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.

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

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

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.

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.

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.

UNAIDS pledges continued support for the virtual elimination of mother to-child transmission.

New York/Geneva, 14 April 2010 – UNAIDS welcomes a new report published in the medical journal The Lancet that found, for the first time in decades, a significant drop in the number of women dying each year from pregnancy and childbirth. Researchers estimate that maternal deaths fell from 526 300 in 1980 to 343 900 in 2008. The news comes while global health leaders gather in New York at the Launch Meeting of the Secretary-General’s Joint Effort on Women’s and Children’s Health.

UNAIDS supports the call by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon for a maternal and child health movement. Leaders from UN health agencies, as well as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the GAVI Alliance and The Global Fund, committed this week to finding new ways to leverage better global health outcomes for mothers and children.

“This report should give hope to maternal health advocates and the millions of women who give birth each year,” said Michel Sidibé, Executive Director of UNAIDS.

The study, carried out by the University of Washington, USA, and the University of Queensland, Australia, was funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. It shows that progress in reducing maternal mortality has been slowed by the ongoing HIV epidemic. Nearly one out of every five maternal deaths— a total of 61,400 in 2008—can be linked to HIV, and many countries with large populations affected by HIV have had the most difficulty reducing their maternal mortality ratio. In South Africa, more than 50% of all maternal deaths are linked to HIV.

“This study serves as a powerful reminder that progress in maternal health efforts is hugely dependent on progress in the AIDS response in countries with the most severe HIV epidemics,” said Mr Sidibé.

HIV is the leading cause of death worldwide among women of reproductive age. An estimated 60% of new infections in sub-Saharan Africa are in women and HIV prevalence among young women aged 15–24 years is, on average, about three times higher than among men of the same age.

Evidence shows that timely administration of antiretroviral drugs to HIV-positive pregnant women significantly reduces the risk of HIV transmission to their babies; it is a proven, inexpensive, and effective intervention. However, at the end of 2008, only 45% of HIVpositive pregnant women received the necessary treatment in low- and middle-income countries. Progress in this area can only be achieved by improving the quality of data and by integrating programmes which prevent the transmission of HIV from mothers to their children into the broader reproductive health agenda.

UNAIDS is calling for the virtual elimination of HIV transmission from mother-to-child as a bold but concrete goal that can be achieved by the year 2015. Preventing mother-to-child HIV transmission is a key priority area for UNAIDS, as is strengthening HIV services for women and girls.

UNAIDS recently launched a five-year action plan at a high-level panel during the 54th meeting on the Commission on the Status of Women in New York. The plan calls on the UN system to support governments, civil society and development partners in reinforcing country actions to put women and girls at the centre of the AIDS response, ensuring that their rights are protected.

UNAIDS and the Inter-Parliamentary Union join forces to urge countries to eliminate HIVrelated restrictions on entry, stay and residence and reduce stigma and discrimination

BANGKOK, 28 March 2010 – Parliamentarians from all parts of world are calling upon governments to remove travel restrictions for people living with HIV. This call was made at the 122nd Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union in Bangkok today.

The Inter-Parliamentary Union and UNAIDS are urging parliamentarians in countries with such restrictions to play a leading role in removing them. The two organizations also encourage parliamentarians to support legislation and law enforcement to protect people living with HIV from discrimination based on HIV status.

“By placing restrictions on the travel and movement of people living with HIV, we needlessly rob them of their dignity and equal rights,” said Theo-Ben Gurirab, President of the Inter- Parliamentary Union. “Parliamentarians have a duty to protect the rights of all citizens, including people living with HIV.

There are 52 countries, territories and areas that have some form of HIV-specific restriction on entry, stay and residence that is based on positive HIV status. These include restrictions that completely ban entry of HIV-positive people for any reason or length of stay; or ban short stays, for example for tourism, or longer stays for immigration, migrant work, asylum, study, international employment, or consular service.

“Travel restrictions for people living with HIV do not protect public health and are outdated in the age of universal access to HIV prevention and treatment,” said Michel Sidibé, UNAIDS Executive Director. “Parliamentarians can play a vital role in removing discriminatory laws and restrictions.”

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”.

New UNAIDS report calls for coordinated approach to support Haiti, the country most affected by HIV in the Caribbean

GENEVA, 26 February 2010 – UNAIDS calls for a coordinated approach in supporting Haiti, the country most affected by HIV in the Caribbean, to rebuild its AIDS response in the wake of the 12 January earthquake. Following an initial rapid assessment of the situation with the Ministry of Public Health and Population, UNAIDS has released the concept note Helping Haiti rebuild its AIDS response. The report explains the current situation in Haiti and what may be required to meet the immediate and intermediate AIDS response needs. UNAIDS will continue to revise and update this assessment as new information becomes available.

“It is unprecedented to have such a huge natural disaster in a country with a high HIV prevalence,” said Mr Michel Sidibé, Executive Director of UNAIDS.

There were an estimated 120 000 people living with HIV in Haiti before the earthquake. Haiti’s epidemic is mostly driven by heterosexual sex and an estimated 53% percent of people living with HIV are women.

Most of the structural damage happened in the three departments (Ouest, Sud-Est and les Nippes) that accounted for nearly 60% of the population of people living with HIV.

“Now, more than 1 million people are living in temporary shelters, putting them at greater risk of violence that includes sexual and gender based violence,” added Mr Sidibé. “Programmes are urgently needed to reduce vulnerabilities to HIV and ensure protection.”

The three most affected areas also had more than half of all the antiretroviral treatment sites. Assessment teams have noted make-shift clinics under tents popping up to help increase treatment access, however, the Ministry of Health estimates that less than 40% of the 24 000 people living with HIV who were on treatment before the earthquake have accessed them.

Civil society networks of people living with HIV as well as many of the organizations providing HIV services have been affected by the earthquake and will need to be strengthened.

Currently Haiti is experiencing a critical interruption of HIV services and programmes and will need comprehensive and sustained support for the country to regain momentum towards universal access targets to HIV prevention, treatment, care, and support.

Seven priority actions have been identified:

1. Rebuild health systems (including antiretroviral and PMTCT services);

2. Protect displaced people from HIV;

3. Rebuild the national and local network of people living with HIV;

4. Support social protection measures;

5. Revitalize HIV prevention programmes;

6. Re-establish comprehensive coordination mechanisms for the AIDS response; and

7. Develop a comprehensive monitoring and evaluation mechanism.

UNAIDS is currently working with its partners to integrate HIV into the Post-Disaster Needs Assessment process and ensure the HIV-related needs identified will be part of the ongoing humanitarian assistance efforts and upcoming recovery plans. The rebuilding of Haiti’s national AIDS programme will need to link the current humanitarian HIV needs and actions with the longer term strategic goal of building back an even better AIDS response.

The annual national AIDS budget of Haiti was US$ 132 million prior to the earthquake. UNAIDS estimates that an additional US$ 70 million will be needed for the next six months to meet Haiti’s immediate AIDS response needs.