Biennial global award celebrates outstanding community leadership and action on AIDS

New York, July 12. Twenty-five community-based organisations representing 17 countries across the globe have won the 2010 Red Ribbon Award.

The Red Ribbon Award, named after the global symbol in the movement to address AIDS, is a joint effort of the UNAIDS family.  The award recognizes outstanding community organisations for their work in reducing the spread and impact of AIDS.

“Grassroots and community based organizations are at the heart of the global response to AIDS,” said UNAIDS Deputy Executive Director, Management & External Relations Jan Beagle, “UNAIDS is proud to celebrate and honor these groups who have mobilized themselves to meet the needs of the most vulnerable in their communities with energy, passion, and compassion. The red ribbon award winners give a resounding voice to the voiceless.”

Each of the winning organizations receives a cash award and international recognition for their innovation and leadership in responding to the AIDS epidemic.  The organizations are invited to participate in the XVIII International AIDS Conference held in Vienna next week where they will be guests of honour at a formal Award Ceremony and will host a forum for dialogue and exchange between policy makers and community representatives.

 “Communities really hold the key to finding solutions to their own problems," said Dr. Helene Gayle, President and CEO of CARE, and a member of this year's jury panel.  "So while those of us with a lot of outside expertise may know the theories, community organizations are best suited to reach those most in need when it comes to applying them.”

Out of 720 nominations from over 100 countries, the 25 winners were judged to have demonstrated the most remarkable efforts in terms of innovation, impact, sustainability, strategic partnerships, gender sensitivity and social inclusion.  The winners were selected by a Technical Review Committee of civil society representatives who are experts in the community response to HIV.

“These organizations clearly demonstrate that effective responses to the epidemic require the full participation of front-line, community-based groups.  Community groups recognize that AIDS is one of many issues that are tied together.  They understand that AIDS requires an exceptional response but they also understand that you need to link AIDS to broader issues of health, development and justice to be effective,” said Jeffrey O’Malley, Director of the HIV/AIDS Practice at UNDP.

UNDP is honoured to announce the 2010 Red Ribbon Award Winners:

AFRICA

Association Pénitentiaire Africaine is an organization in Burkina Faso that has served as a model for raising awareness of prisoners' human rights, specifically the right to health, which includes HIV prevention, treatment, care and support.

Center for Domestic Violence Prevention works at the civil society and government levels in Uganda to build an environment that is supportive of women’s rights to safety and equality, underlying issues behind women’s vulnerability to HIV in that nation.

Chrysalide  operates a centre  of support for women with HIV, drug users, sex workers and ex-prisoners, and has through HIV prevention and sensitization programmes reduced stigma and discrimination experienced by people living with HIV in communities throughout Mauritius.

Elan d’Amour has played a catalytic role in improving access to HIV treatment and care by modelling how to integrate community organizations into the health care system of Cote d’Ivoire.

Nikat Women’s Association is the first community-based association in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia that is devoted to improving the living conditions of low-income women and commercial sex workers, thereby fighting poverty and protecting the right to health.

Physicians for Social Justice has trained family caregivers and volunteers in Nigeria to conduct home visits to support people living with HIV, and in particular women, thereby challenging existing gender and cultural stereotypes.

Positive Women’s Network has been at the forefront of the HIV response in South Africa by creating a safe space for women with HIV, comprehensively addressing their needs and forming a powerful group that educates the wider community about HIV.

Pride Community Health Organization Zambia operates a safe haven in Zambia for people living with HIV, particularly orphans, vulnerable children, youth, women and people with disabilities, providing them with HIV and tuberculosis care, and support through home-based care services.

The Initiative for Equal Rights was established in response to human rights violations against sexual minorities and focuses on the health needs of men who have sex with men, slowly breaking the silence around issues of sexual minorities in Nigeria.

Uganda Young Positive has mobilized over 20,000 young people across Uganda to conduct advocacy activities and become a point of convergence for all other youth organisations that advocate for greater support for people living with HIV.

