VIENNA (20 July, 2010) – Following significant advances in vaccine and microbicide research, including results presented today of 39% efficacy in the CAPRISA 004 microbicide gel trial among women in South Africa, a new report released today warns that flat funding for HIV prevention research may limit researchers’ ability to quickly move promising approaches forward.

The report examines investment in HIV prevention research in 2009 and finds that the onset of a global recession did not immediately impact funding levels for biomedical HIV prevention research.  Total funding remained stable at approximately US$1.165 billion for preventive vaccines, microbicides, pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and operations research related to male circumcision.

In the face of an economic crisis that has deeply affected the economies and public-sector budgets of HIV prevention research funders, level funding for HIV prevention is cause for cautious optimism. Yet much of the 2009 funding was likely reflective of resources committed when the global economy was far healthier. As current funding commitments come to an end, the concern will be whether funders will be able to renew commitments at existing funding levels. Furthermore, the report authors argue that flat funding of HIV prevention research could have serious consequences for the field as results from critical prevention trials move the research agenda forward. They warn that researchers could have insufficient resources to advance important opportunities to prevent HIV.

Advancing the Science in a Time of Fiscal Constraint: Funding for HIV Prevention Technologies in 2009, the sixth annual report from the HIV Vaccines and Microbicides Resource Tracking Working Group, was released today at the XVIII International AIDS Conference in Vienna, Austria.  It documents investments in biomedical HIV prevention research from public, philanthropic and commercial sectors in 2009. HIV vaccines continued to receive the majority of funding, with a total of US$868 million, which was equal to 2008 funding levels. Investment in microbicides was US$236 million, a decline of 3 percent from 2008 levels. Funding for oral pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) increased by 18 percent over 2008 levels to US$52 million.

The stability in funding is encouraging, given a 10 percent decrease in funding for AIDS vaccine research seen in 2008, but the Working Group identified several areas of concern if funding remains flat, including escalating costs of late-stage clinical research, dependency on a small group of funders and a lack of diversity in funders. In addition, the Working Group stresses that the CAPRISA 004 results, while tremendously exciting, are by no means the definitive answer about antiretroviral-based microbicides and appropriately resourced confirmatory and exploratory research will be needed.

The Working Group has documented an overall trend since 2000 toward increased funding of new funders joining in the effort to support HIV prevention research. Yet in 2009, this funding stability was largely the result of increased or sustained funding by the U.S. National Institutes of Health and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which together accounted for 79 percent of vaccine funding, 59 percent of microbicide funding and 70 percent of PrEP funding.

“With five new infections, for every two people newly on treatment we cannot give up our quest for new HIV prevention tools” said Michel Sidibé, Executive Director of UNAIDS. “Investments for HIV prevention must be enhanced and sustained.”
 
“As we push for expanded funding and political commitments for HIV prevention research and the overall AIDS response, we must also work to find smart and innovative ways to make the best use of available funding to continue to scale up delivery of existing interventions and to look for new ones,” said Mitchell Warren executive director of AVAC. “HIV prevention researchers, advocates and donors must all commit to working together to ensure that we make the best and smartest use of limited resources, while also ensuring that the most promising interventions continue to move forward.”

Recent and upcoming results from several major studies could radically change the trajectory of HIV prevention research and increase the need for funding. These include the results of the RV144 Thai AIDS vaccine trial, which showed modest protection against HIV and scientifically demonstrated for the first time that an AIDS vaccine was possible, results from an important proof of concept microbicide trial CAPRISA 004, released yesterday at the Vienna AIDS conference, and anticipated results from two PrEP trials in the coming year.

“This is a very exciting time in HIV prevention research,” said Seth Berkley, President and CEO of the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative. “As the prevention research field is primed to exploit scientific advances availability and flexibility of funding will be critically important.  Our ability to move discoveries into and to undertake even the most critical of these large-scale trials is at risk in the current funding environment.”

 “We must work to continuously ensure resources are available to fulfill the promise of new scientific advances that could save millions of lives,” said Dr. Zeda Rosenberg, CEO of the International Partnership for Microbicides.  “Microbicides, PrEP, vaccines and treatment-as-prevention are just beginning to show great promise for HIV prevention in large-scale trials.  As we work together to develop these tools and transform our global health goals into reality, our success depends on having sufficient resources to keep pace with research developments in the field.”

