched in Bangkok, Thailand. The event was attended by Her Royal Highness Princess Bajrakitiyabha of Thailand, H.E. the Prime Minister of Thailand, Mr Abhisit Vejjajiva and together with heads of regional offices of United Nations agencies.

“All forms of violence against women constitute a violation of human rights and a degradation of dignity and gender equality,” said Her Royal Highness Princess Bajrakitiyabha of Thailand.

The UNiTE Asia-Pacific campaign aims to rally governments, civil society, the private sector, the media and the United Nations family around the joint goal to eliminate gender based violence in the region.

“Neither gender equality, nor development can be fully realized if violence against women and girls is allowed to take place, unabated and unresolved,” Prime Minister of Thailand, Mr Abhisit Vejjajiva said in his statement at the launch.

Women’s heightened risk of HIV infection through violence was highlighted at the launch as a central concern for the campaign. According to population based studies carried out in the region, women who have experienced physical as well as sexual violence were four times more likely to be infected with HIV than the women who reported no such experiences.  

“To realize UNAIDS vision of zero new infections, zero discrimination and zero AIDS-related deaths, tackling violence against women is critical,” Steve Kraus, Director of the UNAIDS Regional Support Team for Asia and the Pacific, who participated in the launch ceremony.  

The UNAIDS Regional Support Team for Asia and the Pacific, and UNFPA Asia Pacific Regional Office are working closely with campaign hosts UNIFEM and the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) in the roll out and implementation of the campaign in the region.

Launched in 2008, the United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s UNiTE to End Violence against Women campaign aims to prevent and eliminate violence against women and girls in all parts of the world.