ARAB STATES

Substance Abuse Research Center – SARC-AMAN is the first organisation in Gaza, the Palestinian territories to tackle issues of drug use and HIV, including stigma and misconceptions associated with these issues, in student and refugee populations.

Widows, Orphans and People Living with HIV/AIDS is a community organisation of people living with HIV in Southern Sudan and works to increase access to anti-retroviral treatment by forming partnerships with hospitals, facilitating referrals for treatment, and developing a home-based care system.

ASIA AND THE PACIFIC

Novices Aids Intervention and Rehabilitation Network is an organisation of novice Buddhist monks who have been trained as HIV peer-educators, breaking the stigma associated with HIV and becoming a model for other novice monks and monastic schools in Thailand.

Positive Voice is an organisation of drug users and former drug users in Nepal, successfully lobbying for access to harm reduction services and anti-retroviral treatment for people who use drugs.

The Youth Volunteer Group is the first community-based organisation working across four regions of Thailand to respond to the needs of children and young people living with or affected by HIV.

EASTERN EUROPE AND CENTRAL ASIA

Albanian Association of PLWHA (AAP) reaches out and provides support to key populations at higher risk in Albania such as women in prison and children living with or affected by HIV. In addition AAP also targets health-care and education-system staff to advocate for targeted services.

International Treatment Preparedness Coalition in Eastern Europe and Central Asia (ITPCru) mobilises and trains people living with HIV in Russia to advocate for their inclusion in local, regional and international decision-making mechanisms, and facilitates information exchange, distributing crucial information through its innovative web and media campaigns. 

Penitentiary Initiative has developed an effective model of integrated services for inmates living with HIV in six under-resourced prisons of Ukraine.

SPIN Plus is a pioneer and leader in community-based organising throughout Tajikstan, providing innovative and peer-based services in to drug users and people living with HIV.

Svitanok Club is the first organisation in the Donetsk, Ukraine region that is created and managed by people living with HIV and drug users, becoming a catalyst in the creation of other organisations serving this population.

Timur Islamov Charitable Foundation has built a strong relationship with local authorities and public health centres in Russia, facilitating its provision of services such as HIV testing, referrals, and support programmes for drug users.

LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN

Asociación Comité Contra El Sida Cabañas – CoCoSI has improved awareness of HIV prevention, stigma and discrimination in El Salvador by providing education on reproductive health rights, HIV and STIs, gender, sexuality, domestic violence, and gender-based violence.

Asociación de Mujeres Meretrices de la Argentina – AMMAR is a network of 15,000 sex workers that has successfully advocated for the adoption of municipal codes and ordinances in Argentina that protect and promote the rights of sex workers. 

Colectivo SerGay de Aguascalientes, A.C. works to expose injustice and document human rights violations towards sexual minorities and marginalized groups in Aguascalientes, Mexico, and provides those populations with a community centre that is a safe space for medical, therapeutic and psychological support. 

Productive Organisation for Women in Action – POWA  uses a mobile information booth, featuring live music and dancing, to attract a wide range of community members in Belize and educate them about HIV, gender-based violence, condom use, and HIV testing and referral services.

For more information about the Red Ribbon Award, go to www.redribbonaward.org

GENEVA, 8 July 2010 – UNAIDS applauds the decision by the Government of Namibia to lift its travel restrictions for people living with HIV and align the country’s legislation with international public health standards. The reforms—which took effect on 1 July—also remove entry restrictions against people living with other contagious diseases.

Restrictions that limit movement based on HIV-positive status only are discriminatory and violate human rights. There is no evidence that such restrictions prevent HIV transmission or protect public health. Furthermore, HIV-related travel restrictions have no economic justification, as people living with HIV can lead long and productive working lives.

“I am heartened by this announcement in Namibia” said Michel Sidibé, UNAIDS Executive Director. “HIV-related travel restrictions serve no purpose and hamper the global AIDS response.”

UNAIDS advocates for an individual’s right to freedom of movement — regardless of HIV status.

After the removal of Namibia's restrictions, UNAIDS counts 51 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; 5 countries deny visas even for short-term stays; 22 countries deport individuals once their HIV-positive status is discovered.

