GENEVA, 25 April 2012—The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) and the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) have signed a memorandum of understanding to eliminate stigma and discrimination, protect human rights and facilitate access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support for workers.

“This MOU will result in further bringing the voice of workers to the AIDS response. An effective engagement of trade unions will enhance the protection of rights at work and contribute to the realization of the goal of getting to Zero,” says Mr Juan Somavia, Director-General of the ILO.  

One of the commitments adopted by United Nations Member States in the 2011 Political Declaration on AIDS is to mitigate the impact of the epidemic on workers, their families and their dependents, as well as the impact on workplaces and economies. The declaration also calls for the effective implementation of the International Labour Organization’s (ILO) standards on AIDS and the world of work.

“The trade union movement is deeply committed to the AIDS response. The involvement of unions enhances and strengthens both the credibility and effectiveness of workplace initiatives. Protection from discrimination at work, and ensuring access to HIV prevention and treatment services are also crucial areas in which unions are fully engaged,” said ITUC General Secretary Sharan Burrow.

In 2010 a non-governmental consultation on stigma and discrimination found that more than one third of people living with HIV had experienced loss of employment, denial of health care, social or vocational exclusion and/or involuntary disclosure.

“It is unacceptable that people lose their jobs or source of income because of their HIV status,” said Michel Sidibé, Executive Director of UNAIDS. “Trade Unions are vitally important in the AIDS response to protect workers’ rights and inform workers about access to HIV services.”

UNAIDS and the ITUC, in collaboration with ILO, will unite efforts on a number of specific activities to increase HIV services for workers including advocating to remove travel restrictions for people living with HIV, to enforce laws which protect people living with HIV and access to justice, to mobilize political commitment and to trigger debate on young people, employment and HIV.

GENEVA, 20 April 2012—UNAIDS commends the High Court of Kenya for a ruling today that will safeguard access to affordable and quality life-saving generic medicines. The decision by the High Court found that the definition of “anti-counterfeit” within the 2008 Anti-Counterfeit Act was too broad.

“The Act is vague and could undermine access to affordable generic medicines since the Act had failed to clearly distinguish between counterfeit and generic medicines,” said High Court Judge Mumbi Ngugi in her ruling.

The High Court called on Kenya’s Parliament to review the Act and remove ambiguities that could result in arbitrary seizures of generic medicines under the pretext of fighting counterfeit drugs. The judgment also stated that intellectual property rights should not override the right to life and health.

“A vast majority of people in Kenya rely on quality generic drugs for their daily survival. Through this important ruling, the High Court of Kenya has upheld a fundamental element of the right to health,” said UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé. “This decision will set an important precedent for ensuring access to life-saving drugs around the world.”

At the end of 2011, about 1.6 million people in Kenya were living with HIV. An estimated 743 000 Kenyans are eligible for antiretroviral treatment, of whom 539 000 are currently receiving it. Kenya’s national HIV treatment programme relies heavily on access to generic antiretroviral medicines.

“We must have both generic drugs and strong anti-counterfeit laws,” said Mr Sidibé. “Generic drugs give more people access to life-saving treatment—while anti-counterfeit laws keep people safe.”

In low- and middle-income countries more than 80% of the antiretroviral drugs used by the 6.6 million people on HIV treatment come from generic manufacturers. Nearly 8 million additional people living with HIV were eligible for treatment at the end of 2010.

GENEVA, 17 April 2012—The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) welcomes the selection of Dr Jim Yong Kim as the 12th President of the World Bank Group. Dr Kim’s dedication to improving the lives of the most vulnerable, especially in sub-Saharan Africa, has enabled him to bring innovations in health and development to scale.

“Jim Kim brings insight, inspiration and a proven track record to this important position,” said UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé. “I look forward to working closely with Jim, as his selection ushers in a new era for the World Bank and how we approach the future of development.”

The World Bank is a UNAIDS Cosponsor and leads the joint programme’s efforts to support strategic, results-oriented national HIV planning; provide sustained, predictable funding for HIV programmes; and promote more efficient, effective and transparent HIV programme implementation.

