Young leaders empowered to lead change and hold policymakers accountable for future progress on HIV

Geneva, 15 April 2011—Over 100 young leaders from around the world are meeting in Bamako, Mali, for a three-day Global Youth Summit on HIV. The Summit, hosted by President Amadou Toumani Touré of Mali, is being held to create a new generation of leadership in the global AIDS response.

“Young people must take the leadership of the AIDS response, and they must be given the space to lead,” said President Touré, in the opening plenary of the Summit.

Despite the increase in the number of youth organizations and networks focusing on HIV, young people still face difficulties in influencing decision makers and in becoming engaged as equal partners in the AIDS response.

The Summit has been convened to empower young leaders, including young people living with HIV, to create a sustainable, youth-driven transformation of the AIDS movement. Participants will agree on strategies for young people to lead an HIV prevention revolution. They will also discuss ways of strengthening youth networks and uniting the youth and AIDS movements around the world.

“Today’s young people will assume the mantle for the next decade—ensuring social justice and equity,” said Michel Sidibé, Executive Director of the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS). “Young people are defining the future of the global AIDS response and bringing new energy to the AIDS movement.

Participants will develop a Call to Action to empower young people and hold policymakers accountable for future progress on AIDS. This Call to Action will be launched online and will leverage the voices of young people in the lead-up to the United Nations High Level Meeting which is taking place in New York from 8-10 June 2011. “I am ready to take the Call to Action coming out of the Mali Youth Summit on HIV to the High Level Meeting at the United Nations,” said President Touré.

“We are forging a network of young leaders to take ownership of the AIDS response. We are committed to using all available options to advocate for world leaders to redouble their commitment to the AIDS response at the High Level Meeting on AIDS in June," said Eunwoo Kim, co-chair of the steering committee of the Mali Youth Summit on HIV.

In 2009, people aged 15-24 accounted for 41% of new HIV infections among adults. Young women are particularly vulnerable to HIV, accounting for 64% of infections among young people worldwide. Data also show that young people are leading a prevention revolution by adopting safer sexual practices. The rate of new HIV infections in young people has fallen by more than 25% in 15 of the most severely affected countries.

GENEVA, 14 April 2011—UNAIDS expresses continued concern over reported disruptions in access to HIV prevention, treatment and care services in Côte d’Ivoire, even as the country moves towards peace and reconciliation.

Côte d’Ivoire has the highest HIV prevalence in West Africa, estimated at 3.4% of the adult population. More than 70 000 people in Côte d’Ivoire were on antiretroviral treatment when the electoral crisis began in late 2010. Interruptions in treatment access can have serious health consequences for people living with HIV.

“We know that conflict and civil unrest can increase a person’s vulnerability to HIV infection and threaten the health of those on antiretroviral treatment,” said UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé. “In this time of transition, I urge authorities and civil society organizations in Côte d’Ivoire to urgently restore HIV prevention and treatment services for people living with HIV,” he added.

UNAIDS looks forward to working with President Alassane Ouattara, his government and partners in the coming months to restore basic health and AIDS services to all in need.

El Salvador first country in Latin America to declare representation at the highest level at June meeting which will shape the future of the response to HIV

Geneva, 14 April 2011—The President of El Salvador, Mauricio Funes has set aside the dates to attend the United Nations High Level Meeting on AIDS in New York this June. The meeting will be critical in determining the future of the AIDS response as UN member states gather to discuss how to overcome the obstacles which are still preventing many countries from meeting their universal access targets.

In 2001 UN Member States came together for the first historic meeting on HIV, the landmark UN General Assembly Special Session on HIV/AIDS. At the follow-up review in 2006, the High Level Meeting on AIDS, Member States made commitments to pursue all efforts to achieve the goal of universal access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support.

The meeting to be held in June will provide a platform for Member States and partners to review progress made to date and work out ways of addressing the many challenges faced in the AIDS response today.

“This year marks 30 years since the first case of AIDS was reported,” said Michel Sidibé. “In those 30 years the face of the epidemic has changed considerably and it is essential that the response adapts to the new realities. President Funes’s pledge of support to the June meeting is an encouraging sign that El Salvador is committed to keeping HIV at the top of its political agenda and that it stands firm in joining global efforts to achieve a future generation free from HIV.”