Since 2004, the HIV Vaccines and Microbicides Resource Tracking Working Group has generated estimates of research and development investment that can be compared year to year, from one HIV prevention technology to another, and across funding sources.  This effort supports the 2001 United Nations General Assembly Special Session Declaration of Commitment on HIV/AIDS, which called for the development of sustainable and affordable prevention technologies, such as HIV vaccines and microbicides. Information collected in previous years has also been used by the Working Group and others to monitor levels of effort, to analyze the significance of investment trends, and to assess the impact of public policies aimed at accelerating scientific progress.

The Working Group is composed of  AVAC: Global Advocacy for HIV Prevention (AVAC), the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI), the International Partnership for Microbicides (IPM), and the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS).

More information is available online at www.hivresourcetracking.org.

Calls for 51 remaining countries with such “travel restrictions” to take action towards their removal

VIENNA, 20 July 2010 — UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé applauded today the leadership displayed by China, Namibia and the United States of America to lift their travel restrictions for people living with HIV, while calling for similar action in all countries that continue to employ such discriminatory measures.

Namibia is the most recent of the three countries to remove HIV-related restrictions on entry, stay and residence.  Its reforms—which took effect on 1 July—also remove such restrictions against people living with other contagious diseases.  "Namibia is very pleased to lift travel restrictions,” said Hon. Richard Kamwi, the Namibian Minister of Health, speaking at a press conference at the International AIDS Conference in Vienna. “With this move we have formally removed this discrimination. There is no way we will make headway without people living with HIV playing a vital role."

Mr Sidibé underlined that restrictions that limit mobility and migration based on HIV-positive status 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.  “Travel restrictions for people living with HIV serve no purpose other than to fuel stigma and discrimination,” said Mr Sidibé. “I urge all other countries with such restrictions to remove them.”

Last year, President Obama announced that the United States would lift its long-standing HIV-related travel restrictions, overturning a policy that had been in place since 1987. "The lifting of the HIV-specific U.S. entry ban is a sign of a renewed commitment to global health,” said Dr. Howard K. Koh, Assistant Secretary for Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.  "With this announcement, the U.S. looks forward to hosting the 2012 International AIDS Conference in Washington, DC."

Restricting the mobility of people living with HIV is one example of the many forms of laws, policies and practices that undermine the AIDS response.  A new document launched at this week’s Vienna conference by UNAIDS, the Global Network of People Living with HIV (GNP+), the International Harm Reduction Association, the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association (ILGA), and the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) provides a broad “snapshot” of the legal environment related to HIV. Titled “Making the law work for the HIV response,” the matrix covers over 190 countries, territories and entities, detailing whether or not a country has certain types of protective or punitive laws which either support or block the attainment of universal access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support. 

“It is incomprehensible that HIV-related entry and residency restrictions still exist in these times,” says Mr Kevin Moody, International Coordinator and CEO of GNP+. “These restrictions are blatant violations of human rights, stimulating stigma and discrimination and actually hurting the response to the HIV epidemic.”

International AIDS Conferences and meetings have had a major influence on the reversal of HIV-specific entry and residence restrictions in recent years.  The International AIDS Society will not sponsor major HIV and AIDS-focused conferences or events in a country with HIV entry restrictions. 

"I'm proud of the role International AIDS Conferences and other international fora continue to play in advancing the removal of these and other laws that are counter to public health and human rights principles," said Dr Julio Montaner, President of the International AIDS Society. "HIV-specific laws and regulations on entry and residence are both overly intrusive and ineffective public health policy." 

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. These include restrictions that completely ban entry of HIV-positive people for any reason or length of stay; ban short stays, for example for tourism; or prevent longer stays, such as immigration, migrant work, asylum, study, international employment, or consular service.

In July 2008, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon reiterated the long-standing United Nations call for the elimination of HIV-related restrictions on entry, stay and residence. UNAIDS is closely monitoring which countries continue to employ them and has designated 2010 as the “year of equal freedom of movement for all.”

VIENNA, 19 July 2010 -  An underground HIV epidemic in Eastern Europe and Central Asia is intensifying at an alarming pace, fueled by drug use, high-risk sexual behavior and high levels of social stigma that discourage people from seeking prevention information and treatment, according to a new report released today by UNICEF.

The report, “Blame and Banishment: The underground HIV epidemic affecting children in Eastern Europe and Central Asia,” highlights the issues faced by children living with HIV, adolescents engaged in risky behaviors, pregnant women using drugs, and the more than one million children and young people who live or work on the streets of the region.   

