(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.

Geneva/New York, 31 October 2009 — UNAIDS welcomes President Obama’s announcement of the final rule removing entry restrictions based on HIV status from US policy.  The removal of HIV-related travel restrictions in the US overturns a policy that had been in place since 1987. Such restrictions, strongly opposed by UNAIDS, are discriminatory and do not protect public health.

“I congratulate President Obama on announcing the removal of the travel restrictions for people living with HIV from entering the United States,” said United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. “I urge all other countries with such restrictions to take steps to remove them at the earliest.”

The United Nations Secretary-General has made the removal of stigma and discrimination faced by people living with HIV a personal issue. He called for the removal of travel restrictions for the first time in his address to the General Assembly during the High Level Meeting on AIDS in 2008. “That they should be discriminated against, including through restrictions on their ability to travel between countries, should fill us all with shame,” said Secretary-General Ban in a speech to the Global AIDS Conference in August last year.

At his request, several countries including his home country, the Republic of Korea, are in the last stages of removing travel restrictions. Other countries that are considering removal of travel restrictions include China and Ukraine. In 2008, the UNAIDS board strongly encouraged all countries to eliminate HIV-specific restrictions on entry, stay and residence and ensure that people living with HIV are no longer excluded, detained or deported on the basis of HIV status.
“Placing travel restrictions on people living with HIV has no public health justification. It is also a violation of human rights,” said Michel Sidibé, Executive Director of UNAIDS. “We hope that other countries that still have travel restrictions will remove them at the earliest.”

Nearly 59 countries impose some form of travel restrictions on people living with HIV. The International Guidelines on HIV/AIDS and Human Rights state that any restriction on liberty of movement or choice of residence based on suspected or real HIV status alone, including HIV screening of international travellers, is discriminatory. Travel restrictions do not have an economic justification either. People living with HIV can now lead long and productive working lives, a fact that modifies the economic argument underlying blanket restrictions; concern about migrants’ drain on health resources must be weighed with their potential contribution.

UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé (left) with Dr Edward Greene, Assistant-Secretary General, CARICOM Secretariat. 20 May 2009 Geneva. Credit: UNAIDS/P. Virot

UNAIDS Executive Director Mr Michel Sidibé met on Wednesday 20th May with a delegation of the Caribbean community (CARICOM) at the 62nd World Health Assembly to discuss the Caribbean priorities for collaboration with UNAIDS.

Dr Edward Greene, Assistant-Secretary General of the CARICOM Secretariat and Mr Karl Hood, Minister of Health of Grenada and Chair of the Council of Human and Social Development of CARICOM, opened the meeting acknowledging Mr Sidibé’s leadership in accelerating the global response to HIV as well as the vital role played by UNAIDS in setting up and fostering growth of the Pan Caribbean Partnership against HIV (PANCAP).

In October 2008, during CARICOM’s 7th general assembly, participants approved the Caribbean Regional Strategic Framework for 2008-2013 which focuses on actions that will enable countries to achieve universal access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support by 2010.

Participants at the meeting made a call to UNAIDS to institutionalize and further strengthen the support it provides in the region. They called for UNAIDS to focus country assistance upon fully implementing the agreed regional Strategic Framework.

Participants during the UNAIDS - CARICOM delegations meeting that took place on the sideline of the 62nd World Health Assembly. 20 May 2009 Geneva. Credit: UNAIDS/P. Virot

In response, Mr Sidibé reaffirmed UNAIDS’ commitment to provide its experience and technical support to help improve PANCAP’s capabilities to support its work at the international, country and community levels.

Mr Sidibé noted to participants that he recognised the need for strengthened technical support in the region. To this end he highlighted the importance of establishing a Technical Support Facility in the region.

During his intervention, Mr Sidibé highlighted the need to bring together all United Nations organizations working in the region under one action results framework. He also proposed the creation of an advisory group with representatives of CARICOM that could advise the UNAIDS Regional Director in identifying and coordinating priorities for an effective response to the epidemic in the region.

All participants agreed that the CARICOM – UNAIDS collaboration is producing positive results in the response to AIDS and reiterated their commitment to further strengthen the partnership.

Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé on joint humanitarian mission warns of a growing health crisis

GENEVA/BANGUI, 19 February 2014—The political and military crisis in the Central African Republic is obstructing humanitarian efforts and endangering the already limited access citizens have to essential health services.

UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé is conducting a joint mission with Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and Emergency Relief Coordinator Valerie Amos, the African Union Commissioner for Political Affairs Aicha Abdullahi and the Assistant Secretary-General of the UN Department of Safety and Security, Mbaranga Gasarabwe from 18-20 February to the Central African Republic.

