A ground-breaking new labour instrument to address HIV in the world of work is one of the issues considered at the annual International Labour Conference (ILC- 99th Session) in Geneva from 2-18 June 2010.

Following ILO’s formal standard setting process, an HIV/AIDS Committee, comprised of 120-150 tripartite representatives, is reviewing ILO’s draft recommendation before its final presentation to the Conference plenary for adoption on 17 June 2010. On 3 June, UNAIDS Deputy Executive Director, Ms Jan Beagle, addressed the HIV/ADS Committee to support the draft formulation of an international labour standard which will be “the first global human rights instrument to focus specifically on HIV and the world of work.”

In 2001, the ILO developed the Code of Practice on HIV/AIDS in the world of work as a framework for workplace action. Since its adoption, it has contributed to fight stigma and discrimination and to break down barriers to testing and treatment in the world of work. Although some progress has been made, prevention and care strategies need bolstering.

If adopted by the ILC, the proposed recommendation on HIV - which builds on and extends the 10 key principles contained in the ILO Code of Practice - would upscale significantly the impact of prevention programmes undertaken by the ILO and UNAIDS. Protecting human rights such as freedom from discrimination play a tremendous but often overlooked role in facilitating the implementation of prevention programmes. Individuals may find in the workplace a confidential and supportive environment to access prevention, treatment, care and support when needed.

As Ms Jan Beagle expressed, “Many workers are still subject to stigma and discrimination and the threat, or reality, of losing their jobs due to their HIV status. The international labour standard before this Committee would help change this situation.”

UNAIDS welcomes in the draft recommendation the promotion of a coordinated action among governments, employers and workers alike, including networks of people living with HIV. As stated by Ms Beagle, ”one of the key strengths that the AIDS response has brought to the development table, is its capacity to connect and mobilize a wide array of constituencies.”

Ms Beagle paid tribute to the ILO Programme on HIV/AIDS and the World of Work, for having raised awareness of the social, economic and development impact of the HIV epidemic and its effects on labour and employment.

The review of the Draft Recommendation by the HIV/AIDS Committee is the last phase of a four year cycle which began in 2007 when the ILO Governing Body requested ILO to place an item on HIV/AIDS and the world of work on the agenda of the 2009 and 2010 Conferences for a double discussion leading to the adoption of an autonomous Recommendation.

Captains of South Africa, Nigeria, France, Paraguay, Uruguay, Australia, Cote D'Ivoire, Uruguay, Greece, and Serbia national teams join appeal to prevent  mothers from dying and babies from becoming infected with HIV.

Captain of the South Africa Football Team Mr Aaron Mokoena signing the UNAIDS World Cup Appeal at the Team’s Gala Dinner attended by FIFA President Sepp Blatter, 2 June 2010. Credit: George Philipas

Each day nearly 1200 babies are born with HIV worldwide—during the course of a 90-minute football match almost 80 babies will become newly infected.

Captains of the teams competing in the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa may be rivals on the pitch in the coming weeks, but off the pitch they are joining forces to support a global campaign to prevent mothers from dying and babies from becoming infected with HIV.

The initiative is backed by UNAIDS Goodwill Ambassadors and international football stars Mr Michael Ballack, former captain of the German World Cup team, and Mr Emmanuel Adebayor of Togo who have personally asked World Cup football team captains to sign this Appeal:

“Between now and 2014, when the next World Cup is played in Brazil, together we can stop babies from becoming infected with HIV and keep their mothers alive and thriving. Hence we appeal: From Soweto to Rio de Janeiro, give AIDS the red card and prevent babies from becoming infected with HIV.” —World Cup Appeal to prevent mothers from dying and babies from becoming infected with HIV

UNAIDS Executive Director Mr Michel Sidibé, who will attend the World Cup opening ceremonies later this week in South Africa said, “I thank Goodwill Ambassadors Adebayor and Ballack for their leadership. Through the Appeal, the global popularity of football and the prestige of team captains will help us raise awareness about the toll of HIV on mothers and babies and promote action to ensure that HIV testing and treatment services reach all who need it.”