Marginalized young people are exposed on a daily basis to multiple risks, including drug use, commercial sex and other exploitation and abuse, putting them at higher risk of contracting HIV.   The trends are especially troubling, as the region is home to 3.7 million injecting drug users – almost a quarter of the world total.  For many, initiation into drug use begins in adolescence.

Existing health and social welfare services are not tailored to adolescents at greatest risk, who are often exposed to moral judgment, recrimination and even criminal prosecution when they seek treatment and information on HIV. 

“Children and adolescents living on the margins of society need access to health and social welfare services, not a harsh dose of disapproval,” said Anthony Lake, UNICEF’s Executive Director. 

To reach and help young people living with HIV or at risk of HIV infection, medical and civil authorities need to establish non-judgmental, friendly services that address the special needs of marginalized adolescents.

In the Russian Federation, for example, over 100 youth-friendly service facilities have been established, providing reproductive and sexual health services, information, counseling and psychological support.  The Atis health center in Moldova is another initiative that is showing promise and saving lives.

“We cannot break the trajectory of the AIDS epidemic in eastern Europe and Central Asia without empowering and protecting children and adolescents,” said Michel Sidibé,  Executive Director of UNAIDS. “We must not rob them of their childhood.”

“It is our responsibility to ensure that they have access to HIV prevention and treatment services.”

An HIV prevention and treatment center in Tajikistan is breaking down barriers of mistrust to reach adolescent girls selling sex.  As one young client said, “In the beginning, I did not believe that the medical check-up, the treatment and condoms would really be free of charge and anonymous.  I thought it was another trap by the police.  I agreed to go there with an outreach worker for the first time, but now I go there alone and encourage my friends to use the service as well.”

A recent six-country UNDP study conducted in the region showed that many adults living with HIV fear the social stigma attached to seeking treatment more than they fear the disease, thus driving the epidemic further underground.

The stigma associated with HIV is not restricted to adults and adolescents.  Young children living with HIV are routinely denied access to school and kindergartens, and when their status is known, they face rejection and abuse.  Alla, the foster mother of an HIV-positive child, tells how her son was ostracized when someone leaked his HIV status to other families. “His classmates say that he is ‘disgusting’ and refuse to play with him,” she said.

“This report is a call to protect the rights and dignity of all people living with or at risk of exposure to HIV, but especially vulnerable children and young people.  We need to build an environment of trust and care, not one of judgment and exclusion,” said Lake.  “Only by reversing discrimination against people living with HIV, can Eastern Europe and Central Asia begin to reverse the spread of the epidemic.”

Vienna, 19 July 2010 – Today several of the world’s largest institutions that are critical to serving the needs of women and children are pledging their commitment to work jointly with the United Nations Secretary General and others in a new global effort to save the lives of more than 10 million women and children.  Organizations serving women, children and people living with HIV such as UNAIDS, UNFPA,  UNICEF, WHO, the World Bank, the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria, and the Partnership for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health are  coming together with leaders in the NGO community including Family Care International, World Vision International, International Council of AIDS Service Organizations, Care, Save the Children, the International Planned Parenthood Federation and countless others to unite in the effort to improve maternal and child health and  save the lives of millions of women and children.

The United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon launched a new effort this year, the Joint Action Plan for Women’s and Children’s Health, that builds on existing initiatives to drive integration and synergies, and identifies new commitments to women’s and children’s health from all sectors of society.  2010 has been called a tipping point, a historic year where the world came together to improve the health of women and children.  However, HIV and AIDS remains a top killer of women and children around the world.

Integrating HIV/AIDS with Women’s and Children’s Health Programmes Critical to Success

“Addressing HIV/AIDS and improving women’s and children’s health are inextricably linked,” said United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. “One cannot succeed without the other.”

Half of adults living with HIV are women, and young women between 15 and 24 years of age are at particular risk of sexual and reproductive ill-health due to HIV infection. Globally, the two leading causes of death in women of reproductive age are HIV and complications of pregnancy and childbirth, and a recent analysis indicates that HIV may have increased maternal deaths, especially in sub-Saharan Africa, by almost 20%. More than 2 million children were living with HIV; almost half a million children were infected and more than 250,000 died of AIDS in 2008.

"The AIDS response is already contributing to maternal, new born and child health through strengthening health systems and community responses," said Paul De Lay, UNAIDS Deputy Executive Director, Programmes. "When AIDS is out of isolation, we can achieve wider health outcomes."

“Listening to women we know that they want to go to one place to have their health needs met – for family planning, maternal healthcare and services for HIV/AIDS.  Linking sexual and reproductive health and HIV makes sense. It saves lives, delivers more health for the money – and it works for women,” said Purnima Mane, Deputy Executive Director of UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund.

