A consensus agreement on how to significantly scale up the global response to the millions of children orphaned and made vulnerable by AIDS marks critical progress, according to the heads of UNICEF and UNAIDS who were speaking at a high-level meeting involving key international partners working to address the complex and far-reaching impacts HIV/AIDS is having on millions of children and adolescents orphaned by the disease. Eight out of ten live in sub-Saharan Africa, adding to the millions of children orphaned due to conflicts and other causes. Donors, UN agencies and international non-governmental organizations participated in the two-day talks.

Nelson Mandela launched a worldwide music-led campaign, 46664, in London to raise awareness of HIV/AIDS in Africa, and to call on citizens around the world to pressure their governments to respond to AIDS as an international emergency.

On World Food Day, when attention is drawn to the more than 800 million hungry people across the globe, the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) announced that the World Food Programme (WFP) has joined UNAIDS as a Cosponsor. Together with the eight existing Cosponsors, WFP will strengthen the UN’s response to the growing HIV/AIDS epidemic, which claimed over three million lives last year alone.

GENEVA, 7 June 2013—The Joint United Nations programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) welcomes the recent announcement by the World Health Organization (WHO) that for the first time a non-surgical device (PrePex™) has been pre-qualified for the purpose of adult male circumcision for HIV prevention.

There is compelling evidence that medical male circumcision reduces sexual transmission of HIV from women to men by 60%. WHO and UNAIDS urge countries with high HIV prevalence and low levels of male circumcision to expand access to safe, voluntary medical male circumcision as part of their HIV prevention efforts. 

However, many countries are facing challenges in scaling up voluntary medical male circumcision as for HIV prevention, in particular due to the shortage of surgically trained and skilled providers to perform the current conventional surgical procedure.

In comparison to the surgical procedure, PrePex™ does not routinely require injectable anaesthesia or suturing, and safe use has been demonstrated by appropriately trained physicians and mid-level providers with surgical back-up as needed.

“This kind of innovation that may contribute to improving efficiency, access, and safety, while increasing demand for voluntary medical male circumcision is very welcome,” said Michel Sidibé, Executive Director of UNAIDS. “It could have a significant impact on HIV prevention efforts in areas with high HIV prevalence and low levels of male circumcision if uptake increases.”

Since voluntary medical male circumcision programmes for HIV prevention started in 2007, an estimated 2 million men have undergone circumcisions for HIV prevention in Eastern and Southern Africa. UNAIDS estimates that voluntary medical male circumcision has the potential to prevent an estimated 1 in 5 new HIV infections in the region by 2025. However, programmes will need to be significantly scaled-up to maximize public health impact.

Medical male circumcision provides partial protection to men from heterosexual transmission, and WHO and UNAIDS recommend that it be firmly placed in a combination approach to prevent HIV infection that includes the correct and consistent use of male and female condoms; a reduction in the number of sexual partners; the promotion of safe sexual practices such as avoidance of penetrative sex; treatment for sexually transmitted infections; and the provision of antiretroviral therapy for people living with HIV who are eligible for treatment.

GENEVA, 21 May 2013—The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) is deeply saddened by the death of Shivananda Khan, an AIDS activist who was known and respected for his tireless promotion of the rights of men who have sex with men and transgender people.

Mr Khan, the founder and Chief Executive of the Naz Foundation International based in London and Lucknow became active in the AIDS response after losing a close friend to AIDS in the early 1990s. In recognition of Mr Khan’s work with men who have sex with men and transgender people in Asia and globally, he was awarded the Order of the British Empire in 2005.

“The global AIDS movement has lost a leading and passionate advocate on HIV, men who have sex with men and transgender issues,” said Michel Sidibé, Executive Director of UNAIDS. “Shiv was an inspiration and a committed champion for community-led HIV responses. He will be greatly missed.”

For over two decades, Mr Khan campaigned to bring greater attention to the challenges and strategies needed to address HIV among men who have sex with men and transgender people. He was a strong advocate for the development of community-led organizations in South Asia. Mr Khan was the central figure in the development of the Asia Pacific Coalition on Male Sexual Health (APCOM), serving as its Chair from 2009-2012.

GENEVA, 18 May 2013—The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) joins partners and allies around the world in recognizing World AIDS Vaccine Day. 

Developing an HIV vaccine is one of the greatest scientific challenges the world faces—and one of the most important. While encouraging progress has been made in the AIDS response, getting to zero new HIV infections will ultimately require a safe and highly effective HIV vaccine.

The recent news that a potential vaccine candidate was found ineffective in a large clinical trial highlights the magnitude of the task. However, evidence shows that a vaccine is possible. One candidate has already been shown to be partially effective (the RV144 trial, reported in 2009),   and a multinational research collaboration is investigating ways to improve upon it. In the laboratory, exciting new discoveries may soon lead to the development of entirely different types of vaccines.

“Despite the formidable challenge of finding a vaccine for a complex virus like HIV, there is today a more systematic and concerted scientific effort than ever before,” said Michel Sidibé, Executive Director of UNAIDS. “Sustained funding for research to find a vaccine for HIV is essential. With almost five new infections every minute, there is no time to lose.”

While the scientific challenges are great, they are being overcome due to the commitment and hard work of researchers, study participants, and affected communities. An effective HIV vaccine is only possible with continued support and investment in this critical work.