Nigerian team captain Mr Kanu Nwankwo was the first to join up, signing the Appeal in the presence of Nigeria’s President, Dr Goodluck Ebele Jonathan who was guest of honour at the gala send-off dinner for the national team.

Mr Aaron Mokoena, captain of Bafana Bafana, nickname of the host team South Africa, signed the Appeal at a good luck dinner for the team hosted by Kirsten Nematandani, President of the South African Football Association. Mr Joseph F. Blatter, President of FIFA; Mr Issa Hayatou, President of the Confederation of African Football; and Mr Danny Jordaan, CEO of the 2010 World Cup Local Organizing Committee were also in attendance. Cote d’Ivoire team captain and UNDP Goodwill Ambassador Didier Drogba, dynamic striker with Chelsea and top scorer this year in the English Premier League, has also signed.

Nigerian team captain Mr Kanu Nwankwo was the first to join the World Cup appeal, signing in the presence of Nigeria’s President, Dr Goodluck Ebele Jonathan who was guest of honour at the gala send-off dinner for the national team. Credit: UNAIDS

Across the Atlantic Ocean in Latin America, Paraguay’s captain Mr Denis Caniza, and Mr Diego Lugano, the captain of Uruguay are signatories to the appeal. European captains have also signed up, including the team captain of France, Mr Patrice Evra, Mr Giorgos Karagounis, captain of the Greek team, and Serbia’s captain Mr Dejan Stankovic, who discussed the initiative at a press conference last week. Also signed on is Mr Lucas Neill, captain of Australia’s team.

The star players are taking action because in 2008 alone, 430,000 babies were infected with HIV, 90% in sub-Saharan Africa. AIDS-related illness is the single largest cause of death of infants and young children in much on Africa, and the leading cause of death of women of reproductive age across the world.

Countries are however making progress in stemming mother-to-child transmission of HIV. Nearly half of all HIV-positive pregnant women in low- and middle-income countries receive HIV treatment to prevent the transmission of the virus to their babies. These efforts are helping to improve maternal and child health and bring us closer to achieving all the Millennium Development Goals by 2015.

FIFA (International Federation of Association Football) is playing its part in tackling HIV. The Football for Hope Centre in Khayelitsha in the outskirts of Cape Town opened its doors in December, the first of 20 such community centres that will address HIV and other key issues affecting young people across the continent. FIFA will also screen advertisements for condoms and HIV prevention messages at fan parks during the World Cup where fans can view the matches.

“HIV infections in infants have been virtually eliminated in many high-income countries,” said Mr Sidibé. “Now we must apply the tools at our disposal to create an HIV-free generation in Africa and worldwide.”

“We can make change happen in the four years to come—using the power and outreach of the game of football,” states the Appeal. “We can reach out to men and women, families and football fans worldwide to ensure that children do not become infected.”

UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé addressing the Ambassadors to the African Union. 31 May 2010

Preventing the transmission of HIV from mother to child was high on the agenda at a meeting in Geneva of 50 Ambassadors to the African Union and UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé.

Each year, nearly 400 000 children in Africa are born with HIV. An estimated 45% of HIV-positive pregnant women in the region receive antiretroviral drugs to prevent HIV transmission to their children, and just 28% of pregnant women are tested for HIV. In many countries on the African continent, AIDS has become the leading cause of death among infants and young children.

“HIV infections in infants have been virtually eliminated in many high-income countries,” said Mr Sidibé. “Now we must apply the tools at our disposal to create an HIV-free generation in Africa.” The lives of mothers and their babies can be saved through a combination of HIV testing and counselling, access to effective antiretroviral prophylaxis and treatment, safer delivery practices, family planning, and counselling and support for optimal infant feeding practices.

During the meeting, Mr Sidibé recognized the substantial achievements of African countries in the AIDS response. More than 4 million people in Africa are now accessing antiretroviral treatment, up from about 2.1 million in 2007. In the last six years, approximately 400 000 new infections have been averted on the African continent.

Despite progress, the continent faces major challenges. “The financial crisis poses a serious threat to sustaining the gains that have been made,” said Mr Sidibé. “Strong leadership and political will are vital to achieve universal access and the Millennium Development Goals.” Mr Sidibé urged African Union Member States to boost their investments in health and to advocate for a fully financed Global Fund in order to sustain and expand the number of people on antiretroviral treatment.