The United States of America and China removed long-standing HIV-related travel restrictions earlier this year. Several other countries, including the Ukraine, have pledged to take steps to remove such restrictions.

French parliamentarians commit to universal access to HIV services

  Yvon Vallières, President of the French Parliamentary Assembly (Assemblée parlementaire de la francophonie or APF), 7 July 2010.

DAKAR, 7 July 2010 – A memorandum of understanding was signed today by Michel Sidibé, Executive Director of UNAIDS, and Yvon Vallières, President of the French Parliamentary Assembly (Assemblée parlementaire de la francophonie or APF), to strengthen the HIV response in francophone countries hardest hit by the HIV epidemic. The signing ceremony took place during the 36th session of the APF, which brings together 300 parliamentarians from francophone countries.

“By partnering with the APF we can engage parliamentarians in francophone countries in advocating for universal access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support,” said Mr Sidibé.

One the priorities of the partnership will be to mobilize parliamentarians, particularly in francophone Africa, to adopt legislation that allows all people, especially those at highest risk of HIV, to access HIV prevention, treatment, care and support services.

Sub-Saharan Africa continues to bear the brunt of the HIV epidemic. Of the 4.1 million people living with HIV in francophone countries, an estimated 3.2 million are in sub-Saharan Africa, according to UNAIDS. 2.7 million adults and children were newly infected with HIV worldwide in 2008, of which 340 000 were in francophone countries ─ the large majority (270 000) in sub-Saharan Africa. As part of the partnership, UNAIDS and the APF will work closely with governments to ensure that they deliver on their commitments to strengthen the HIV response, and allocate the necessary funds for expanding HIV services. They will also tackle such issues as the lack of health care workers in developing countries, and access to affordable quality antiretroviral drugs.

The APF is comprised of parliamentarians from 77 parliaments or inter-parliamentary organizations spanning five continents. It aims to promote and defend democracy, the respect of human rights and preserve the French language and culture.

In December 2009, UNAIDS signed a partnership agreement with the International Organization of la Francophonie (Organisation internationale de la Francophonie or OIF), which is made up of 70 Member States. The APF is an affiliate of the OIF.

Dubai, 29 June 2010 - At a high-level policy dialogue organized by the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), the World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Bank, senior officials from government, donor agencies, development partners and civil society today launched a consensus statement calling for an accelerated regional response to the HIV epidemic in the Middle East and North Africa.

The statement reaffirmed the goal of universal access to HIV prevention, treatment care and support—a commitment enshrined in the 2006 Political Declaration on HIV/AIDS. While recognizing recent gains, the statement outlined a number of key recommendations to bolster the HIV response in the region. These include:

• wider access to HIV prevention;
• free and equal access to antiretroviral treatment and care for all in need;
• improved data and surveillance on the HIV epidemic, particularly for populations at high risk of HIV infection; 
• increased domestic and external funding for the AIDS response;
• the elimination of stigma and discrimination against people living with HIV;
• the removal of political and legal barriers that block an effective AIDS response; and
• the involvement of civil society and people living with HIV in the AIDS response.

The two-day policy dialogue, held under the patronage of HH Sheikh Maktoum Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai, in collaboration with Dubai Police, cast a rare spotlight on an epidemic that is seldom highlighted in the region.

Addressing conference participants, Lt General Dhahi Khalfan Tamim, Commander-in-Chief of Dubai Police, emphasized the importance of a coordinated HIV response. “AIDS knows no boundaries or limits, and has no nationality,” he said. “Unifying the efforts of all stakeholders involved is crucial to halt the spread of AIDS in the region.”

HIV remains a highly stigmatized health condition in the region. In many settings, stigma and discrimination are preventing affected communities from accessing the HIV services they need. “I am here today to ensure that the voices of all those affected by HIV are heard,” said Egyptian actor Mr Amr Waked, a UNAIDS Regional Goodwill Ambassador who attended the meeting. “Social stigma and discrimination in this region must be urgently addressed.”

