UNAIDS Executive Director Mr Michel Sidibé (left) met with H.E. Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Minister of Health Ethiopia at the Ministry of Health, Addis Ababa, Wednesday 28 July 2010

The Executive Director of UNAIDS, Michel Sidibé paid a visit to Ethiopia to discuss ways of accelerating progress towards achieving universal access to HIV services and reaching the Millennium Development Goals in the country.

High on the agenda was exploring the progress and challenges Ethiopia is facing in preventing mother-to-child HIV transmission (PMTCT).

Mr Sidibé visited the HIV treatment centre and maternity ward at St Paul’s hospital in Addis Ababa where nutritional support is integrated with health service delivery for people living with HIV. While there, Mr Sidibé had an opportunity to participate in the “Mother Support Group Discussions,” a peer support group of HIV positive women who meet fortnightly for psychological support by sharing their experiences and exchanging views on a range of social issues including experiencing stigma, positive living, telling their partners about their HIV status, clinic attendance, and family planning.

On conclusion of his visit, Mr Sidibé met with the journalists to highlight the need for renewed commitment towards the virtual elimination of mother to child transmission of HIV and the need for innovative approaches to sustain the response.

Mr Sidibé praised the efforts being made by the government of Ethiopia towards eradicating mother-to-child HIV transmission and called on the leadership to intensify efforts to increase access to PMTCT services while addressing the factors undermining access to these services including gender inequality, stigma and discrimination and the insufficient involvement of the community.

Mr Sidibé also urged for enhanced integration of HIV prevention and treatment into maternal, newborn and child health programmes.

Earlier, the UNAIDS executive director had paid a visit to one of the HIV urban projects supported by the World Food Programme (WFP) which provide food and nutritional assistance to pregnant and lactating women living with HIV who are accessing PMTCT services. He met with a group of mothers who participate in this project and commended the initiative which supports lives of mothers and babies through the provision of food and nutritional support.

The Programme Coordinating Board (PCB) is the governing body of the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) and is made up of Member States, the UNAIDS Cosponsors (the ten United Nations organizations that make up the joint programme), and nongovernmental organization (NGO) delegates.

The PCB NGO Delegates represent the perspectives of civil society, including people living with HIV, within UNAIDS policies and programming. NGO delegates actively seek input from their respective communities on key issues related to UNAIDS policies and programmes, and advocate with members states (governments) and Cosponsors for meaningful improvements in the implementation and evaluation of AIDS policies and programmes.

NGO Delegation vacancies

The NGO Delegation to the UNAIDS PCB has vacancies for two-year terms beginning 1 January 2011 and ending 31 December 2012, for the following positions:

• North America Main Delegate
• North America Alternate Delegate
• Latin America and the Caribbean Alternate Delegate
• Africa Alternate Delegate
• Asia and the Pacific Alternate Delegate

Where can I get more information?

For a complete description and online application in English, please visit the NGO Delegation to the UNAIDS PCB web site .

Deadline

Fill in the online application and submit all required documents by 16 August 2010, 18:00 Geneva Time.

You can contact the Communications Facility for additional information by emailing Natalie Siniora at pcbcf.nsiniora@gmail.com.

The XVIII International AIDS Conference ended in Vienna today after a week of intense dialogue involving 19,300 people from 193 countries engaged in the global AIDS response.

Delegates and organizers depart Vienna – where the conference opened 18 July under the theme of Rights Here, Right Now – with a renewed commitment to push for securing universal access to HIV prevention, care, treatment and support.

“Billions of people stand in solidarity with us in our drive for universal access. We must rally their support behind Michel Sidibé’s Prevention Revolution and Treatment 2.0 initiative and UNAIDS to ensure that world leaders do not turn their backs on their pledge to reach the goal of universal access,” said Dr. Julio Montaner, AIDS 2010 Chair, President of the International AIDS Society and Director of the B.C. Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS in Vancouver, Canada.

The conference saw a renewed commitment to HIV prevention, were treatment 2.0 outlines the effort to merge treatment with combination HIV prevention to ensure a cohesive and resource-maximizing AIDS response. Evidence was seen of tangible progress in HIV research and programme scale up however the AIDS response is facing an urgent need for increased resources, the protection of human rights, and broader use of scientifically sound prevention strategies.