Dr Kim currently serves as President of Dartmouth College. As the former Director of the World Health Organization’s HIV/AIDS department, he led the “3 by 5” initiative, which resulted in a massive scale up of access to antiretroviral treatment. His early leadership has helped make it possible for more than 6.6 million people to access antiretroviral treatment today.

GENEVA, 6 April 2012—The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) welcomes the appointment of Ms Ertharin Cousin as the Executive Director of the World Food Programme (WFP). Ms Cousin brings more than 25 years of national and international non-profit, government, and corporate leadership experience focusing on hunger, food and resilience strategies.

“I congratulate Ertharin Cousin on taking this leadership role at WFP,” said UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé. “Food security plays a critical role in reducing HIV vulnerability and uptake of antiretroviral treatment. Together, we will work to end both—AIDS and food insecurity.”

WFP is a Cosponsor of UNAIDS and leads the programme’s efforts on dietary and nutrition support in the AIDS response. WFP’s HIV programmes focus on improving HIV treatment success through food and nutrition support, as well as mitigating the effects of HIV among food-insecure individuals and households.

GENEVA, 9 March 2012—The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) is deeply saddened by the death of United States Representative Donald M. Payne.

Congressman Payne served for more than 20 years in the United States House of Representatives, dedicating his life to improving the lives of people in his home country and around the world.

Congressman Payne was instrumental in co-authoring the original United States President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) legislation in 2003, legislation that continues to save the lives of millions of people. He was known for his holistic approach to health, focusing on the whole person living with or at risk of HIV—ensuring that issues such as nutrition, disease prevention, and human rights were integrated.

As both Chairman and Ranking Member of the United States Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, and Human Rights of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Congressman Payne worked tirelessly to advocate for equity and access. His vision and dedication will be greatly missed.

GENEVA, 8 March 2012—Researchers from the Africa Centre for Health and Population Studies have presented results which show that in areas where antiretroviral therapy uptake is high (greater than 30%) people who do not have HIV are 38% less likely to acquire the virus than in areas of low uptake (less than 10%).

“These findings are extremely important. UNAIDS encourages all countries and communities to achieve high coverage of antiretroviral therapy, both for the benefit of people living with HIV and for the communities in which they live,” said Paul De Lay, Deputy Executive Director, Programme, Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS).

It is the first time the positive impact of antiretroviral therapy on HIV incidence has been demonstrated in a community setting. The findings also confirm results from the recent HPTN052 study which showed that if an HIV-positive person adheres to an effective antiretroviral therapy regimen, the risk of transmitting the virus to their uninfected sexual partner can be reduced by 96%.

The study used HIV surveillance data collected since 2003 in a rural area of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa. In the study area, 20 000 people living with HIV had accessed antiretroviral therapy since 2004 through public-sector primary health care.

More than 16 500 HIV negative people living in the study area were followed from 2004 to 2011 though population-based HIV surveillance. During the study period 1 413 people were newly infected with HIV––an incidence rate of 2.6%. In areas where more than 30% of all people living with HIV were receiving antiretroviral therapy, the incidence rate was significantly lower compared to areas where less than 10% of all people living with HIV were accessing treatment. Holding other risk factors constant, people were nearly 40% less likely to acquire HIV in the ‘high uptake’ areas.

South Africa has expanded the eligibility criteria for initiation of antiretroviral therapy in recent years, whereby people living with HIV with a CD4 cell count of less than 350 are eligible for antiretroviral therapy––in line with 2010 World Health Organization recommendations.

“The results give clear evidence that HIV incidence is reduced as a result of high coverage of antiretroviral therapy,” said Frank Tanser from the Africa Centre for Health and Population Studies, University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. “It is the first time that we have been able to show such results in a population setting––an important finding which will help guide the AIDS response.”