The percentage of people in need of treatment and who had access to antiretroviral therapy in El Salvador increased from 17% in 2004 to 53% in 2009––and the number of people living with HIV reduced by 27% from 2001 to 2009.

El Salvador assumed the position of chair of UNAIDS' Programme Coordinating Board for 2011. UNAIDS’ Programming Board acts as the governing body on all programmatic issues concerning policy, strategy, finance, monitoring and evaluation of UNAIDS.

New York, 8 April 2011—More than 400 civil society representatives have come together at the United Nations in New York for a one-day hearing on progress made in the HIV response. The event is an opportunity for United Nations Member States to engage with civil society representatives and people living with HIV to highlight some of the challenges, achievements and aspirations in the AIDS response and find new ways of moving forward.

The hearing is being held as UN Member States begin consultation on the drafting of a new outcome document on HIV, to be adopted at a United Nations High Level Meeting on AIDS in June.

At the 2006 High Level Meeting on AIDS, countries set goals towards achieving universal access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support. Although great strides have been made in the response since that time, not all countries have reached their universal access targets.

At the hearing civil society organizations highlighted the need for a strong new declaration, rejuvenated political commitment and revitalized targets to ensure countries scale-up to reach their universal access goals.

The President of the General Assembly, Joseph Deiss, who chaired the hearing said, “Civil society was the first to sound the alarm bells on AIDS in the 1980’s and their passion and resolve have not diminished today. Civil society’s voice remains as powerful as ever before and they are making every effort to support Member States in producing a strong and meaningful declaration on AIDS in June.”

The President’s report from the hearing, which will be issued as an official General Assembly document, will be instrumental in informing consultations in the lead up to the June Meeting.

“It is essential for the future success of the AIDS response that civil society is fully involved,” said Michel Sidibé, Executive Director of the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS. “Civil society has a unique ability to build bridges and create links between partners. Member States have a valuable opportunity today to learn from the people who are most affected by the epidemic and find new ways of working together to make a real difference.”

Civil society representatives highlighted the need for sustainability over the long term. “It is encouraging that there is more commitment now from governments and donors to programmes to prevent vertical transmission of HIV,” said Ebony Johnson, North American Delegate, UNAIDS PCB NGO Delegation. “But this commitment must be extended to support people for the whole of their lifetimes to make sure that they have continued access to robust and sustainable HIV prevention, treatment and support services.”

Many of the issues and concerns raised by civil society organizations at the hearing were centered on increasing access to HIV services. Major obstacles outlined included legal and policy barriers; stigma and discrimination; the need for laws to protect human rights, including the rights of people living HIV; and social justice for equity in access to services

“The legal and policy environment must be reformed to increase the availability and uptake of services by people most affected by the epidemic,” said Joel Nana, Executive Director of African Men for Sexual Health and Rights. “It is essential that the right to access services is upheld regardless of sexual orientation, sexual practices or legal status.”

Civil society members also stressed the importance of fostering dialogue between communities and constituencies. They highlighted that dialogue between women’s groups, young people, people of different faiths and cultures, and marginalized groups is essential to reduce stigma and discrimination and remove barriers to scaling-up the response.

Another area civil society representatives focused on during the hearing was the urgent need to mobilize resources and strengthen communities through greater investment. In addition they underscored the need to form strategic partnerships between communities, governments, the private sector, trade unions and international organizations for a stronger, more comprehensive response to the epidemic.

The United Nations General Assembly High Level Meeting on AIDS will be held from the 8-10 June in New York. More information can be found online at: www.unaids.org/en/aboutunaids/unitednationsdeclarationsandgoals/2011highlevelmeetingonaids/   

President of the Republic of Gabon to contribute to efforts in finding effective solutions to HIV and announces support to refocusing efforts on AIDS as a priority issue during UN High Level Meeting on AIDS

Geneva, 4 April 2011— The Gabonese President, Mr Ali Bongo Ondimba, has announced his commitment to play a key role in efforts to scale-up the AIDS response at the High Level Meeting on AIDS, taking place at the UN in New York from 8-10 June.

“It is a critical time in the AIDS response and more important than ever that we put the focus back onto HIV,” said President Ali Bongo Ondimba. “It is irresponsible to think that AIDS is under control when 10 million people are in need of treatment and more than 7000 people are becoming infected with HIV every day.”   