Political, civil society and development leaders, policymakers, scientists and activists from around the world descended on Vienna from 18-23 July 2010 to engage in dialogue on the major issues facing the global response to HIV. The week-long programme featured 248 sessions covering science, community and leadership. The conference was supported by 770 volunteers from Vienna and elsewhere.

The Closing Session featured a video address by South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu, remarks by Rachel Ong, Chair of the Global Network of People Living with HIV, and Patricia Perez, Chair of the International Steering Committee of the International Community of Women Living with HIV/AIDS. Montaner and Incoming IAS President Elly Katabira, Professor of Medicine at Makerere University in Uganda, presented the first IAS Presidential Award to Jack Whitescarver of the U.S. National Institutes of Health and Katabira gave an inaugural address.

The International AIDS Conference is the world’s largest HIV forum. It is held every two years and organized by the International AIDS Society, together with a series of partners including UNAIDS. The next conference will be hosted by Washington DC, USA in July 2012 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center.

(from left) Ms Ruth Morgan Thomas, Global Coordinator for the Network of Sex Work Projects (NSWP); Dr Bernhard Schwartländer, Director of UNAIDS Department of Evidence, Strategy and Results. Credit: UNAIDS/Anne Rauchenberger

For every two people who start on HIV treatment, five are newly infected. With the need to focus on HIV prevention becoming ever more acute, how can those at risk of contracting HIV be targeted to produce impact? What can we scale up? How to bring coordination in interventions that complement each other? These are some of the key questions explored in a UNAIDS Satellite Session at the XVIII International AIDS Conference in Vienna.

Entitled Combination prevention in action: targeted approaches, the session highlighted the need to address prevention in a range of key populations, including sex workers and their clients, injecting drug users, men who have sex with men, populations in humanitarian crisis, and migrants.

Representatives from the UN system and civil society emphasised the importance of coordinated HIV prevention efforts and addressing gaps in the AIDS response at a country, regional and global level. They shared experiences and built on lessons learned in dealing with HIV in specific populations, discussing the opportunities and challenges of combination prevention.

Opening the discussions, Ms Purnima Mane, UNFPA’s Deputy Executive Director, explained that UNAIDS advocates a combination approach to HIV prevention which takes into account the realities of local epidemics. Combination prevention requires action on both immediate personal risks and on the underlying drivers of the epidemic. It means a multi-pronged strategy providing services and programmes for individuals as well as investment in structural interventions, such as legal reforms to outlaw discrimination against people living with HIV.

Satellite session: Combination prevention in action: targeted approaches. Credit: UNAIDS/Anne Rauchenberger

Chaired by Dr Bernhard Schwartländer, Director of UNAIDS Department of Evidence, Strategy and Results, the session attracted a broad range of speakers. These included Signe Rotberga, a UNODC Regional Project Coordinator who shared lessons about AIDS prevention and care among injecting drug users and in prison settings in the Baltic states.

HIV and sex work in humanitarian settings was the subject of the contribution from UNHCR’s Dr.Patterson Njogu, Senior Regional Global HIV/AIDS Coordinator for East and Horn of Africa. ILO’s Richard Howard, HIV/AIDS Regional Specialist for Asia and the Pacific, spoke about reaching sex workers clients through workplace interventions. Ying-Ru Lo from WHO explained ongoing processes for the development of global guidance tools on prevention and treatment of HIV among most at risk populations.

Ruth Morgan Thomas for the Global Coordinator for the Network of Sex Work Projects (NSWP) and Shona Schonning from the Eurasian Harm Reduction Network (EHRN) gave insightful perspective of civil society on the different interventions.

Coming from myriad countries and settings, the participants shared a common goal: to reinforce the importance of targeted combination prevention that addresses the needs of the individual and promotes the creation of a safe and supportive environment based on human rights, protection and reduction of vulnerability. 

Y-PEER event at AIDS 2010, 23 July 2010. Credit: UNAIDS/Heimo Aga

Harnessing the power of the mass media and new technologies to reach young people with information about HIV and reproductive health was high on the agenda at the XVIII International AIDS conference yesterday during a series of events sponsored by Y-PEER, a youth initiative pioneered by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).