Abstract: Effect of ART Coverage on Rate of New HIV Infections in a Hyper-endemic, Rural Population: South Africa http://retroconference.org/2012/

Top business leaders unite behind the global goal of a “Generation Born HIV Free” 

Davos, Switzerland, 27 January 2012 — UNAIDS and PEPFAR welcome the launch at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland of two new initiatives by business leaders—the Business Leadership Council for a “Generation Born HIV Free” and the Social Media Syndicate to end new HIV infections in children.

The Business Leadership Council was started as part of the private sector’s contribution to the Global Plan towards elimination of new HIV infections among children and keeping their mothers alive (Global Plan). The Global Plan was launched in 2011 at the United Nations High Level Meeting on AIDS and focuses on 22 countries, mostly in sub-Saharan Africa, that make up nearly 90% of all new HIV infections among infants.

“We will not reach our goal of zero new HIV infections among children without the passion and determination of the world’s business leaders,” said Michel Sidibé, UNAIDS Executive Director. “The private sector not only brings financial resources, but also their expertise in management, marketing and connecting with people at the grassroots.”

Ambassador Eric Goosby, U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator, participated in today’s announcement and stated, “I commend these business leaders for their commitment and partnership. The launch of the Business Leadership Council (BLC) and the Social Media Syndicate is a clear sign that the private sector is ready to step up.” He added, “By working together, I believe that we will soon see a day when no baby is born with HIV, when many more mothers are kept healthy and alive to raise their families, and communities have more hope for a brighter future.”

In 2010, an estimated 390 000 children were newly infected with HIV. Most of the new HIV infections were in low- and middle-income countries. In high-income countries the number was close to zero. HIV infections among children can be easily averted if mothers living with HIV are provided optimal antiretroviral drugs during pregnancy, childbirth and breastfeeding.  Protecting a child from HIV can cost as little as US$300 and saves at least three times more in health care costs alone for a child living with HIV.

The Social Media Syndicate will coordinate the most influential, individual publishers on the Social Web to share messages and actions needed to welcome a “Generation Born HIV Free” and to achieve all the health-related Millennium Development Goals.

Getting to zero new HIV infections among children and keeping their mothers alive requires political will, community support and health services that are tailored to meet the needs of women and children.

There has been significant progress in reducing the number of children born with HIV. There was a 30% reduction in the number of children infected with HIV between 2002 and 2010. Since the launch of the Global Plan most of the priority countries have embarked on accelerated efforts to reach pregnant women with HIV services. In Botswana, the percentage of infants born with HIV declined to 4% in 2010. Lesotho, Namibia, South Africa, and Swaziland have all reached more than 80% of pregnant women with HIV prevention services.

As new resources for the AIDS response are declining, the support of the Gates Foundation will help restore confidence in meeting global AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria targets

GENEVA, 26 January 2012—UNAIDS welcomes the grant of US$ 750 million by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.

“At this crucial time, when lives are being lost for lack of resources to provide treatment to people living with HIV, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has restored hope to people living with and at risk of HIV,” said Michel Sidibé, UNAIDS Executive Director. “This financial pledge—together with the Foundation’s unwavering commitment to innovation, research and HIV prevention—will make a difference today and tomorrow.”

World leaders agreed to pledge between US$ 22-24 billion each year by 2015 at the United Nations High Level meeting on AIDS in June 2011. However the resources available today are far less than the total need. In 2010 US$ 15.3 billion was available for the AIDS response in low- and middle-income countries.

The majority of the countries in sub-Saharan Africa—the region most affected by AIDS—depend on international aid to provide antiretroviral treatment for people living with HIV. Countries faced a major setback with the recent cancellation of Round 11 grants by the Global Fund. The immediate injection of new resources will help countries ensure that there no interruptions to on-going programmes as they continue to scale up lifesaving programmes.

A fully-funded Global Fund is essential to help countries reach their AIDS response targets by 2015

Geneva, 24 January 2012—In the ten years since the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (Global Fund) was established, the organization has made a profound difference in saving millions of lives around the world. It has created momentum and helped countries achieve results.