Preventing the transmission of HIV from mother to child was high on the agenda at a meeting in Geneva of 50 Ambassadors to the African Union and UNAIDS Executive Director. 31 May 2010

There was consensus among Ambassadors that—in a time of scarce resources— expanding knowledge and information on HIV was especially important. “With 1.4 million people dying each year in Africa from HIV-related causes, there is an urgent need to increase awareness of this disease,” said H.E. Mr Arcanjo Do Nascimento, Chair of the Group of Ambassadors of the African Union.

The Ambassadors appealed to UNAIDS to support African countries in finding innovative financing mechanisms that complement the resources provided by external donors. They also called on UNAIDS to support the advocacy efforts of African leaders for access to affordable, high-quality, essential drugs for acute and chronic diseases, including antiretroviral drugs.

The meeting was held in the lead-up to the July 2010 Summit of the African Union which will focus on maternal, infant and child health. The Summit will offer an opportunity to highlight progress and challenges in advancing Millennium Development Goals 4 and 5, which call for reducing child mortality and improving maternal health.

A recent report by the World Health Organization (WHO), HIV/AIDS Programme Highlights 2008-09, outlines major accomplishments of the agency in collaboration with countries and partners in promoting interventions to accelerate the progress towards universal access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support services.

The report highlights, for example, that there has been a sharp increase in HIV testing in recent years thanks to WHO and UNAIDS’ approach, called the provider initiated testing and counseling (PITC), where healthcare providers specifically recommend an HIV test to patients attending health facilities in certain settings.

WHO now recommends earlier initiation of antiretroviral therapy (ART); delivery of safer, more effective antiretroviral drugs (ARVs); and their prolonged use for the prevention of mother-to-child HIV transmission.

More than half of the 93 reporting countries developing programmes have addressed their human resource shortages in AIDS care through WHO’s strategy of “task shifting”.

Due in part to WHO's efforts, the volume and scope of data to measure progress in scaling-up priority HIV interventions has also improved substantially since 2008. For the first time, WHO, UNICEF and UNAIDS jointly collected data from national programmes worldwide.

Despite funding gaps and implementation challenges, measurable progress was seen in the 2008-2009 biennium. While much work remains, the HIV/AIDS Programme Highlights shows that progress can be achieved, even in the most difficult environments.

(from right) Annie Lennox, new UNAIDS Goodwill Ambassador, and Michel Sidibé, UNAIDS Executive Director Credit: UNAIDS/B. Hamilton

Geneva, 2 June 2010 – The world renowned Scottish singer songwriter and women’s activist Annie Lennox has been named as International Goodwill Ambassador for the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS). With an award winning career spanning several decades, Ms. Lennox is one of the world’s most outstanding musical voices. Now, she renews her commitment to speak out for women and girls affected by the HIV epidemic.

“The daily brutality faced by millions of women and girls is unacceptable,” said Ms Lennox. “If we are to end the cycle of human devastation triggered by the AIDS epidemic, we must address the rights of women and girls and challenge their second class citizen status, which puts them at greater risk of HIV.” Ms Lennox is a dedicated activist and campaigner working for social justice with numerous organisations. In October 2007, she launched her own “SING” campaign, working to raise awareness and support for women and children affected by the AIDS pandemic in Southern Africa.

She has previously supported UNAIDS, participating in the launch of a five-year action plan aimed at ending gender inequalities and human rights violations.

“How can anyone not be moved by Annie Lennox and her voice? I am sure with her incredible passion and presence, she will raise awareness of the terrible toll HIV has taken on women and girls,” said UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé, “With her amazing energy, she will make sure international, national and community leaders challenge the injustice of gender inequality.”

The lack of access to quality sexual and reproductive health services contributes to the high number of deaths among women of the reproductive age.

In her new role as International UNAIDS Goodwill Ambassador, Ms Lennox will be in Washington D.C. with Mr Sidibé, from the 7-9 of June to participate in the Women Deliver 2010 conference and 2010 Global Business Coalition conference. She will use these events to advocate for a global movement to focus on the HIV-specific needs of women and girls as well as to empower women and girls so that they can better protect themselves from HIV.