According to UNFPA a youth-centred approach, such as Y-PEER, is critical to genuine engagement for change.“If we want to engage young people on health and lifestyle issues that affect them, we need to be where they are, sharing information through platforms they are connecting to every day,” said Purnima Mane, UNFPA Deputy Executive Director (Programmes).

“Run by youth for youth, Y-Peer continues to grab hold of the latest trends in entertainment and social media through innovative partnerships to promote health and prevent HIV infection.”

In an innovative session, Using Edutainment for Social and Behaviour Change, one of Hollywood’s top writers and producers, Zoanne Clack of the award-winning US series Grey’s Anatomy, joined experts, such as Colin Dixon of Dance4Life, AIDS activists and Y-PEER ambassadors to discuss how HIV is dealt with in the entertainment media.

Y-PEER phone app launched at AIDS2010, 23 July 2010. Credit: UNAIDS/Heimo Aga

Y-PEER is partnering with the Hollywood Health Society (HHS), which was represented by its director, Sandra de Castro Buffington, during the event. HHS, based at the University of Southern California, aims to provide writers and producers with accurate information for health storylines. Y-PEER works with HHS to try to identify similar models that can be easily replicated in other regions with the aim of sensitising the film industry and to encourage featuring HIV in popular programmes.

The session explored how education-entertainment, or ‘edutainment’, can bring issues around sexual and reproductive health, sexuality and HIV alive for a young audience, and how this can contribute to them making informed decisions in this critical area, helping them better protect themselves against the virus and reducing their vulnerability.  Empowering young people to protect themselves from HIV is one of the ten priority areas in the UNAIDS Outcome Framework (2009-11).

Recognising the role that celebrities can play in using their influence to highlight issues and change attitudes, beliefs and behaviour, a number of stars who are also Y-PEER ambassadors attended the session as guest speakers. These included Hollywood resident actor and activist Sammy Sheikh (who appeared in the series ‘24’, United States of Tara and LOST) and singers Daniela Dimitrovska (Macedonia), Lotfi (Tunisia) and Ana Stanic (Serbia).

Last night also saw the launch of Y-PEER knowledge applications for smart phones. Building on the Y-PEER programme, this new ‘app’ is intended to test young people’s skills and knowledge surrounding adolescent sexual and reproductive health. It contains more than 500 questions with four different types of quiz play focussing on eight topics, such as HIV, gender and sexuality and drug use. As well as testing their knowledge, users can learn more about Y-PEER activities and compare their scores with other players. Y-PEER has thousands of members in 48 countries around the globe in a movement which builds capacity and mobilises young people to participate in the national and global response. Members work to highlight issues around sexual and reproductive health and rights, seeking to empower young people, especially the most vulnerable, to make informed choices.

Dr Peter Ghys, Chief of Epidemiology and Analysis Division UNAIDS, presented the findings of the new analysis together with the Vienna Youth Force at the International AIDS Conference. Credit: UNAIDS/Anne Rauchenberger

A change is happening among young people across the world, especially in parts of sub-Saharan Africa. Young people are waiting longer to become sexually active, have fewer multiple partners and are increasingly using condoms among those with multiple partners. As a result, HIV prevalence among young people is dropping in many key countries according to a new analysis by UNAIDS.

Dr Peter Ghys, Chief of Epidemiology and Analysis Division UNAIDS, presented these findings together with the Vienna Youth Force today at the International AIDS Conference.

The study shows that HIV prevalence trends in 16 countries is declining among young people aged 15–24, and according to the study declines are largely due to falling new HIV infections among young people. In 15 out of 21 countries most affected by HIV in the world, a decline of 25% has been noted.

According to Dr Ghys, the results show a good concordance between trend in sexual behaviour and trends in HIV prevalence.

“UNAIDS calls on countries to implement comprehensive set of programmes to reduce the risk of young people; and young people themselves can and must be actors in these changes,” said Dr Ghys.

Young people engaged in the AIDS response in countries which are experiencing this decline were invited to comment on the new findings.