In recent years, Gabon has made real progress in its HIV response, new HIV infections have reduced by more than 25% since 2001 and access to antiretroviral therapy has increased.

During a meeting with UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé, President Ali Bongo Ondima expressed his support to the AIDS response and his willingness to bring discussions on HIV to the forefront of the June 2011 UN Security Council meeting, the month that Gabon takes over as President.     

“HIV remains one of the major concerns of our time, and must stay at the very top of political agendas,” said Mr Sidibé. “President Ali Bongo Ondimba’s commitment and leadership on HIV are commendable and his engagement in the June meeting will play a major role in securing the future of the response.”

President Ali Bongo Ondimba also expressed his interest in engaging in a special Heads of State session, hosted by the President of Rwanda, which will take place during the High Level Meeting on AIDS. The session will unite leaders in shaping the future of AIDS, health and development.

UNAIDS, UNDP and WHO encourage countries to use the flexibilities as set out in the TRIPS agreement to lower costs and improve access to HIV treatment

GENEVA, 15 March 2011—The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the World Health Organization (WHO) are deeply concerned about the long-term sustainability of access to affordable HIV treatment.

In a new policy brief launched today, UNAIDS, UNDP and WHO urge countries, where appropriate, to use the intellectual property and trade flexibilities set out in the World Trade Organization Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS), and the Doha Declaration on the TRIPS agreement and public health, in order to reduce the price of HIV medicines and expand access to people most in need.

“We are seriously concerned about the future of HIV treatment programmes,” said Paul De Lay, Deputy Executive Director, Programme, UNAIDS. “Only about one third of people in need have access to treatment. In the current economic climate even sustaining that over the long-term will be a challenge. Countries must use all the means at their disposal, including the TRIPS flexibilities, to ensure sustainability and the significant scale up of HIV services to reach people most in need.” 

At the end of 2009, nearly 15 million people were estimated to be in need of antiretroviral treatment for HIV and 5.2 million people had access to the life-saving therapy.  

Over the last 10 years the annual cost of a first-line antiretroviral regimen for low-income countries decreased by almost 99%––from more than US$ 10 000 per person in 2000 to less than US$ 116 for the least expensive WHO-recommended first-line regimen in 2010. However, prices are still too high for many low- and middle-income countries, especially for second-line regimens.

"Millions of people in developing countries now depend on a steady supply of affordable first-line treatment for HIV. If their treatment is interrupted, which can lead to drug resistance, these patients will have to switch to a second-line regimen. That can be at least six times more expensive than the first-line regimen," said Dr Gottfried Hirnschall, Director of WHO's HIV/AIDS Department. "Making full use of trade flexibilities and other cost reduction strategies for quality medicines is now more important than ever."

The challenge is further exacerbated by an uncertain economic climate. In 2009, funding for HIV was lower than in 2008. This is putting current treatment programmes under increased strain because of reduced budgets and competing priorities. In addition, proposed bilateral and regional free trade agreements could limit the ability of developing countries to use the TRIPS flexibilities. Governments in both developed and developing countries should ensure that any free trade agreements comply with the Principles of the Doha Declaration. 

Jeffrey O’Malley, Director of UNDP’s HIV Practice said, “Using TRIPS flexibilities will allow countries to issue compulsory licences and to use other mechanisms provided by the TRIPS Agreement and Doha Declaration to obtain access to affordable generic antiretroviral medicines. This means a country could produce generic medicines at a lower cost or, if it does not have manufacturing capacity, import lower-cost, generic medicines from another country.”

Brazil issued a compulsory license for efavirenz through the TRIPS flexibilities which brought the price down by more than two-thirds, from US$ 1.60 per dose to US$ 0.45 for the generic version. Such price differences have enormous implications for the ability of national authorities and other service providers to deliver antiretroviral treatment to people in need.

Despite the opportunities provided by the TRIPS flexibilities, many countries have yet to amend their laws to incorporate them. UNAIDS, UNDP and WHO will continue to support countries, on their request, to increase access to treatment and provide technical assistance to implement the TRIPS flexibilities to scale up access to antiretroviral medicine.