UNAIDS Deputy Executive Director for Management and External Relations, Jan Beagle, delivered the keynote speech at an event for Canadian Parliamentarians. 25 May 2010.

Canada will host the annual summit meeting of heads of government of the Group of Eight (G8) countries in Huntsville, Muskoka from 25 to 26 June 2010. The Muskoka Summit aims to deliver the ambitious commitments made at the G8 summits since 1997 related to health, development, the environment, security and good governance.

The G8, which is composed of governments of France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada and Russia, met last year in Italy and reaffirmed existing commitments on global health, including US$60 billion for health over 5 years, 100 million malaria bed nets by 2010, and universal access to HIV treatment by 2010. A Global Consensus on Maternal Health was also adopted, which includes support for free services for women and children where countries choose to provide it. The first G8 accountability framework was published, showing individual country progress against some key G8 commitments.

Reducing the number of children who die before the age of five is the fourth Millennium Development Goal (MDG 4), while doing the same for mothers during pregnancy or childbirth is the fifth goal (MDG 5). These two Goals are often referred to as the health related MDGs along with the response to AIDS, malaria and other diseases. These three MDGs are closely interlinked and recent data has shown how HIV has prevented further progress in improving maternal health and reducing child mortality.

According to a recent study to assess progress towards MDG4, mortality in children younger than 5 years has dropped from 11.9 million deaths in 1990 to 7.7 million deaths in 2010 worldwide. A similar study focusing on MDG 5 estimates that there were 342.900 maternal deaths worldwide in 2008, down from 526.300 in 1980. The study also highlights that there would have been 281.500 maternal deaths worldwide in 2008 in the abscence of HIV.

Maternal and child health and AIDS

Ahead of the G8 Summit and to highlight the important link between the 2010 G8 focus on maternal and child health and previous G8 commitments to the AIDS response, UNAIDS Deputy Executive Director for Management and External Relations, Jan Beagle, delivered the keynote speech at an event for Canadian Parliamentarians. The event, hosted by the Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions (CFNU) took place in Ottawa on 25 May and was attended by parliamentarians, health officials, civil society representatives and several African Ambassadors. CFNU represents 158.000 nurses and student nurses and regularly holds events for Members of Parliaments on health and public interest topics.

In her address, Ms Beagle stated that the Joint UN Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) was encouraged by the sharp focus of the Canadian G8 Presidency on child and maternal health.

“As HIV is the leading cause of death among women of reproductive age, the global response to AIDS can and must be leveraged more effectively to meet women health needs,” said Ms Beagle.

She noted that the Muskoka initiative is in line with the UN Secretary-General’s global Joint Plan of Action focusing on the health of women and children which was launched in April 2010.

Ms Beagle called for an integrated approach to all the Millennium Development Goals and highlighted that MDG 4 and 5 cannot be accomplished without a strong commitment—and real action—on universal access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support.

Prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) programmes provide a platform for integrated service delivery. The recent scale up of mother-to-child HIV transmission programmes enables women to receive sexual and reproductive services at the facilities where they receive PMTCT services. Integrated services can maximize health system capacity by leveraging human resources for broader health gains.

“The focus on maternal and child health represents a unique opportunity for Canada to demonstrate to the G8 how well this ties in with G8 commitments on the AIDS response,” said Ms Beagle. “It also represents a unique opportunity to highlight to the G8 the importance of accountability and monitoring of progress on previous commitments”.

The World Bank's Global HIV/AIDS Program is hosting a series of high-level debates on the constantly changing dynamics of the AIDS epidemic.

With leading donor countries emerging slowly from economic crisis, development aid flows are under heavy pressure. There are indications from some bilateral agencies that their AIDS funds may have to be reduced this year. Others, including the Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, are seeking “efficiency gains” and carefully examining ways to prioritize technically sound grant proposals in situations where country demand may exceed available grant resources.

The global crisis is affecting many countries’ plans for reaching universal access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support. In this scenario, The World Bank's Global HIV/AIDS Program and the Office of HIV/AIDS at the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) are hosting a series of high-level debates on the constantly changing dynamics of the AIDS epidemic.

