Bali, 8 August 2009— Sixty legal experts, people living with HIV, and representatives from key populations in thirteen countries in the Asia and the Pacific region today called on governments to fight HIV discrimination by strengthening and expanding HIV-related legal services. The experts attended a seminar on HIV-related legal services hosted jointly by the International Development Law Organization (IDLO), Asia Pacific Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS (APN+), the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) and the United National Development Program (UNDP).

The experts also reviewed a Toolkit recently developed by IDLO, UNAIDS and UNDP to improve access to legal services in developing countries and transitional economies, one of the key gaps in the world's response to HIV. The Toolkit will assist governments and NGOs to: 1) develop proposals and submit applications to donors; and 2) initiate, expand and strengthen HIV-related legal services.

The Toolkit guidance covers legal service delivery models applicable in a range of settings for government agencies, stand-alone HIV legal organizations, community service and human rights groups, universities and private sector lawyers. It also includes a model training curricula for lawyers and paralegals, monitoring and evaluation of programs and resource mobilization strategies.

"Experience in the AIDS response has shown that access to legal services is an important part of guaranteeing protection from discrimination, getting redress for human rights violations and expanding access to HIV prevention and treatment," said David Patterson, Manager of IDLO's HIV and Health Law Programme. "However, such programmes are not sufficiently supported by national AIDS responses, and where they do exist, quality and scale are often insufficient."

People living with or affected by HIV often require practical assistance to maintain adequate housing, keep child custody, enforce property and inheritance rights, or access health care, education or employment without discrimination. Access to legal services is even more important in punitive legal environments. An increasing number of countries are passing overly broad laws to criminalize HIV transmission. Men who have sex with men, sex workers and people who use drugs face criminal sanctions in many countries, blocking access to HIV services and heightening HIV vulnerability.

“UNAIDS advocates that access to justice must be a basic, programmatic component of the movement for universal access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support,” said Susan Timberlake, Senior Human Rights and Law Adviser, UNAIDS. “The persistent reality of discrimination, whether due to HIV status, gender or social status, means that legal services are a critical and necessary part of a comprehensive response to the epidemic.”

No “one size fits all” for legal services

Legal services in the context of HIV take many forms. These include: legal information and advice, including through telephone hotlines; formal litigation, including strategic litigation to create legal policy; mediation and other forms of dispute resolution; assistance with informal or traditional legal systems (e.g. village courts); and community legal education. Legal service providers are not always lawyers. They may be paralegals, volunteers, students or peer educators. Such services are provided in a range of settings, including HIV treatment and counseling centers, mainstream legal aid centers, as well as prisons and community settings. Work may also be linked to advocacy for law reform.

According to Jeff O’Malley, Director, HIV/AIDS Group, UNDP, “the rationale for supporting HIV legal services rests on two related arguments. One, they are essential to improving access to justice and a key means to protect the human rights of socially marginalized and vulnerable populations. Two, they are essential as a means to ensure optimal HIV, health and development outcomes, all of which are underpinned by the realization of rights.”

“One of our goals is to support countries to recognize how important legal services can be to the achievement of universal access and MDG 6, and then work with them to develop a strategy to scale up these services,” explained O’Malley. “Existing HIV-related legal services are generally small in scale and patchy in coverage. With high levels of ‘legal’ marginalization of key populations, the achievement of universal access to prevention, treatment, care and support demands a commitment to strengthening legal protection and access to HIV-related legal services.”

“There are extraordinary examples of great work being done to provide legal services," said Patterson. "It is imperative that legal services are taken to scale with the same urgency that we seek to provide treatment.”

The seminar included participants from Australia, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Nepal, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Vietnam. The seminar took place prior to the International Congress on AIDS in Asia and the Pacific. The Congress is due to be opened on Sunday, 9 August, by the President of the Republic of Indonesia, H.E. Hj. DR. Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono. Financial support for the seminar was provided by AusAID and OFID.

APN+ is the network of people living with HIV and AIDS in the Asia Pacific region. It was established in 1994 at a meeting in Kuala Lumpur by 42 people living with HIV and AIDS (PLHIV) from eight countries in response to the need for a collective voice for PLHIV in the region, to better link regional PLHIV with the Global Network of PLHIV (GNP+) and positive networks throughout the world, and to support regional responses to widespread stigma and discrimination and better access to treatment and care. APN+ is now celebrating its 15 year anniversary with members from 28 countries from across the Asia Pacific Region and maintains a Secretariat Office in Bangkok which coordinates a growing number of regional PLHIV focused projects. www.apnplus.org

AusAID is the Australian Government agency responsible for managing Australia's overseas aid program. The objective of the aid program is to assist developing countries reduce poverty and achieve sustainable development, in line with Australia's national interest. Additional financial support for this seminar was granted through AusAID’s International Seminar Support Scheme (ISSS). The ISSS funds attendance at international development-oriented seminars in Australia and overseas. The scheme helps to develop knowledge and technical expertise in developing countries, and builds linkages between the government, academic and community sectors in Australia and our partner developing countries. www.ausaid.gov.au  