In his opening remarks, Mr Tim Martineau, UNAIDS Director of Programme Effectiveness and Country Support, noted that focusing resources on key populations—such as injecting drug users, men who have sex with men and sex workers—can change the course of the epidemic in the region. “Universal access goals are achievable if we want them to be,” he said. “We can break the trajectory of the epidemic in this region through strong leadership, a focus on human rights and effective health systems.”

Based on UNAIDS estimates, about 412 000 people were living with HIV in the region at the end of 2008, up from about 270 000 in 2001. However, to date, a lack of reliable data has hindered a clear understanding of HIV dynamics and trends in the region. “The Middle East and North Africa stands as the only region where knowledge of the epidemic continues to be very limited, inaccessible, and subject to much controversy,” said Akiko Maeda, Manager for Health, Nutrition and the Population Sector in the Human Development Department at the World Bank.

According to a new report developed by the World Bank, WHO and UNAIDS, the region has low HIV prevalence in the general population, with the exception of Djibouti, Somalia, and southern Sudan. Most HIV infections occur in key populations at high risk of infection. The report, entitled “Characterizing the HIV Epidemic in the Middle East and North Africa,” is the most comprehensive scientific synthesis of HIV spread in the region since the beginning of the epidemic.

Though all countries in the region are providing antiretroviral medications free of charge, most are falling far short of the goal of universal access to treatment. At the end of 2008, only 14% of the estimated 68 000 in need of treatment were accessing it. “Most people living with HIV do not know their HIV status,” said Dr Jaouad Mahjour, Director of the Division of Communicable Disease Control in WHO’s Eastern Mediterranean Region. “This remains the biggest challenge to expanding antiretroviral therapy in the region. Wider access to voluntary and confidential HIV testing and counselling tailored to the needs of most-at-risk populations is critical.”

Board meeting underlined importance of integrating HIV and sexual and reproductive health services and eliminating HIV-related stigma and discrimination

 

GENEVA, 24 June 2010 – The UNAIDS Programme Coordinating Board (PCB) endorsed UNAIDS’ new vision for the AIDS response during its 26th meeting, held in Geneva from 22 to 24 June. The new vision is “Zero new HIV infections. Zero discrimination. Zero AIDS-related deaths.”

As the HIV epidemic continues to evolve, the Board also endorsed a new mission statement for UNAIDS. It states, “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.”

“We must fundamentally refocus the AIDS response – and UNAIDS – if we are to achieve universal access,” said Mr Michel Sidibé, UNAIDS Executive Director. “Our new vision and mission reflect a dynamic approach to an epidemic in transition – delivering solid results in a world of competing priorities.”

A thematic session on linking HIV and sexual and reproductive health services was held on the first day of the PCB meeting. Participants reviewed the challenges of integrating such services, and shared lessons learned and best practices.

“The Millennium Development Goals will not be achieved without also ensuring universal access to sexual and reproductive health and rights,” said Mr Sidibé. “We must take the AIDS response out of isolation and promote an integrated health and development agenda. Every dollar invested in AIDS should be a dollar that strengthens national health systems.”

The Board reaffirmed its commitment to the elimination of HIV-related stigma and discrimination and reducing gender inequality, and called on Member States to remove punitive laws and practices that block effective responses to HIV and progress towards the Millennium Development Goals. It requested UNAIDS to strengthen its support to networks of people living with HIV and key populations at risk to measure HIV-related stigma and discrimination.

The Board also requested Member States, with support from UNAIDS, to increase the direct participation of people living with HIV and consider ways to involve key populations at risk in HIV programmes and data collection.  
“We cannot reach vulnerable populations with life-saving public health services if their behaviour is against the law,” said Mr Sidibé. “We cannot ensure people who inject drugs and sex workers have access to harm reduction and HIV prevention services if they live in fear of being arrested.”

UNAIDS reaffirmed its commitment to reduce HIV transmission among men who have sex with men and transgender people. UNAIDS’ progress report on implementing the UNAIDS Action Framework: Universal Access for Men who have sex with Men and Transgender People was well received by the Board.