Mr Sidibé, Ms Amos, Dr Abdullahi and Ms Gasarabwe met with the country’s President of the Transitional Government, Catherine Samba-Panza who expressed her appreciation to the United Nations for its efforts in bringing humanitarian aid to people in need. However the President said more humanitarian action is desperately needed as many people are hungry. She said reconciliation was essential and that so far the root causes of the crisis had not been tackled.

The President’s words of reconciliation were echoed by Christian and Muslim leaders who met with the delegation as well.

The United Nations has called for US$ 551 million to meet humanitarian needs—of which 13% has been raised. Global solidarity is crucial to ensure funding is made available for the two and a half million people reportedly in need of assistance.

“There is no longer a fine line between living and dying in the Central African Republic. People are dying—we are on the brink of a health catastrophe,” said Mr Sidibé. “If we do not act now, a generation will be gone forever—under our watch. This is not acceptable.”

"Some 2.6 million people need immediate humanitarian assistance, while reports of terrible atrocities and attacks against civilians and aid workers continue," said Ms Amos.

Dr Abdullahi said, “With my initial interactions here in Bangui, my impression is that there are key priorities; security of lives and properties, humanitarian assistance, guarantee of human rights, rule of law and justice, public service reforms including the building of a new constitution and return to constitutional order. The African Union Commission is committed to supporting the Central Africa Republic (CAR) transitional government in addressing these multifarious concerns as key to restoring constitutional order, political stability and democratic governance in the country.’’

The delegation is also scheduled to travel to Bossangoa in Northwest Central African Republic, a region that has suffered a wave of sectarian violence. The delegation will meet with Christian and Muslim communities and visit a site for internally displaced persons.

GENEVA, 26 March 2012—The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) is calling for closer collaboration between Francophone countries in sharing innovation and expertise to strengthen the global AIDS response. Francophone countries and observers represent more than one-third of the United Nations Member States and account for a population of more than 890 million people.

Significant progress has been made across the Francophone world in recent years with new HIV infections down by 22% since 2001 and AIDS deaths down by almost 12% since the mid 2000’s. In 2006, 380 000 people were receiving antiretroviral treatment in Francophone countries; in 2010 the number rose to more than 1.2 million.

“An enormous amount of expertise in responding effectively to HIV has been built up across the French speaking world,” said Michel Sidibé, Executive Director of UNAIDS. “Francophone countries must optimize the unique opportunity they have through a common language and shared values to end the AIDS epidemic.”

Despite widespread gains made, progress across Francophone countries remains uneven. In the Middle East and North Africa new HIV infections have been increasing since 2001, the only region which has seen increases outside of Eastern Europe and Central Asia. And in the majority of countries in West Africa, more than half of people in need of treatment still do not have access.

In addition, funding for HIV in francophone countries is of particular concern. An average of 70% of resources for HIV in the Francophone world, come from external donors. Amidst an economic downturn and declines in donor funding for the AIDS response it is essential that countries and partners explore new and innovative solutions to funding the response to HIV.

UNAIDS urges countries to apply the UNAIDS framework for AIDS investments which is focused on high-impact, evidence-based, high-value strategies. If implemented UNAIDS estimates that global resource needs for HIV would begin to decline from 2015.

UNAIDS’ call for a scaling up of Francophone leadership on AIDS was made at the 6th Francophone Conference on HIV/AIDS, being held in Geneva from 25-28 March 2012. Around 50 Francophone countries were represented at the conference creating an important momentum around the Francophone response to HIV.

BERNE (SWITZERLAND),  6 JUNE 2011–Nearly 3 million individual stamps will circulate within and across borders this year to draw attention to 30 years of the AIDS epidemic and the importance of continuing to prevent new HIV infections. Since the start of the epidemic, 60 million people have become infected with HIV and nearly 30 million people have died of AIDS-related causes.

At least 20 Posts around the world have joined an initiative to issue stamps and other philatelic products to commemorate the landmark year. Participating Posts include: Belarus, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Croatia Post (Mostar), Fiji, Iran, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Luxembourg, New Caledonia, Malawi, Moldova, Pakistan, Slovakia, Romania, Russia, Turkey, Ukraine and Uruguay. The United Nations Postal Administration (UNPA) is also issuing three stamps that will be sold in UN Offices in New York, Geneva and Vienna. For more information, visit the display at the UNPA counter in the General Assembly building in New York.