UNAIDS and WHO launched the Treatment 2.0 initiative in 2010 to accelerate access to cheaper, more effective and tolerable drug combinations and diagnostics. Efforts must be maintained to spur much-needed innovation in developing new medicines and to support new intellectual property approaches. Incorporating and using the available TRIPS flexibilities will also be key to expanding access to HIV treatment in the coming years.

Bangkok, 16 February 2011—Thirty years after the first cases of HIV were diagnosed, 90 percent of countries in the Asia-Pacific region still have laws and practices that obstruct the rights of people living with HIV and those at higher risk of HIV exposure.

As part of a global drive to remove barriers to progress in the AIDS response, policymakers and community advocates will join experts from the Global Commission on HIV and the Law in Bangkok on 17 February for the first in a series of regional dialogues to be held across the world.

The Global Commission on HIV and the Law is an independent body comprising some of the world’s most respected legal, human rights and HIV leaders.  At this week’s dialogue, approximately 150 participants from 22 countries will discuss and debate region-wide experiences of restrictive and enabling legal and social environments faced by key populations in the Asia-Pacific region, including people living with HIV.

According to UNDP Administrator Helen Clark, “The law and its application can have a profound impact on the lives of people, especially those who are marginalized and disempowered.  The law is a powerful instrument to challenge stigma, promote public health, and protect human rights. We have much to learn from the positive and negative experiences in this region on the interactions between the law, legislative reform, law enforcement practices, and public health responses.”

Across the region, legislation and law enforcement often lag behind national HIV policies, with the result that the reach and effectiveness of HIV prevention, treatment and care programmes are undermined. For example, 19 countries still criminalize same-sex relations and 29 countries criminalize some aspect of sex work. Many countries in the region enforce compulsory detention for people who use drugs and in some cases (eleven countries in Asia) issue the death penalty for drug offences.

“In the Asia-Pacific region, and across the world, there are too many examples of countries with laws, policies and practices that punish, rather than protect, people in need of HIV services. Where the law does not advance justice, it stalls progress,” said Mr. Michel Sidibé, Executive Director of the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), who will participate in the Commission’s dialogue in Bangkok. “Advancing human rights and gender equity would not only be a triumph for the AIDS response, but for human development as a whole.”

Responding on behalf of the Global Commission on HIV and the Law, the Hon. Michael Kirby, Commissioner and Co-Chair of the Commission’s Technical Advisory Group stated “the effectiveness of the HIV response will depend not just on the scale up of HIV prevention, treatment and care, but on whether the legal and social environment support or hinder programmes for those who are most vulnerable. This requires bold and effective legal and policy measures to reach out to vulnerable communities and individuals at risk.”

The Regional Dialogue, hosted by the Global Commission on HIV and the Law, is jointly organized by UNDP and UNAIDS in partnership with the United Nations Economic and Social Commission on Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP). In mid-2010, ESCAP’s Member States passed Resolution 66/10 in which countries committed to address policy and legal barriers to effective HIV responses.

“I am proud that, in our region, we have had such strong showing of collective will to handle these difficult issues,” said Noeleen Heyzer, Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and Executive Secretary of ESCAP. “In adopting Resolution 66/10, our Member States highlighted the urgency of ensuring universal access to comprehensive prevention programmes, treatment, care and support. A major step towards achieving these goals is to foster an equitable and just legal and policy environment, with particular regard for key populations.

Note to editors:

The Global Commission on HIV and the Law was launched in June 2010 by UNDP on behalf of the UNAIDS family to provide global leadership on HIV-related legal and human rights issues by analysing what is known about the interactions between the legal environments, human rights and HIV; fostering evidence-informed public dialogue on the need for rights-based law and policy in the context of HIV; and identifying clear and actionable recommendations with a concrete plan for follow-up.  (www.hivlawcommission.org)

The members of the Commission are: former President of Brazil, Fernando Henrique Cardoso (Brazil, Commission Chair), Justice Edwin Cameron (South Africa), Ms. Ana Helena Chacón-Echeverría (Costa Rica), Mr. Charles Chauvel (New Zealand), Dr. Shereen El Feki (Egypt, Commission Vice-Chair), Ms. Bience Gawanas (Namibia), Dame Carol Kidu (Papua New Guinea), the Honourable Michael Kirby (Australia), the Honourable Barbara Lee (United States), Mr. Stephen Lewis (Canada), His Excellency Mr. Festus Mogae (Botswana), Mr. JVR Prasada Rao (India), Professor Sylvia Tamale (Uganda), Mr. Jon Ungphakorn (Thailand) and Professor Miriam Were (Kenya).