Kuena Diaho, the World Young Women’s Christian Association Lesotho, said that programmes targeting young people need to be shaped in a way so that they are not too heavy. “In Lesotho, we do edutainment; HIV prevention activates through poetry and sport.  This way, it’s a little less heavy,” said Diaho.

“We’re a large network of young women’s organizations. We use facebook to share information, and we organize gatherings to talk about sexual and reproductive health education,” said Yvonne Akotho from the Girl scouts in Kenya.

Remmy Shawa, UNAIDS special youth fellow, from Zambia stressed that this new evidence should be used as an advocacy tool to show leaders what happens when young people are placed at the centre of the AIDS response.

Dr Ghys concluded the session noting that these encouraging results are an early return on investments made in HIV prevention. “These investments need to continue and programmes with and for young people need to be scaled up,” said Dr Ghys.

Credit: World Bank

Stigma and discrimination are widely recognised as two of the major barriers to an effective and successful AIDS response. But how, with both often entrenched and hard to challenge, can they be meaningfully addressed? The World Bank and The International Center for Research on Women (ICRW) focused on this central question during a satellite session at the XVIII International AIDS Conference in Vienna entitled: Making the case for stigma-reduction and moving to action, the experience of South Asia.

Stigma reduction

The session made the case for stigma reduction as a critical strategy for effective HIV prevention and treatment programmes, with a range of speakers sharing the latest evidence on why investing in stigma-reduction is critical for effective HIV programming.

The results from the South Asia Region Development Marketplace, (SARDM) were a key focus. Spearheaded by the World Bank in 2008, this competitive grants programme identified and supported small scale, community-driven, projects demonstrating a creative approach to reducing stigma and discrimination. An innovative range of interventions included beauty pageants, traditional folk art and a restaurant run by sex workers. There is also a theatre programme designed to change attitudes that make it harder for men who have sex with men to access legal redress; a project challenging internalised stigma among injection drug users, helping them get back on their feet economically and socially, and a radio programme produced by journalists living with HIV featuring positive role models.

Experiences of what works for successful community-based stigma reduction were shared by a number of the implementers.  

“These remarkable programmes have now touched the lives of 100,000 people across South Asia,” said Mr Michal Rutkowski, the World Bank’s Director for Human Development in South Asia.

“The results have been very impressive. We have learned about tried and true ideas that really work. Our hope is that we can persuade government and community leaders and others to take these on-board and expand them and take them nationwide.”

The satellite session provided an opportunity to launch a new global network for action on stigma and discrimination and the World Bank report detailing the full extent of the SARDM programme with its successes and challenges.

Writing in the introduction to the publication, UNAIDS Executive Director, Mr Michel Sidibé, pointed out the significance of community empowerment. “When communities assume leadership of their own programmes, they become equitable and sustainable. It breaks the cycle of stigma and discrimination. It restores their dignity and rights to good health and development.”

Right for you! satellite. Credit: UNAIDS/Anna Rauchenberger

The thoughts and voices of young people took centre stage at the Vienna AIDS Conference yesterday as an innovative satellite session explored how they can best protect themselves from HIV. The session was organized by UNAIDS, UNESCO, UNFPA, UNICEF and WHO. It provided an interactive platform for youth from around the world to discuss sexual and reproductive health services and provision of comprehensive information including sexuality education, condom use and HIV counselling and testing.

Called ‘Right for You! Creating Game Changing Strategies for HIV and Young People’, the event was structured around the outcome of an online survey, promoted across varied social media platforms, such as Facebook, Twitter, AIDSspace and Conversations for a better world, to find out what young people really think about how to mount a meaningful and effective personal challenge to HIV. It was moderated by Ms Purnima Mane, United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Deputy Executive Director (Programme).

The session explored how to achieve three bold goals for young people:

• Ensure at least 80% of young people in and out school have comprehensive knowledge of HIV.
• Double young people’s use of condoms during their last sexual intercourse.
• Double young people’s use of HIV testing and counselling services.

‘Empowering Young People to Protect Themselves against HIV’, is one of the priority areas of the UNAIDS Outcome Framework 2009-2011. The aim is to reduce new HIV infections among young people by 30% by 2015.