“Stamps – these formidable mini works of art – are noble ambassadors that leave important messages in the hands of all who receive mail,” said Edouard Dayan, director general of the United Nations specialized agency for postal services. “The Universal Postal Union is proud that so many Posts have responded to our call to raise awareness of critical issues like HIV. Once again, this initiative goes to show the incredible outreach value of postal services worldwide.”

Many stamps are being issued in June to coincide with the 2011 High Level Meeting on AIDS, taking place at the United Nations in New York from 8-10 June. The meeting will provide a platform for UN member states and partners to review progress and chart the future course of the global AIDS response.

“This is an excellent and important initiative to get people around the world talking about AIDS,” said Michel Sidibé, executive director of the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS). ”One of the greatest barriers in the AIDS response is the stigma and discrimination surrounding the disease. By initiating dialogue around HIV, these little stamps will play a big role in helping to break down some of those barriers.”

While most Posts have designed their own stamps, others, like Ukrposhta, Ukraine’s national postal service, have launched a national competition inviting artists to propose a stamp design on the theme of 30 years of AIDS. Ukraine’s winning stamp will be issued on World AIDS Day, December 1, 2011. 

Global campaign

The philatelic initiative is part of the global HIV-campaign launched in 2009 by the Universal Postal Union, UNAIDS, the International Labour Organization and UNI Global. The campaign relies on the global postal network’s vast outreach to draw attention to the importance of HIV prevention.

More than 23,000 post offices around the world have carried out awareness campaigns using posters, postcards, a website (www.unaids.org/preventHIV) and public events to inform people about HIV. The campaigns have potentially reached millions of people. In Cameroon alone, the Post estimates that campaign materials are viewed daily by 36,000 people.

This is the first time that Posts worldwide have made a concerted effort to draw attention to AIDS, but philately has been raising awareness about the disease for years. A quick survey of the UPU’s World Numbering System (www.wnsstamps.ch) reveals that more than 60 different AIDS themed stamps have been issued since 2002, when the database was created.

To view a slideshow of AIDS stamps through the years, please go to: www.upu.int/en/aids_stamps

About the UPU

Created in 1874, the UPU, based in Berne (Switzerland), is an intergovernmental organization and the primary forum for cooperation between governments, Posts and other stakeholders of the worldwide postal sector. In addition to maintaining a genuinely universal network that provides modern products and services, it establishes the rules for international mail exchanges among its 191 members and makes recommendations to stimulate mail volume growth and to improve the quality of service for customers. Some 5.5 million employees process and deliver 433 billion domestic letter-post items annually, as well as some 5.5 billion international items and over 6 billion parcels. Many postal services also offer expedited mail, financial and electronic services. About 660,000 postal establishments make the postal network the largest physical distribution network in the world. The UPU celebrated 60 years as a specialized agency of the United Nations in 2008. Learn more at: www.upu.int

About UNAIDS

UNAIDS, the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS, is an innovative United Nations partnership that leads and inspires the world in achieving universal access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support. Learn more at: www.unaids.org

UNAIDS leverages the power of football ahead of FIFA 2014 World Cup

GENEVA, 16 April 2014—In the lead-up to the FIFA World Cup in Brazil starting in June, UNAIDS has teamed up with Brazilian football champion and vice-captain of the national Brazilian football team David Luiz, appointing him as UNAIDS International Goodwill Ambassador. 

David Luiz, who is playing in the Premier League, will support UNAIDS by promoting the organization’s key advocacy and outreach initiatives. He will help mobilize football fans around the world, particularly young people, with important messages calling for an end to discrimination, advocating for HIV prevention and access to HIV treatment for people living with HIV.

“I am convinced that David with his heart and compassion will make a big difference reaching out to millions of young people,” said UNAIDS Executive Director, Michel Sidibé. “In football, players come together to produce results. In the same way we must unite and as a team get to zero new HIV infections. During the World Cup, everyone’s eyes will be on Brazil and David will be an inspiration both on and off the pitch.”

“It is a massive honour to be a global ambassador for UNAIDS and I want to use this position to spread the word about how to overcome AIDS around the world,” said David Luiz. ”People will be looking to my country Brazil to see great football at the World Cup and this is a great opportunity for UNAIDS and I to speak out—and I want to help make UNAIDS the winning team.”

David Luiz is featured in Protect the Goal which is a UNAIDS campaign using the popularity and convening power of sport to raise awareness of HIV and drive young people to commit to HIV prevention. In addition, David Luiz is promoting UNAIDS’  #zerodiscrimination campaign, which calls on people to celebrate everyone’s right to live a full life with dignity – no matter what they look like, where they come from or whom they love.