AIDS prevention and treatment efforts have paved the way to reach women and children for other critical health needs, and maternal and child health services provide a crucial entry point for HIV prevention, treatment and care.

"The Joint Action Plan for Women’s and Children’s Health represents a fresh opportunity to look at how we can deliver integrated health care services for women and children across the full continuum of care,” said Ann Starrs, President of Family Care International. “Advocates who work on maternal and child health and on HIV/AIDS must work together to increase resources for health, rather than competing for the bigger slice of the pie.”

The Joint Action Plan for Women’s and Children’s Health

The Joint Action Plan is a historic opportunity led by the United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to improve the health of women and children, calling on international, national, business and civil society leaders to intensify efforts. The Joint Action Plan focuses on women and children because they are the engines that drive our families and our communities, our economies and our nations. The Plan builds on existing efforts and aims to spur progress through an integrated package of health interventions to ensure women’s and children’s health.

The Joint Action Plan is a historic opportunity to join a growing global movement that will make history.  New financial, service delivery and policy commitments will be announced during the 2010 Millennium Development Goals (MDG) Summit in September.

VIENNA, Austria – Overall support for global AIDS efforts from donor nations flattened in the midst of last year’s global economic crisis, according to a new analysis of 2009 funding levels from the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) and the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS).

In 2009, the Group of Eight nations, European Commission (EC) and other donor governments provided US$7.6 billion for AIDS relief in developing nations, compared with US$7.7 billion disbursed in 2008.

The 2009 totals ended a run of annual double-digit percentage point increases in donor support for international AIDS assistance since at least 2002, when donor governments provided a total of US$1.2 billion.  The results are consistent with preliminary data about overall trends in official developmental assistance during last year’s global recession and economic instability.

 “Donor nations essentially were treading water last year on AIDS relief, but did not cut back overall as they dealt with the economic tsunami that sparked a global recession,” KFF President and CEO Drew Altman said.  “Time will tell whether support will resume its rapid growth once the global recovery takes hold.”

“Reductions in investment on AIDS programs are hurting the AIDS response. At a time when we are seeing results in HIV prevention and treatment, we must scale up, not scale down,” said Michel Sidibé, UNAIDS Executive Director. 

This year’s totals reflect a substantial increase in funding provided by the United States (rising from US$3.95 billion in 2008 to US$4.4 billion in 2009), which helped to offset reductions in support from Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, and the Netherlands

The United States remains the largest donor nation in the world, accounting for more than half (58%) of 2009 disbursements, followed by United Kingdom (10.2%), Germany (5.2%), the Netherlands (5%), and France (4.4%). Denmark accounted for 2.5%.

The new report provides the latest data available on donor funding based on data provided by governments and collected and analyzed by researchers as part of a collaborative effort between Kaiser and UNAIDS, with research assistance provided by the Stimson Center.  It does not examine donor nation support for other health and development efforts.

Other key findings include:

• UNAIDS estimates that US$23.6 billion was needed to address the epidemic in low- and middle- income countries in 2009.  That suggests a growing gap of US$7.7 billion between available resources and need, according to UNAIDS estimates.
• In 2009, donor governments disbursed US$5.9 billion bilaterally and earmarked funds for HIV through multilateral organizations, as well as an additional US$1.6 billion to combat HIV through the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria and US$123 million to UNITAID.

The full report is available online at the Kaiser Family Foundation’s website at http://www.kff.org/hivaids/7347.cfm or on the UNAIDS’ website http://www.unaids.org/.

UNAIDS concerned that a number of counties in this region are reporting reductions in critical investments in the AIDS response.

VIENNA, 16 July 2010 — Eastern Europe and Central Asia is the only region where HIV incidence clearly remains on the rise. Early indications are that the number of newly diagnosed HIV cases in 2009 has increased since 2008. Russian Federation has reported an 8% increase in reported cases, Georgia a 10% increase and Belarus a 22% increase.

Injecting drug use remains the primary route of transmission in the region. Use of contaminated equipment during injecting drug use was the source of 57% of newly diagnosed cases in eastern Europe in 2007. An estimated 3.7 million people in the region currently inject drugs, of which one in four are believed to be HIV positive.

“It should concern all of us that some countries are closing down HIV prevention services for injecting drug users when they should be scaling up,” said Mr Michel Sidibé, Executive Director of UNAIDS. “Epidemics driven by injecting drug use can grow rapidly when HIV prevention services are not available.”