The three goals discussed in yesterday’s satellite are far-reaching and ambitious in scope. They were highlighted in the UNAIDS business case on empowering young people. The business case is an advocacy tool which outlines  why UNAIDS has prioritized young people and it recommends that the three results should be achieved in at least 9 of the 17 countries that have largest number of young people living with HIV by 2011, as well as in countries experiencing low and concentrated epidemics.

Those gathered at the event discussed how such results can be achieved and how the necessary good quality programmes can be scaled up at country level. An expert panel that included a youth facilitator, Ishita Chaudhry from India, Dr Doug Kirby, co-author of International Technical Guidance on Sexuality Education: An evidence informed approach for schools, teachers and health educators, Darlington Muyambwa, Programme Manager, SAYWHAT Programme, Zimbabwe , and Shaffiq Essajee, WHO, responded to feedback from participants who expressed their views or asked questions via the web forums.

Exploring ways of empowering young people to protect themselves against HIV is vitally important given latest estimates showing that 15-24 year olds account for some 40% of all adult HIV infections globally. In 2007, far fewer than half of young people around the world had accurate knowledge about HIV.

Additionally, in many parts of the world young people have inadequate access to sexual and reproductive health services and commodities like condoms. Socio-cultural norms can act as barriers to these essential services and commodities which discourage young people from learning about and discussing sex and sexuality and accessing the services. The session explored ways to address these challenges and empower young people to make informed decisions about this key aspect of their lives.

Ms Jan Beagle, UNAIDS Deputy Executive Director, Management and External Relations Branch, addressed the ceremony on behalf of the Executive Director. Credit: UNAIDS/Anna Rauchenberger

A ceremony to celebrate the 25 winners of the 2010 Red Ribbon Award was held in Vienna 21 July, with a host of global AIDS leaders joining the award winners and some 250 guests. The award event, which included a formal gala dinner, took place during the XVIII International AIDS Conference. Mr Jeffrey O’Malley, Director of HIV/AIDS Practice at the United Nations Development Programme, (UNDP), filled the role of Master of Ceremonies and Ms Jan Beagle, UNAIDS Deputy Executive Director, Management and External Relations Branch, addressed the ceremony on behalf of the Executive Director.

Ms Beagle paid tribute to this year’s winners and the wider community who play a key role in making a difference.

“The AIDS response counts on community organizations. The Red Ribbon Award is one of the rare opportunities we have for celebrating those exceptional organizations and individuals," said Ms Beagle. "The twenty-five organizations we are celebrating tonight are making an essential contribution to reaching our vision: Zero! zero! zero!"

The winners, representing a broad range of community-based organizations from 17 countries, were recognized for their outstanding work in reducing the spread and impact of AIDS. The Red Ribbon Award, named after the vivid symbol of the global response to the epidemic, is a joint effort of the UNAIDS family and is hosted by UNDP.

Chosen for their remarkable efforts in innovation, creativity, impact, sustainability and leadership, each winner receives a cash award and international acknowledgement of their contribution to the strengthening of the AIDS response.

Red Ribbon Awards. Credit: UNAIDS/Anna Rauchenberger

Six special recognition winners were announced during the ceremony, one for each of five 2010 award categories and one extraordinary winner:

• Ensuring that people living with HIV receive treatment
  Winner: Penitentiary Initiative, Ukraine
• Supporting HIV prevention, treatment and care programmes for people who use drugs
  Winner: Spin Plus, Tajikistan
• Supporting human rights
  Winner: Nikat, Ethiopia
• Stopping violence against women and girls and promoting gender equality
  Winner: POWA, Belize
• Enhancing social support for those affected by HIV, including orphans and vulnerable children
  Winner: Widows, orphans and people living with HIV (WOPHA), Sudan

An exceptional award was also given:

• AIDS and the Millennium Development Goals
  Winner: NAIRN, Thailand

Ms Elizabeth Matake, Special Envoy of the UN Secretary-General for AIDS in Africa. Credit: UNAIDS/Anna Rauchenberger

Leaders of the global AIDS response taking part in the ceremony included, Prof Michel Kazatchkine, Executive Director of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria; Ms Elizabeth Mataka, Special Envoy of the UN Secretary-General for AIDS in Africa; Ms Svetlana Izambaeva, Russian activist and advocate, giving the key note address; and Ms Anandi Yuvaraj, Asia-Pacific Regional Coordinator of the International Community of Women Living with HIV/AIDS (ICW).