Geneva, 21 January 2011—The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) today signed a new cooperation agreement to overcome HIV-related challenges faced by many migrants.

The agreement seeks to integrate human rights and the needs of migrants and mobile populations into national and regional HIV responses and ensure universal access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support. 

“Healthy migrants contribute significantly to achieving healthy economies,” said Michel Sidibé, Executive Director of UNAIDS. “States and other actors in the AIDS response have a fundamental duty to ensure the safety and well-being of migrants—this must include access to HIV services.”

Under the new agreement, IOM and UNAIDS will also focus on enhancing social protection for migrants affected by HIV; stopping violence against migrant women and girls and removing punitive laws, policies, practices, stigma and discrimination related to HIV and population mobility that block effective responses to AIDS.

"Government and civil society are becoming increasingly concerned about the potential vulnerability of migrants to HIV infection. By strengthening our partnership and pooling our respective expertise on HIV and migrants, our two organizations can address this critical issue more effectively," said IOM Director General William Lacy Swing.

In addition UNAIDS and IOM will work on strengthening technical support to help governments, regional institutions and civil society reduce vulnerability to HIV among mobile and migrant populations. The two organizations will also continue cooperation on research to deepen the understanding of HIV and population mobility.

IOM and UNAIDS have a long-standing partnership, formalized in a 1999 Cooperation Framework which was updated in 2002. This is now replaced by today’s new agreement. IOM’s HIV and population mobility programme not only complements the work of UNAIDS globally, but the Organization is also part of the UN Joint Team on HIV/AIDS at the country level.  

UNAIDS is committed to improving access to HIV services for migrants and has included mobility in its Strategy 2011-2015 which states that HIV responses must create space to involve marginalized and disempowered people, such as migrants.

HIV projects are a significant part of IOM’s work, comprising the second largest area of migrant health projects implemented after health assessments. They are part of IOM’s broader efforts to ensure migrant access to health services regardless of migration status, throughout the migration process.

GENEVA, 29 December 2010—The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) congratulates Mr Bertrand Audoin on his recent appointment as Executive Director of the International AIDS Society (IAS) an association of HIV professionals with more than 19,000 members from some 190 countries working at all levels of the global response to AIDS. 

Mr Audoin will be joining the IAS from Paris, where he was the Director General of Sidaction, a leading French HIV non-governmental organization, where he was responsible for the roll out of public funds to Sidaction’s programmes in France and more than 30 low and middle-income countries around the world.

UNAIDS welcomes Mr Audoin who brings proven leadership and long experience of working on diverse HIV issues to the IAS.

Mr Bertrand will take up the position on 1 February 2011. More details on the announcement can be found at: http://www.iasociety.org/Default.aspx?pageId=99

JEDDAH, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, 12 December 2010—The Islamic Development Bank (IDB) and the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for collaboration on a range of AIDS programmes in sub-Saharan Africa, Central Asia, the Middle East and North Africa. The MoU was signed between IDB Group President Dr Ahmad Mohamed Ali and UNAIDS Executive Director Mr Michel Sidibé at IDB headquarters in Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Through this partnership, IDB and UNAIDS will collaborate on maximizing available resources and sharing information on HIV prevention and control measures. The two agencies will also pay special attention to measures aimed at preventing HIV transmission from mother to child. According to UNAIDS estimates, 1.4 million HIV-positive pregnant women live in low- and middle-income countries. In 2009 alone, there were an estimated 370 000 new HIV infections among children worldwide.

At the signing ceremony, Dr Ahmad Mohamed Ali underlined the emphasis IDB Group has attached to the promotion of health services and the support it has lent to the development of health sector activities and hygiene infrastructure since its inception more than three decades ago. “Promoting health and eventually human development in IDB member countries and Muslim communities in non-member countries around the world constitute a major thrust of the IDB Group’s Vision 2020,” Dr Ali reiterated.

“The Islamic Development Bank’s investment in promoting the global fight against AIDS is welcome at a time when resources for HIV program are flat-lining,” said Mr. Michel Sidibé, after signing the memorandum. “Together, we will strive towards slowing down the spread of HIV infections and AIDS-related deaths.”