More than 300 participants and observers from Member States, international organizations, civil society and non-governmental organizations attended the meeting, which was chaired by the Netherlands with El Salvador acting as vice chair and Japan as rapporteur.

A complete record of the Board’s decisions, recommendations and conclusions as well as an overview of all documents presented at the 26th PCB can be found here.

 
Michel Sidibé, UNAIDS Executive Director and Helen Clark, UNDP Administrator launch HIV and the Law commission.
Credit: UNAIDS

Geneva, 24 June 2010 – The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), with the support of the UNAIDS Secretariat, launched the Global Commission on HIV and the Law today. The Commission’s aim is to increase understanding of the impact of the legal environment on national HIV responses. Its aim is to focus on how laws and law enforcement can support, rather than block, effective HIV responses.

The Global Commission on HIV and the Law brings together world-renowned public leaders from many walks of life and regions.  Experts on law, public health, human rights, and HIV will support the Commissions’ work. Commissioners will gather and share evidence about the extent of the impact of law and law enforcement on the lives of people living with HIV and those most vulnerable to HIV.  They will make recommendations on how the law can better support universal access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support. Regional hearings, a key innovation, will provide a space in which those most directly affected by HIV-related laws can share their experiences with policy makers. This direct interaction is critical. It has long been recognized that the law is a critical part of any HIV response, whether it be formal or traditional law, law enforcement or access to justice. All of these can help determine whether people living with or affected by HIV can access services, protect themselves from HIV, and live fulfilling lives grounded in human dignity.

Nearly 30 years into the epidemic, however, there are many countries in which negative legal environments undermine HIV responses and punish, rather than protect, people in need. Where the law does not advance justice, it stalls progress. Laws that inappropriately criminalize HIV transmission or exposure can discourage people from getting tested for HIV or revealing their HIV positive status. Laws which criminalize men who have sex with men, transgender people, drug-users, and/or sex workers can make it difficult to provide essential HIV prevention or treatment services to people at high risk of HIV infection. In some countries, laws and law enforcement fail to protect women from rape inside and outside marriage – thus increasing women’s vulnerability to HIV.

At the same time, there are also many examples where the law has had a positive impact on the lives of people living with or vulnerable to HIV.  The law has protected the right to treatment, the right to be free from HIV-related discrimination in the workplace, in schools and in military services; and has protected the rights of prisoners to have access to HIV prevention services.  Where the law has guaranteed women equal inheritance and property rights, it has reduced the impact of HIV on women, children, families and communities.

With more than four million people on life-saving treatment and a seventeen per cent decrease in new infections between 2001 and 2008, there is hope that the HIV epidemic is at a turning point.  To reach country’s own universal access targets and the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), persistent barriers like punitive laws and human rights violations will need to be overcome.

UNDP Administrator Helen Clark believes that the next generation of HIV responses must focus on improving legal, regulatory, and social environments to advance human rights and gender equality goals. “Some 106 countries still report having laws and policies present significant obstacles to effective HIV responses. We need environments which protect and promote the human rights of those who are most vulnerable to HIV infection and to the impact of HIV, and of those living with HIV/AIDS,” Helen Clark said.

Michel Sidibé, UNAIDS Executive Director has made removing punitive laws a priority area for UNAIDS. “The time has come for the HIV response to respond to the voice of the voiceless,” he said. “We must stand shoulder to shoulder with people who are living with HIV and who are most at risk. By transforming negative legal environments, we can help tomorrow’s leaders achieve an AIDS-free generation.”

The Global Commission on HIV and the Law is being supported by a broad range of partners and stakeholders, including donors such as the Ford Foundation and AusAID. Murray Proctor, Australia’s Ambassador on HIV, expressed strong support for the Commission and the work it is tasked to do. “We commend UNDP and the UNAIDS programme for courageously taking this work forward, and we welcome the opportunity to contribute and support.”

The Commission’s work will take place over an 18 month period –mobilizing communities across the globe and promoting public dialogue on how to make the law work for an effective response to HIV. The findings and recommendations of the Commission will be announced in December 2011.