In the latest round of country progress reports, coverage of HIV prevention programmes for injecting drug use remains low. In the Russian Federation, coverage was 23.8% in 2007, but only 13.6% in 2009 and Georgia went from 17% down to 11.4% in the same time period.

As most injecting drug users are sexually active—often with non-injecting partners—the existence of a major injection-driven epidemic has also fuelled a growth in heterosexual transmission of HIV in the region. Ukraine has the highest level of reported HIV cases in the region. The number of new infections in the country has gone up from 18,963 in 2008 to 19,840 in 2009, and heterosexual transmission has eclipsed injection driven transmission.

The news comes as the global AIDS community gathers in Vienna for the XVIII International AIDS conference. 

“Eastern Europe can not lag behind in the prevention revolution,” added Mr Sidibé. “Evidence shows unequivocally, harm reduction programmes save lives and are a smart investment.” 

New UNAIDS report shows that young people are leading the prevention revolution, with 15 of the most severely affected countries reporting a 25% drop in HIV prevalence among this key population. New global opinion poll shows that AIDS continues to be of major importance for the public around the world.

GENEVA, 13 July 2010 — The new UNAIDS Outlook report outlines a radically simplified HIV treatment platform called Treatment 2.0 that could decrease the number of AIDS-related deaths drastically and could also greatly reduce the number of new HIV infections. Evidence shows that new HIV infections among young people, in the 15 countries most affected by HIV, are dropping significantly as young people embrace safer sexual behaviours.

Also in the report, a sweeping new UNAIDS and Zogby International public opinion poll shows that nearly 30 years into the AIDS epidemic, region by region, countries continue to rank AIDS high on the list of the most important issues facing the world. And an economic analysis makes the case for making health a necessity, not a luxury, outlining the critical need for donor countries to sustain AIDS investments and calling on richer developing countries to invest more in HIV and health.

The report was launched in Geneva ahead of the XVIII International AIDS Conference in Vienna. The UNAIDS Executive Director, Mr Michel Sidibé, stressed that innovation in the AIDS response can save more lives. “For countries to reach their universal access targets and commitments, we must reshape the AIDS response. Through innovation we can bring down costs so investments can reach more people.”

According to UNAIDS’ estimates there were 33.4 million people living with HIV worldwide at the end of 2008. In the same year there were nearly 2.7 million new HIV infections and 2 million AIDS-related deaths.

Treatment 2.0 saves lives

Treatment 2.0 is a new approach to simplify the way HIV treatment is currently provided and to scale up access to life saving medicines. Using a combination of efforts it could bring down treatment costs, make treatment regimens simpler and smarter, reduce the burden on health systems and improve the quality of life for people living with HIV and their families. Modelling suggests that compared with current treatment approaches, Treatment 2.0 could avert an additional 10 million deaths by 2025.

In addition, the new approach could also reduce new HIV infections by up to 1 million annually if countries provide antiretroviral therapy to all people in need, following revised WHO treatment guidelines. Today, 5 million of the 15 million people in need are accessing these life-saving medicines.

To achieve the full benefits of Treatment 2.0 progress has to be made across five areas:

1. Create a better pill and diagnostics: UNAIDS calls for the innovation of a smarter, better pill that is less toxic and for diagnostics that are easier to use. Monitoring treatment requires complex equipment and specialized laboratory technicians. A simple diagnostic tool could help to reduce the burden on health systems. Such a simplified treatment platform could defray costs and increase people’s access to treatment.
2. Treatment as prevention: antiretroviral therapy reduces the level of the virus in the body. Evidence shows that when people living with HIV have lowered their viral load they are less likely to transmit HIV. It is estimated that ensuring everyone in need has access to treatment, according to the current treatment guidelines, could result in up to a one third reduction in new HIV infections annually. Optimizing HIV treatment coverage will also result in other health prevention benefits, including much lower rates of tuberculosis and malaria among people living with HIV.
3. Stop cost being an obstacle: despite drastic reductions in drug pricing over the past ten years, the costs of antiretroviral therapy programmes continue to rise. Drugs can be even more affordable—however, potential gains are highest in the area of reducing the non-drug-related costs of providing treatment, such as hospitalization, monitoring treatment, and out-of-pocket expenses. Currently these costs are twice the cost of the drugs themselves. Treatment 2.0 is expected to reduce the cost per AIDS-related death averted by half.
4. Improve uptake of voluntary HIV testing and counselling and linkages to care: when people know their HIV status they can start treatment when their CD4 count is around 350, rather than waiting until they are feeling sick. Starting treatment at the right time increases the efficacy of current treatment regimens and increases life expectancy. 
5. Strengthen community mobilization: by involving the community in managing treatment programmes, treatment access and adherence can be improved. Demand creation will also help bring down costs for extensive outreach and help reduce the burden on health care systems.