IDLO is a non-partisan, intergovernmental organization that promotes legal, regulatory and institutional reform to advance economic and social development in transitional and developing countries. Founded in 1983 and one of the pioneers of rule of law assistance, IDLO uses its access to governments and interest groups of differing ideologies, as well as its expertise and vast stakeholder network, to create opportunity for those most in need. www.idlo.int

OFID is the development finance institution of OPEC Member States, established to provide financial support for socio-economic development, particularly in low income countries. In Asia Pacific, OFID supports IDLO programs on HIV and law in China, Indonesia and Papua New Guinea. www.ofid.org  

UNAIDS is an innovative joint venture of the United Nations, bringing together the efforts and resources of the UNAIDS Secretariat and ten UN system organizations in the AIDS response. The Secretariat headquarters is in Geneva, Switzerland—with staff on the ground in more than 80 countries. The Cosponsors include UNHCR, UNICEF, WFP, UNDP, UNFPA, UNODC, ILO, UNESCO, WHO and the World Bank. Contributing to achieving global commitments to universal access to comprehensive interventions for HIV prevention, treatment, care and support is the number one priority for UNAIDS. Visit the UNAIDS website at www.unaids.org  

UNDP is the UN’s global development network, advocating for change and connecting countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help people build a better life. We are on the ground in 166 countries, working with them on their own solutions to global and national development challenges. As they develop local capacity, they draw on the people of UNDP and our wide range of partners. www.undp.org  

GENEVA, 6 August 2009 – UNAIDS welcomes the two separate price reduction agreements reached by the Clinton Foundation with pharmaceutical companies Pfizer and Matrix to improve access to AIDS and Tuberculosis (TB) medicines for people in need of second line treatment. These medicines are required when people living with HIV fail to respond to standard treatment regimens. At the end of 2008, an estimated 5% of the people on antiretroviral treatment required second line drugs. The need for these drugs is expected to rise in the coming years.

“The reduction of prices of second line antiretroviral drugs will saves lives,” said UNAIDS executive director Mr Michel Sidibé. “These agreements will help improve the sustainability of national treatment programmes over the long term”.

The agreement with Matrix to make available three second line drugs in a single package will also contribute to the ease of delivery and help increase treatment adherence.

Tuberculosis remains one of the leading causes of AIDS-related deaths. The agreement with Pfizer allows people to seek TB treatment without interrupting their second line treatment. “People living with HIV should not have to choose between TB and AIDS treatment,” said Mr Sidibé. “We have to stop people living with HIV from dying of TB”.

There are an estimated 33 million people living with HIV. About 4 million people are currently on antiretroviral treatment. UNAIDS along with its Cosponsors WHO and UNICEF are supporting countries reach their universal access targets for treatment.

New report finds first decline in HIV vaccine R&D investment in a decade

A new report on investment in HIV prevention research in 2008 finds that HIV vaccine reearch funding levels decreased for the first time since investment trends have been tracked. This may have been influenced by shifts in scientific priorities, the declining economy and competing priorities in the larger global health agenda. Despite this decrease, the overall trend since 2000 has been of increasing investment for experimental biomedical prevention strategies.

The report, Adapting to Realities: Trends in HIV Prevention Research Funding 2000 to 2008, was released at the 5th International AIDS Society Conference on HIV Pathogenesis, Treatment and Prevention in Cape Town South Africa by the HIV Vaccine and Microbicide Resource Tracking Working Group.

The report identified investments of almost $1.2 billion in HIV prevention research in 2008, of which $868 million supported vaccine research and development (R&D), and $244 million supported microbicide R&D, while other HIV prevention R&D received much lower levels of funding. AIDS vaccine research declined for the first time since 2000, falling by ten percent from 2007 levels. At the same time, funding for both microbicides and pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) increased by eight and 13 percent, respectively.

Funding for HIV prevention research remains a relatively small percentage of the overall response to HIV/AIDS. A recent report released by the Kaiser Family Foundation and UNAIDS documented commitments from the developed world for HIV/AIDS treatment and prevention programs in developing countries of $8.7 billion in 2008, up from $6.6 billion the previous year.

“Research to develop new HIV prevention tools and strategies is essential to prevent new infections, and an HIV vaccine still holds the greatest hope to ending the epidemic,” said Michel Sidibé, Executive Director of UNAIDS “It is vitally important that investments into research for HIV prevention be sustained and increased for as long as it takes to reach those goals.”

The Resource Tracking Working Group identified a critical need in this time of shifting budget priorities and economic uncertainty for the HIV prevention research field to identify funding needs and put in place scientific plans to help guide research decisions. These steps will ensure that there is no duplication of efforts and that funding can be linked efficiently to scientific priorities.