This initiative aims at providing governments, development agencies, civil society organizations, communities of people living with HIV, and other partners with evidence and knowledge to achieve better results with the resources available.

The bi-monthly debate series began on 19 May 2010 at the World Bank in Washington, D.C., with a discussion on what constitutes an effective "HIV test and treat" strategy titled Test and Treat: Can We Treat Our Way Out of the HIV Epidemic?

The expert panelists will debate the issue, followed by a broader discussion. Using the World Bank’s Global Development Learning Network's video conferencing and web-based technologies, country teams in Africa and other partners will also be able to take part, and the events are also streamed live via the web.

Running until World AIDS Day 2010, upcoming topics include discussions on public health, PrEP and HIV prevention, and development coordination. The next one is scheduled for 29 June 2010.

Dr Sergei Furgal

Today there are heavy hearts at UNAIDS, as we celebrate and commemorate the life of Dr Sergei Furgal – one of UNAIDS most valued staff members and a distinguished international civil servant.

A citizen of the Russian Federation, Sergei completed his medical degree and graduate studies at the Russian Military Medical Academy in Leningrad. He had an accomplished career in government service of the Russian Federation, working as the Head of the Department of International Relations of the Ministry of Health in Moscow. In this capacity, he made invaluable contributions to strengthening the close friendship and collaboration between UNAIDS and the Russian Government.

Sergei joined UNAIDS in 2005, initially on secondment from the Russian Government. In five years of exemplary service with UNAIDS, he served in various important roles, including as Director, ad interim of the UNAIDS Regional Support Team for Eastern Europe and Central Asia in Moscow, and as UNAIDS Regional Support Adviser in Geneva, responsible for government relations with Eastern Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States.

Using his unparalleled analytical expertise and diplomatic skills, Sergei was able to successfully negotiate a number of landmark agreements on AIDS in the Commonwealth of Independent States. He also provided invaluable guidance on ensuring that the AIDS issue was high on the agendas of the World Health Assembly, the G8 and CIS Summits.

Sergei gave generously of his time to support two causes he felt about most passionately: public health and Russia. He was actively involved in the activities of the Vishnevskaya and Rastropovich Medical Foundation. Sergei volunteered his time and influence to develop and promote the Foundation’s programmes for child health care in Russia.

Sergei is fondly remembered and dearly missed by thousands of friends, colleagues and countrymen from across the Russian Federation, the Commonwealth of Independent States and across the world.

Sergei Furgal passed away earlier this month in Geneva. Today Sergei’s life is being commemorated at a memorial ceremony at UNAIDS.

A recent visit from a UNAIDS Programme Coordinating Board (PCB) delegation to El Salvador stressed the importance of addressing stigma and discrimination in the response to HIV in the country and commended the government of El Salvador for its leadership on these issues.

"We congratulate the efforts by El Salvador in its national response to HIV under the leadership of the government with active participation by civil society," said Dr Marijke Wijnroks, AIDS Ambassador from the Netherlands, the current PCB Chair. “We are particularly impressed with the openness on sensitive issues such as comprehensive sexuality education for young people and stigma and discrimination of key populations like MSM, transgenders and sex workers”.

The field visit, that took place from 10-14 May 2010, coincided with the launch of a Presidential Decree that prohibits any discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity in the public sector. The Secretary of Social Inclusion, Dr Vanda Pignato, who is also the First Lady of El Salvador, officially opened the National Directorate for Sexual Diversity during the visit, and stressed that “this Presidential Decree represents the obligation of the State in addressing the issue of discrimination."

The PCB field visit provided an opportunity for Board members to be exposed to the realities of the epidemic and the work undertaken by UNAIDS, together with its national and international partners, on the ground. Dr Menna Ould Tolba, Delegate of the PCB and Coordinator of the AIDS Response in Mauritania said "After participating in this field visit, I am now convinced of the importance of working with and supporting populations at higher risk of HIV infections."