Of the total estimated 35.3 million people living with HIV around the world, an estimated 5.4 million are young people aged 10-24. Many are unaware of their status. There are some       900 000 adolescents (10-14) living with HIV. In addition, an estimated 780 000 of the total 2.3 million new HIV infections worldwide are among adolescents and young people aged 15–24 with 97% of the new infections occurring in low and middle-income countries. 

And calls on Member States to honour their commitment towards agreed HIV targets and goals

GENEVA, 1 July 2013—At its 32nd meeting, the Board of the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) announced its commitment to lay the foundations to end the AIDS epidemic. It added that this commitment included realizing UNAIDS vision of zero new HIV infections, zero discrimination and zero-AIDS related deaths.

The governing body of UNAIDS––the Programme Coordinating Board—concluded its three-day meeting in Geneva calling on UNAIDS to take a prominent leadership and advocacy role in defining the role of the AIDS response in the post-2015 agenda. The board stressed that this should go beyond health, and include areas such as inequality, gender, education, governance and on building effective partnerships.

“The goal of ending the AIDS epidemic should be integrated with the imperative to sustain health and ensure quality of life for billions of people,” said Michel Sidibé, Executive Director of UNAIDS. “This requires us to develop new leadership and new strategies to advance the future AIDS response post-2015.”

The Board also called on United Nations Member States to honour their commitments towards agreed targets and goals and to sustain and accelerate efforts towards achieving the HIV and health related Millennium Development Goals (MDG’s). The Board also approved the 2014-15 Core Budget of the UNAIDS Secretariat and the 11 Cosponsoring organizations at US$ 485 million for the biennium.

During the meeting, Ms Amina Mohammed, the UN Secretary-General’s Special Adviser on Post-2015 Development Planning spoke on leadership in the AIDS response. “You’ve had so much success on the MDG agenda; it’s the one thing we use to show that we can complete an agenda that’s pretty tough,” she said speaking about the response to HIV. “It’s the legitimacy we use to address the post-2015 agenda.”

The members of the Board gathered in Geneva just ahead of the first meeting of the UNAIDS and Lancet Commission: From AIDS to Sustainable Health, which took place on 28 and 29 June in Lilongwe, Malawi. The Commission has been established up to catalyse expertise and political momentum to shape the debate on the future of global health and accelerate progress towards the end of AIDS.

The Programme Coordinating Board meeting—chaired by India, with Australia as vice-chair and Congo as rapporteur—was attended by participants and observers from UN Member States, international organizations, civil society and non-governmental organizations. The UNAIDS Executive Director’s report to the Board, decisions, recommendations and conclusions from the meeting can be found at: unaids.org.

Geneva/Lilongwe, 19 June 2013—Ahead of the first meeting of the UNAIDS and Lancet Commission: From AIDS to Sustainable Health, the esteemed Commissioners who will be working together on HIV and global health in the post-2015 debate have been announced.

More than 30 Commissioners, including heads of state, policy makers, people living with HIV, development experts, scientists, young people, AIDS advocates and private sector leaders, will come together for the first time in Lilongwe, Malawi on 28-29 June to explore how the AIDS response can be used to shape the future of global health.

“This is the first time that such a diverse group of experts has been brought together for frank discussions about the future of global health,” said Michel Sidibé, Executive Director of UNAIDS. “We will be encouraging them to think about what will it take to reach the end of AIDS; how the AIDS response can serve as a transformative force in our approach to global health; and how to modernize the global AIDS architecture for a more equitable, effective and sustainable future for global health.”

The Commission is co-chaired by Malawi President Joyce Banda, African Union Commission Chairperson Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma and London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine Director Peter Piot. Its aim is to catalyse expertise and political momentum to shape the debate on the future of health in the post-2015 development agenda and accelerate progress towards the end of AIDS.

Drawing from the pioneering experience of the global AIDS response, during the meeting in Malawi, the Commissioners will be encouraged to engage in informal and dynamic dialogue. By exchanging perspectives, exploring options and seeking consensus, Commissioners will begin extracting the lessons learnt from the AIDS response to be used in the transformation of global health and development in the post-2015 debate.

During the meeting a high-level roadmap for the continued work of the Commission will be developed. A preliminary version of the Commission report will be prepared by a team of expert writers who will work closely with the Commissioners and other key stakeholders over the coming months. A draft of the report will be considered in the second and final meeting of the Commission at the beginning of 2014.