New global initiative at the FIFA World Cup shines spotlight on the elimination of mother-to-child transmission of HIV

   (From left) Mr Michel Sidibé, UNAIDS Executive Director, and Mr Kirsten Namatandani, President of South African Football Association (SAFA) 
Credit: Juda Ngwenya

JOHANNESBURG, 12 June 2010—A new campaign is using the power and outreach of football to unite the world around a common cause—preventing the transmission of HIV from mother to child. Launched today in South Africa by the UNAIDS Executive Director, Michel Sidibé, international musician Akon, UNAIDS Goodwill Ambassador and producer of the World Cup opening ceremony, Lebo M, UNAIDS National Goodwill Ambassador, Jimmie Earl Perry, and Kirsten Nematandani, President of the South African Football Association. The campaign aims to ensure an HIV-free generation by the 2014 FIFA World Cup to be held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Each year, an estimated 430 000 babies are born with HIV globally, the large majority in Africa. Over the course of a 90-minute football match, nearly 80 babies will become newly infected with HIV. In many parts of Africa, AIDS-related illness is the leading cause of death among infants and young children.

Through the campaign—backed by international football stars and UNAIDS Goodwill Ambassadors Michael Ballack of Germany and Emmanuel Adebayor of Togo—captains of 32 World Cup qualifying teams have been invited to sign the appeal: “From Soweto to Rio de Janeiro, give AIDS the red card and prevent babies from becoming infected with HIV.” Nineteen captains have already signed on, including host country South Africa and defending champion Italy.

“By the next football World Cup we can virtually eliminate HIV transmission to babies,” said UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé who attended the campaign launch in South Africa. “Let us give AIDS the red card permanently.”

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.

An estimated 33.4 million people are living with HIV worldwide. Since 2001, there has been a 17% reduction in new HIV infections globally. However, for every two people who access antiretroviral treatment, five more become newly infected with HIV.

Contact:

UNAIDS New York | Richard Leonard | +1 646 666 8003 | LeonardR@unaids.org
UNAIDS South Africa | Sheba Okwenje | +127 11 517 1634 | okwenjeb@unaids.org

(L to R) Michel Kazatchkine, Executive Director, The Global Fund to Fight AIDS,. Tuberculosis and Malaria, President Bingu wa Mutharika of Malawi, Chairperson of the African Union, UNAIDS Executive Director Mr Michel Sidibé

Executive Directors discuss the Millennium Development Goals and human rights as they complete joint visit to Malawi

LILONGWE, Malawi, 25 May 2010 — In a joint official visit to Malawi, the Executive Directors of UNAIDS and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria commended President Bingu wa Mutharika on Malawi’s progress in the AIDS response and his leadership as Chairperson of the African Union on AIDS, health, food security and development.

“President Mutharika’s vision for the African Union is essential to a sustainable response to AIDS and the Millennium Development Goals,” said Mr. Michel Sidibé, Executive Director of UNAIDS.
 
“As Chair of the African Union, President Mutharika can showcase Malawi’s achievements in health,” said Prof. Michel Kazatchkine, Executive Director of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. “President Mutharika can be a strong voice for Africa as the international community focuses on achieving health-related and other Millennium Development Goals.”

During their meeting with the President, the Executive Directors emphasized the pivotal role of African voices in advocating for strong leadership in the response to HIV and health. The Executive Directors also emphasized the link between sustaining progress in the AIDS response and ensuring a fully funded Global Fund.

Mr Sidibé and Prof. Kazatchkine also expressed their concern over the recent conviction of Steven Monjeza and Tiwonge Chimbalanga, two men in Malawi who were sentenced to 14 years in prison with hard labour for “indecent practices between males” and “unnatural offenses.” They discussed with President Mutharika the health, societal, cultural and human rights ramifications of this case, which has attracted international attention.

“Criminalizing sexual behaviour drives people who engage in same-sex relations underground and hampers HIV-related programmes aimed at addressing their needs,” said Prof. Kazatchkine.