Out of 720 nominations from over 100 countries, the winners were selected by a Technical Review Committee of civil society representatives who are experts in the community response to HIV.

According to Jeffrey O’Malley, “These organizations clearly demonstrate that effective responses to the epidemic require the full participation of front-line, community-based groups. Community groups recognise that AIDS is one of many issues that are tied together. They understand that AIDS requires an exceptional response but they also understand that you need to link AIDS to broader issues of health, development and justice to be effective.”

Dr Paul De Lay, Deputy Executive Director of UNAIDS was one of the keynote speakers at the event. Credit: UNAIDS/Anne Rauchenberger

While there is a growing recognition of the interrelationships between disability and HIV, people with disabilities still lack access to HIV prevention information, treatment, care and support services.

In order to raise awareness on these gaps, as well as provide a platform for exchange of good practice and innovative advocacy ideas, there is a disability and HIV networking zone at this year’s International AIDS Conference and a range of events on the conference calendar.

On 21 July a satellite session was convened by Health Canada in collaboration with the Global Partnership for Disability and Development (GPDD), to look more specifically at the integration of HIV and disability issues into HIV programmes at the country level.

Dr Paul De Lay, Deputy Executive Director of UNAIDS was one of the keynote speakers at the event.

He described UNAIDS’ work with WHO and the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to develop a Policy Brief on HIV and Disability. This was achieved with valuable inputs from organizations representing people with a disability, networks of people living with HIV, UNAIDS Reference Group on HIV and Human Rights, and a number of others.

The policy brief gives recommendations for governments, civil society and the UN, for a range of challenges currently in the response to AIDS and disabilities.
These challenges include:

• Persons with disabilities are not included in most HIV policies/processes; people living with HIV not included in most disability policies/processes.
• Some policies exist on HIV and disability and there is mention in national strategies, but implementation is weak and often does not go beyond project level.
• Strategies and programmes fail to adequately address how disability affects men and women differently
• Training for health and other professionals is insufficient
• Data are weak or totally absent (prevalence, incidence, programme needs/coverage) and research is insufficient. Existing research is not being translated into programmes/action.

Dr De Lay noted that a key challenge is to ensure that organizations representing people with a disability are part of the development of National Strategic Plans on HIV and, where it exists, the national partnership forum.

Dr De Lay emphasized that “a normal part of “doing business” in today’s HIV response should be ensuring the full accessibility of mainstream services and information. Standalone programmes should be used where the community says that this is the best way to address our needs. This agenda needs to be planned for, fully funded, and evaluated,” he continued.

Elizabeth Lule addresses the Disability and AIDS event. Credit: UNAIDS/Anne Rauchenberger

Professor Nora Groce of University College London moderated the event. Mr Stephen Lewis of AIDS Free World also was a keynote speaker. Other participants included Elizabeth Lule; Specioza Mwankina, chairperson and founder of the Network of Disabled People Living with HIV; Steven Estey, Disabled Peoples International; and Rosangela Berman Bieler, of Inter-American Institute on Disability and Inclusive Development (IIDI).

Hendrietta Bogopane-Zulu, Deputy Minister of Public Works, South Africa underlined that the Treatment 2.0 approach is important agenda as simplified treatment regimens and services closer to where people are would make a huge difference to the lives of people with disabilities who are living with HIV.

There was a consensus in the discussions on the need for enhanced collaboration between development actors, donors, national partners, and civil society to foster the scale-up, integration and development of inclusive HIV programmes for persons with disabilities.

People with a disability

Around 650 million people, or 10% of the world’s population, have a disability. Although people with disabilities are found within the populations at higher risk of exposure to HIV, not much attention has been paid in the past to the relationship between HIV and disability.

Persons with disabilities experience all of the risk factors associated with HIV, and are often at increased risk because of poverty, severely limited access to education and health care, lack of information and resources, lack of legal protection, increased risk of violence and rape, vulnerability to substance abuse, and stigma.