For more information on the UNAIDS and Lancet Commission and list of Commissioners go to: http://www.unaids.org/en/resources/campaigns/post2015/

UNAIDS and Lancet Commission: From AIDS to Sustainable Health The UNAIDS and Lancet Commission: From AIDS to Sustainable Health was launched in May 2013 and is co-Chaired by President Joyce Banda, Chairperson Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma and Professor Peter Piot. Drawing from the pioneering experience of the global AIDS response, the Commission brings together heads of state, policy makers, people living with HIV, development experts, young people and private sector leaders. The Commission aims to catalyse expertise and political momentum to shape the debate on the future of health in the post-2015 development agenda and accelerate progress towards the end of AIDS.

ILO Director-General and UNAIDS Executive Director launch new programme on voluntary and confidential HIV counselling and testing to reach 5 million workers world-wide

From L to R: Luc Cortebeeck, Worker Vice-Chairperson of the ILO Governing Body; Françoise Ndayishimiye, UNAIDS Senior Gender Advisor; Michel Sidibé, UNAIDS Executive Director; Guy Ryder, ILO Director-General; Grégoire Owona, Minister of Labour and Social Security of Cameroon; and Jacqueline Mugo, Executive Director of the Federation of Kenyan Employers. Launch of the ILO’s VCT@WORK initiative. Geneva, 6 June 2013. Credit: ILO

GENEVA, 6 June 2013—The International Labour Organization (ILO), supported by the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), has launched an initiative to reach 5 million workers with voluntary and confidential HIV counselling and testing (VCT@WORK) by 2015. The initiative will also ensure that people who test positive are referred to HIV services for care and support, and treatment if needed.

“We want to use the mobilizing power of the ILO to encourage 5 million working women and men to undertake voluntary HIV testing by 2015,” said ILO Director-General, Guy Ryder. He called upon all ministries of labour, employers’ and workers’ organizations to join forces and turn this target into reality. “The countdown to 2015 has begun – let us make each day count!” he added.

The rapid expansion of antiretroviral therapy in recent years has allowed 8 million people living with HIV to access treatment - enabling them to live longer, healthier and more productive lives and remain part of the workforce. However, according to UNAIDS, it is estimated that 7 million people currently eligible for treatment are not accessing it. Furthermore, it is estimated that around 40% of people living with HIV globally, do not know their status, thus preventing them from accessing treatment. In many countries, this figure is higher than 50%.

“If workplaces embrace this new initiative it could signify one of the most important advances we’ve seen in expanding access to HIV testing within a healthy, enabling environment and linking to on-going support including treatment,” said Michel Sidibé, Executive Director of UNAIDS.

The VCT@WORK initiative, (voluntary counselling and testing) is part of the ILO’s efforts to achieve Millennium Development Goal 6 and the global target of reaching 15 million people living with HIV with lifesaving antiretroviral treatment by 2015, as set out in the 2011 United Nations General Assembly Political Declaration on HIV/AIDS. “To reach this goal we need to work together to ensure that all workplaces are free of stigma and discrimination,” the ILO Director-General said.

The VCT@WORK initiative builds on the ILO’s Recommendation on HIV and AIDS and the World of Work (No.200), to ensure safe and healthy working environments free of stigma and discrimination.

The ILO’s tripartite constituents, (governments, employers and workers), will strengthen existing partnerships to ensure access to testing and treatment for workers, their families and communities. They will be supported by the International Labour Office, the UN family, development partners, national AIDS programmes and networks of people living with HIV. India has already launched a national VCT@WORK programme, with South Africa and Tanzania expected to follow in the coming months.

The VCT@WORK initiative is a key element of the ILO’s “Getting to Zero at Work” campaign, which was jointly launched with UNAIDS and WHO on World AIDS Day 2012. The campaign has enlisted the support of a number of leaders within the UN system, the world of work, networks of people living with HIV and other stakeholders.

The ILO Director-General and UNAIDS Executive Director were joined at the launch by Mr. Grégoire Owona, Minister of Labor and Social Security of Cameroon, Ms. Jacqueline Mugo, Executive Director of the Federation of Kenya Employers, Mr. Luc Cortebeeck, President of the Confédération des Syndicats Chrétien and Ms. Francoise Ndayishimiye, Senior Gender Advisor at UNAIDS, who spoke of the importance of confidential voluntary counselling and testing.

VCT@WORK was launched while about 5,000 delegates representing governments, employers and workers from the ILO’s 185 member States are gathering in Geneva for the International Labour Conference to discuss various world of work issues including employment and social protection in an ageing world, sustainable development and social dialogue.