During their visit, PCB delegates met with the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Hugo Martínez; Minister of Health, Dr. Maria Isabel Rodriguez; the Chief of HIV/AIDS Department, Ana Isabel Nieto; and Chief of the Tuberculosis Department, Dr. Julio Garay. They also met the Vice President of the Republic of El Salvador and Minister of Education, Salvador Sanchez Ceren and discussed with Ombudsman Oscar Luna various human rights issues in the context of the country’s HIV response. The delegates also met with representatives of civil society, including people living with HIV, MSM, sex workers and transgender communities.

Participants in the field visit took the opportunity to explain the ten priority areas under the UNAIDS Outcome Framework (2009–2011), highlighting the tenth area related to men who have sex with men (MSM), sex workers and transgender populations. According to UNAIDS, El Salvador has the highest HIV prevalence rate amongst men who have sex with men (MSM) in Central America at 17.8%

Minister of Health Dr. Rodriguez said, “HIV in our country is an important cross-sectional issue and we must explore every option in order to produce tangible results.”

PCB delegates also stressed the importance of linking sexual and reproductive health with the HIV response in meetings with the Ministers of Health and Education. Cases of HIV positive adolescent mothers with babies born with HIV were particularly highlighted during their visit to the Maternity Hospital of San Salvador. They also watched how an HIV prevention training guide is being implemented at the Canton Milingo School. Some key HIV prevention issues such as sex education in schools and stigma and discrimination have traditionally encountered resistance in the Salvadorian society. Delegates witnessed country efforts to implement programmes that address such issues while respecting the sensibilities of communities and individuals based on their religious views. "Education is the vaccine we already have against HIV,” said Delegate Dr Ibra Ndoye, Executive Secretary of the National AIDS Council, Senegal.

Whilst overall impressed with the quality of the programmes, delegates expressed concerns about the sustainability of HIV prevention programmes targeting key populations. Most of these programmes are implemented by NGOs and are heavily reliant upon external financing. With donors increasingly moving away from the region, sustainability could be at risk.

The delegates asked the government to ensure follow-up and implementation of the Ministerial Declaration that was adopted at the first meeting of Ministers of Health and Education to Stop HIV and STIs in Latin America and the Caribbean in July 2008 in Mexico City during the XVII International AIDS Conference. "We encourage El Salvador to share its experiences widely and hope to see the country play an even stronger leadership role in the regional response to HIV" said Dr César Antonio Núñez, UNAIDS Regional Director for Latin America.

UNAIDS is guided by a Programme Coordinating Board which serves as its governing body. The PCB has representatives from the five regions of the world, the UNAIDS Cosponsors, and nongovernmental organizations, including associations of people living with HIV.

El Salvador, which is currently the Vice Chair of the PCB, will assume the Chair for the year 2011. This move comes at a vital time for the AIDS response when stakeholders will come together to assess progress made towards achieving universal access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support.

The sixth plenary meeting of the Leading Group on Solidarity Levies to Fund Development is taking place in Paris 28-29 May 2009. France, President of the Leading Group since the beginning of 2009, is hosting this year’s plenary with over 200 participants in attendance.

The meeting was opened by Mr Bernard Kouchner, French Minister of Foreign and European Affairs and Mr A. Joyandet, French Minister of State for Cooperation and Francophony. Mr Kouchner spoke of the need to implement innovation for development.

The United Nations and innovative financing

Dr Philippe Douste-Blazy, Special Advisor to the Secretary-General of the United Nations in charge of Innovative Financing spoke about the United Nations’ role in promoting innovative financing. The I-8 Group for the Millennium Development Goals held its first meeting in Geneva on 20 May.

This high-level conference marks an important step in international mobilization for these mechanisms before the next General Assembly of the United Nations in September, during which a report on innovative financing by the Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon will be made public.

Addressing the opening session, UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé argued that innovative financing could help bridge the gap between development needs and resources committed and build a more just, equitable and healthy world. He also called for innovative investing, in particular in HIV prevention.

Leading Group on Solidarity Levies to Fund Development

The Leading Group is an informal forum of 55 member countries. Since its foundation in 2006 it has become an important platform for discussion, sharing information and promoting innovative financing mechanisms. The Paris Conference aims to be one in a series of events to better regulate globalization. One of the topics it will explore is how the renewal of financial mechanisms can improve the quality of development and promote sustainable growth.