“Evidence from several countries in Africa shows a significant number of new HIV infections occurring among sex workers, people who use drugs and men who have sex with men. Opening a societal dialogue on these sensitive and critical issues is the only way to guarantee access to health services and restore dignity to all,” said Mr Sidibé.

President Mutharika expressed his appreciation to Mr Sidibé and Prof. Kazatchkine for raising these issues. He said that he is confident the cultural, religious and legal dimensions of the debate generated around this case will lead to a positive outcome. He also recognized the importance of good health and development and proposed to serve as a strong advocate for the replenishment of the Global Fund, and work towards an HIV-free generation in Africa.

Goodwill Ambassador for the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) Lebohang Morake, known professionally as Lebo M.

Geneva, 26 April 2010 – Grammy award-winning producer, composer and singer Lebohang Morake, known professionally as Lebo M, has been named as Goodwill Ambassador for the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS). Known for the musical blockbuster, The Lion King, Lebo M will use his talent, outreach and deep understanding of HIV to raise awareness about the epidemic globally, including helping to break the cycle of stigma and discrimination associated with the virus.

A citizen of South Africa, Lebo M is a long time HIV advocate and founder of The Lebo M Foundation, which focuses on HIV as well as child welfare and housing issues in South Africa. “I have always dreamt big and that has carried me from smoky township nightclubs to Los Angeles. Since my dreams have come true, I want to make sure that other children grow up and reach for the skies. The AIDS epidemic must be stopped and prevented from cutting short lives. ” said Lebo M. His foundation was recognised by South Africa’s captains of industry when it was presented with The Black Quarterly Award for Corporate Social Responsibility in November 2006.

“With his outsized talent, Lebo M has dazzled the world stage, now he will use his rich and resonant voice to speak up for people living with HIV,” said Mr Michel Sidibé, Executive Director of UNAIDS. “Lebo M moves audiences with his music and his insatiable spirit will not rest until AIDS is overcome.”

Lebo M is a co-composer and member of the core creative team for the movie and Broadway production of The Lion King  - one of the world’s largest and most spectacular Broadway musicals. He is the founder of the Johannesburg-based company Till Dawn Entertainment, which co-produced and staged The Lion King in South Africa. Lebo M is currently working with the 2010  FIFA World Cup in South Africa to co-produce the Opening and Closing ceremonies.

UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé joined the President of South Africa Jacob Zuma (right)for the launch on 25 April 2010. Credit: UNAIDS/A. Vlachakis

JOHANNESBURG, 25 April 2010 – President Zuma today launched an ambitious campaign that could alter the face of the AIDS epidemic, in South Africa and globally. The campaign aims to test 15 million people for HIV by the year 2011, up from 2.5 million in 2009 – a six-fold increase in just two years. Through the campaign, 1.5 million people will receive antiretroviral treatment by June 2011, up from about 1 million in 2009.

“South Africa can break the trajectory of the HIV epidemic,” said UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé, who attended the national launch event in Gauteng with South African leaders. “This campaign promises to be the equivalent of ‘Truth and Reconciliation’ for the country’s AIDS response.”

South Africa has the world's largest population of people living with HIV; an estimated 5.7 million people in the country are living with HIV, representing nearly one sixth of the global disease burden. Some 18% of adults in South Africa are infected with HIV.

HIV testing provides a critical entry point for conversations around a range of difficult issues, including sexuality, violence against women and intergenerational sex. Through the campaign, for example, each individual tested for HIV will also receive 100 condoms, opening a new dialogue about HIV prevention and safer sex across communities.

Prices for most antiretroviral drugs in South Africa are at least 25-30% higher than the average international prices for these medicines – a key challenge in the country’s efforts to expand treatment. UNAIDS welcomes a recent shift in policy by the Government of South Africa that aims to reduce the cost of providing antiretroviral treatment.

“This is the first time any one country plans to scale up HIV prevention and treatment so quickly for so many people,” said UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé. “I congratulate South Africa on this courageous initiative.”

South Africa funds more than two thirds of its AIDS response. In 2010, South African leaders committed $1 billion US dollars to the AIDS response – a 30% increase over the previous year.