Message from UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé on the occasion of World TB Day 2013

GENEVA, 24 March 2013—Every day more than 1000 people living with HIV die of tuberculosis. This is unacceptable. Today we have the knowledge and the power to stop HIV and TB in their tracks. By integrating HIV and TB services and systems, we can save millions of lives and millions of dollars.

UNAIDS is calling for Zero parallel systems for HIV and TB. This means that HIV and TB systems should be fully integrated, every person living with HIV is tested for TB and that every person with TB is offered an HIV test, and people with TB who are HIV-positive are started on antiretroviral treatment immediately.

This can be achieved if governments, partners, businesses, civil society and people living with HIV and TB—commit resources, energies and embrace a collaborative spirit to end the HIV and TB co-epidemic.

If we do not close the funding gap and focus on HIV and TB hotspots, globally we could face a re-emergent disaster of HIV and drug resistant TB. UNAIDS will work closely with countries, donors and partners, particularly the Stop TB Partnership, the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria and the United States President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief  to produce sustainable solutions to fully integrate HIV/TB services and systems.   

There are less than 1000 days remaining to achieve the targets in the 2011 United Nations General Assembly Political Declaration on HIV and AIDS. Member states committed to halving the number of TB deaths in people living with HIV.

Any time wasted will be precious lives lost.

UNAIDS looks forward to continued partnership with the Catholic Church in responding to HIV

GENEVA, 14 March 2013—The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) congratulates His Holiness Pope Francis on his election as the new Pope of the Catholic Church.

“I give my warm wishes to Pope Francis as he assumes the papacy. His unwavering commitment to serve people most in need is an inspiration to us all,” said Michel Sidibé, Executive Director of UNAIDS. “I look forward to working with His Holiness so that the Catholic Church can advance the AIDS response and ensure the dignity of people most affected by HIV.”

UNAIDS works closely with faith based organisations including the Catholic Church, which provides support to millions of people living with HIV around the world.  Statistics from the Vatican in 2012 indicate that Catholic Church-related organizations provide approximately a quarter of all HIV treatment, care, and support throughout the world and run more than 5000 hospitals, 18 000 dispensaries and 9000 orphanages, many involved in AIDS-related activities.

UNAIDS values its close working relationship with the Catholic Church and the Holy See, particularly on critical issues such as the elimination of new HIV infections in children and keeping their mothers alive, as well as increasing access to antiretroviral medication.

In 2009, UNAIDS established a strategic framework to strengthen partnerships between UNAIDS and faith based organisations. The framework outlines the need for global and national religious leaders to take supportive public action in the AIDS response.

“The aids response is not just about science, but also social transformation which cannot be achieved without engaging religious leaders and faith based organisations,” added Mr Sidibé.

GENEVA, 31 January 2013—The United Nations Joint Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) welcomes the recent law reforms in Mongolia that have removed all travel restrictions and other discriminatory provisions for people living with HIV. The reforms which were passed by Mongolia’s Parliament in mid-December of last year took effect on 15 January 2013.

The Law on Prevention of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infection and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome removes all HIV-related restrictions on entry, stay and residence. Foreigners applying for visas to Mongolia are no longer required to disclose or provide documentation of HIV status.

“I commend Mongolia for taking this bold step and I hope this will encourage other countries to follow their example and move the world towards zero HIV-related stigma and discrimination,” said Michel Sidibé, UNAIDS Executive Director.

UNAIDS advocates for the right to freedom of movement—regardless of HIV status. There is no evidence to suggest that restrictions on the entry, stay or residence of people living with HIV protect public health.

Mongolia’s reforms also removed employment restrictions that prevented people living with HIV from undertaking certain jobs, including in the food industry. The new law has also encouraged the creation of a multi-sectorial body comprised of government, civil society and private sector representatives to help put in place the reforms.

With the removal of Mongolia's restrictions, UNAIDS counts 44 countries, territories, and areas that continue to impose some form of restriction on the entry, stay and residence of people living with HIV based on their HIV status. There are five countries with a complete ban on the entry and stay of people living with HIV and five more countries deny visas even for short-term stays. Nineteen countries deport individuals once their HIV-positive status is discovered.

GENEVA, 14 December 2012—The United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon has appointed Dr Luiz Loures as the new Deputy Executive Director of Programme at the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) and Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations.

“Luiz is a pioneer in the AIDS response––from his grassroots work treating patients in Brazil in the early days of the epidemic––to his subsequent global policy work on AIDS,” said UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé. “I am confident that his dynamic leadership and forward thinking approach will help take the AIDS response to new levels.”

Dr Loures joined UNAIDS in 1996, holding posts which included Director of the Executive Office and most recently Director of the Political and Public Affairs Branch. He also served as Associate Director of the Europe and Americas Division.

Before joining UNAIDS, Dr Loures was a Special Advisor on AIDS to the Ministry of Health in Brazil and participated actively in the creation and consolidation of the country’s National AIDS Programme, widely recognized today as one of the most effective in curbing the epidemic. He was also directly responsible for designing the programme for universal access to antiretroviral drugs for people living with HIV in Brazil. A medical doctor, Dr Loures brings more than 28 years of experience in the AIDS response.

Dr Loures will assume his new role on 1 January 2013. Current Deputy Executive Director of Programme Paul De Lay will retire at the end of this year.