“Not only could Treatment 2.0 save lives, it has the potential to give us a significant prevention dividend,” said Mr Sidibé, speaking at the launch of the report.

Young people leading the prevention revolution

A new UNAIDS study shows that young people are leading the HIV prevention revolution. HIV prevalence among young people has declined by more than 25% in 15 of the 21 countries most affected by AIDS. These declines are largely due to falling new HIV infections among young people.

In eight countries—Côte d’Ivoire, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Namibia, the United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe—significant HIV prevalence declines have been accompanied by positive changes in sexual behaviour among young people.

For example, in Kenya there was a 60% decline in HIV prevalence between 2000 and 2005. HIV prevalence dropped from 14.2% to 5.4% in urban areas and from 9.2% to 3.6% in rural areas in the same period. Similarly in Ethiopia there was a 47% reduction in HIV prevalence among pregnant young women in urban areas and a 29% change in rural areas.

Young people in 13 countries, including Cameroon, Ethiopia, and Malawi, are waiting longer before they become sexually active. Young people were also having fewer multiple partners in 13 countries. And condom use by young people during last sex act increased in 13 countries.

There are 5 million young people living with HIV worldwide, making up about 40% of new infections.

The Benchmark survey

An international public poll on HIV commissioned for the first time by UNAIDS shows that nearly 30 years into the AIDS epidemic, region by region, countries continue to rank AIDS high on the list of the most important issues facing world. For example, in India about two thirds report that the AIDS epidemic is more important than other issues the world is currently facing.

Overall, respondents put AIDS as the top health-care issue in the world. Furthermore, about half of the respondents are optimistic that the spread of HIV can be stopped by 2015.

There is recognition of efforts to raise public awareness about HIV over the course of the AIDS response, with one in three respondents considering it the greatest achievement of the response so far. This was followed by implementation of HIV prevention programmes and the development of new antiretroviral drugs.

When asked about how their country was doing against the epidemic, about 41% of respondents said that their country was dealing effectively with the problem. Only one in three people believe the world is responding effectively to AIDS.

For 62% of people surveyed in Sweden, the availability of funding/resources or the availability of affordable health care is keeping the world from effectively responding to HIV. Some 60% of people in the United Kingdom also felt that the lack of funding was the main obstacle. Other challenges cited by the people surveyed mirror on the ground experience, with more than half of respondents saying the availability of prevention services was the most important obstacle—stigma and discrimination were cited as another barrier.

When it came to HIV treatment, nearly six in ten believe it is the duty of the state to provide for free or subsidized treatment for people living with HIV.

The poll surveyed adults in 25 countries representing all regions with nearly 12,000 respondents.

Investments in HIV must be sustained, efficient and predictable

Investment in HIV is smart and proven. At this turning point, flat-lining or reductions in investments will hurt the AIDS response. In 2010 an estimated US$ 26.8 billion is required to meet country-set targets for universal access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support.

“The AIDS response needs a stimulus package now. Donors must not turn back on investments at a time when the AIDS response is showing results,” said Mr Sidibé. “The 0.7% target on international aid and the Abuja target of 15% for health cannot be buried.” 

UNAIDS recommends that national HIV programmes invest between 0.5% and 3% of government revenue in the AIDS response. In recent years many countries have increased their domestic investments in the AIDS response. For example, the South African Government increased its budget for AIDS by 30% to US$ 1 billion in 2010. However, for the majority of the countries severely affected by AIDS, domestic investments alone, even when raised to optimal levels, will not suffice to meet all their resource needs.

UNAIDS calls on richer developing countries to meet a substantial proportion of their resource needs from domestic sources. Currently, 50% of the global resources requirement for low- and middle-income countries is in 68 countries where the national need is less than 0.5% of their gross national income. These countries have 26% of the people living with HIV and receive 17% of international assistance for AIDS.

According to the report, current investments in HIV can become more efficient, effective and predictable. “We can bring down costs so investments can reach more people,” said Mr Sidibé. “This means doing things better—knowing what to do, channelling resources in the right direction and not wasting them, bringing down prices and containing costs. We must do more with less.”

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.