• In the past decade, the Global Fund has approved more than US$ 22.6 billion in grants to 150 countries. 
• Global Fund grants are helping countries provide 3.3 million people access to HIV treatment.
• The Global Fund has ensured that more than one million pregnant women living with HIV have had access to antiretroviral drugs to prevent the transmission of HIV to their children.

UNAIDS is confident, that in the Global Fund’s transition phase, its transformation plan will help deliver further results. UNAIDS will continue to work in partnership with countries and with the Global Fund to reduce risks and ensure high-impact programmes continue on the ground.  

The remarkable progress achieved in the AIDS response must be sustained and accelerated. UNAIDS urges the international community to urgently explore innovative sources of funding to bridge the gap in global resources for AIDS. It also calls on countries to revise and reprioritize AIDS investments as well as national AIDS strategies.

In 2011, UN member states pledged to invest between US$ 22-24 billion per year by 2015 for the global AIDS response. Last year, US$ 15 billion was available, however international funding has fallen from US$ 8.7 billion in 2009 to US$ 7.6 billion in 2010.

GENEVA, 15 December 2011—The Programme Coordinating Board of the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) convened from 13-15 December to review and follow up on recommendations of the 2011 UN General Assembly High Level Meeting on AIDS. The Board took note of the progress made by countries and civil society organizations in implementing the 2011 Political Declaration on AIDS as well as the support provided by UNAIDS.

In his report to the 29th Board meeting, UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé noted that leaders around the world are joining the call for an AIDS free generation and endorsing the UNAIDS vision of zero new HIV infections, zero discrimination and zero AIDS-related deaths.

“A year ago, skeptics said that getting to zero was just a slogan. But countries, partners and people around the world have embraced the vision and are now working to translate it into reality,” said Mr Sidibé. “Failure to scale up to the targets of the Political Declaration would not only be ethically wrong, but shortsighted and unacceptable. Now is not the time to halt our investments. If we do not seize the opportunity now, costs will simply escalate and the zero will cease to be viable as a vision.”

A report from civil society delegates, the UNAIDS results, accountability and budget matrix, progress made on implementation of the Second Independent Evaluation and the technical support provided by UNAIDS was welcomed by the delegates. The Board requested the establishment of a time-limited, consultative process to better define UNAIDS’ technical support, as well as areas of core competency and strengths.

UNAIDS also presented a progress report on the Global Plan towards the elimination of new HIV infections among children and keeping their mother alive. Eleven countries have launched national plans towards the global targets of a 90% reduction in new HIV infections among children and a 50% reduction in AIDS-related maternal deaths by 2015.

During the three-day meeting, Professor Salim Abdool Karim presented the results of a study that has offered new hope for a female-controlled HIV prevention tool. Conducted by researchers at the Centre for the AIDS Programme of Research in South Africa (CAPRISA), the study found the antiretroviral medicine tenofovir, when applied consistently, is effective in reducing HIV infections in women by up to 54%. Prof. Karim stressed the need for a female-controlled HIV prevention option to address the vulnerabilities and inequities facing women and girls in protecting themselves against HIV.

A thematic segment on HIV and enabling legal environments provided an opportunity for delegates to exchange developments and perspectives on the role of law in the AIDS response. Moderated by journalist Riz Khan, interventions from countries and civil society organizations focused on national situations in the application of law, law enforcement and access to justice for people living with or vulnerable to HIV. In the closing session, Justice Michael Kirby urged the audience to turn ‘words into actions’.

Several hundred participants and observers from UN Member States, international organizations, civil society and non-governmental organizations attended the meeting, which was chaired by El Salvador with Poland acting as Vice-Chair and Egypt as Rapporteur. In 2012, Poland will assume the role of Chair, and the Board elected India as Vice-Chair and the United States of America as Rapporteur. The UNAIDS Executive Director’s report to the Board, decisions, recommendations and conclusions from the meeting can be found at: unaids.org.