“Support and interest in HIV prevention research from public, private and philanthropic funders over the last decade has supported key R&D priorities, moved the field forward and brought us closer to new HIV prevention options,” said Mitchell Warren, executive director of AVAC. “We face tremendous challenges – both scientific and economic – over the coming years, but we must not lose the momentum we have gained. The field needs sustained support from a range of funders. The AIDS epidemic shows no signs of slowing, and the desperate need for new HIV prevention options will not change.”

Levels of funding in 2008 reflected key shifts in the HIV prevention research field. The halting in late 2007 of the Step and Phambili vaccine trials, which were testing a candidate vaccine developed by Merck, ended one of the only pharmaceutical company partnerships for HIV vaccine R&D. This slowing in industry involvement is reflected by a decline in industry funding levels in 2008. Pharmaceuticals and biotech companies in 2008 accounted for only four percent of HIV vaccine research funding. Levels were even lower across other HIV prevention research priorities. Nevertheless, the commercial sector contributes to the development of HIV prevention research in a number of ways through pharmaceutical company support. A number of companies have provided ARV compounds for development as potential microbicides, and as oral PrEP, along with technical support to microbicide product developers.

“The worldwide economic crisis has fueled debate about the best way to invest in global health, with some arguing that AIDS takes up resources at the expense of efforts to deal with other diseases and to improve health systems in the developing world. But given that AIDS is the number one killer in sub-Saharan Africa, and number four in the world, it is imperative that we reverse this pandemic, and that can only be done through improved methods of prevention, including a vaccine. If we can conquer AIDS, we will be able to invest resources in other pressing priorities,” said Seth Berkley, President and CEO of the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative.

It is important to note that HIV vaccine research and development is continuing to move forward. Just today, the South African AIDS Vaccine Initiative announced the start of a trial to study a vaccine candidate developed by local South African scientists. Results are also expected later this year from the largest vaccine trial ever, which successfully enrolled more than 16,000 participants. In addition, researchers around the world are developing new vaccine approaches and conducting basic research to inform vaccine development.

The report notes that increased investment in microbicide R&D may reflect increased interest in research on antiretroviral (ARV)-based candidates. Investment increased in microbicides overall at the same time that the field intensified its focus on ARV-based approaches to microbicide development.

“Increased funding for microbicide R&D over the past decade has fostered a major expansion for the field; clinical trials of microbicide candidates have been conducted in 27 countries around the world; and pre-clinical research has yielded important scientific information. Support from public, private and philanthropic funders is essential to increase R&D for new microbicide candidates,” said Polly Harrison, Director of the Alliance for Microbicide Development.

The U.S. government was once again the primary funder for HIV prevention research, supporting 71 percent of HIV vaccine R&D, 63 percent of microbicide R&D, and providing 46 percent of funding for PrEP prevention research in 2008.

A decrease in investment from the U.S. National Institutes of Health contributed to the overall decline of funding for HIV vaccine R&D. The U.S. government investment fell by $39 million, a six percent decrease. Other governments also decreased funding for HIV vaccine research in 2008: European government funding fell by 13 percent and total funding from other countries (including Brazil, Canada, India, South Africa, and Thailand) fell by 16 percent.

The report authors caution that while it is too early to attribute all of the funding decreases to the financial crisis, there is concern that a prolonged global recession could have a major impact on public investment in all HIV/AIDS programs. A recent report from UNAIDS and the World Bank found that the economic crisis has already affected levels of funding for treatment and prevention programs in some developing countries.

The Working Group also reported on investment in operational research related to proven biomedical HIV prevention research interventions – medical male circumcision and ARVs for prevention of vertical transmission of HIV from mother to child. These efforts are being funded at much lower levels that other HIV prevention research, with $11 million supporting research related to rollout of male circumcision and $21 million supporting operations research for prevention of vertical transmission.

HIV Vaccines and Microbicides Resource Tracking Working Group

The HIV Vaccines and Microbicides Resource Tracking Working Group was established in 2004 to generate and disseminate high-quality, detailed and comparable data on annual investments in preventive HIV vaccine and microbicide research and development (R&D), and policy and advocacy activities. These data can be used to monitor current levels of effort; identify trends in investment, spending, and research focus; identify areas needing more resources and effort; assess the impact of public policies aimed at increasing investment in new prevention technologies (NPTs); and provide a fact base for policy advocacy on R&D investments and allocations.

The Working Group is comprised of the AIDS Vaccine Advocacy Coalition (AVAC), the Alliance for Microbicide Development (AMD), the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI) and the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS).

GENEVA, 7 July 2009 - The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), the Universal Postal Union (UPU), the International Labour Organization (ILO) and UNI Global Union are launching a global HIV prevention campaign in post offices around the world.

In an initial roll out, the campaign is being launched in some 16,000 post offices in seven pioneering countries: Brazil, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, China, Estonia, Mali and Nigeria. The campaign materials provide both visitors and employees with important information about how to prevent HIV through a series of eye-catching posters and hand-outs. The materials also give the address of a multi-language website on HIV prevention, hosted by UNAIDS, which provides detailed information about how to prevent infection.

“With more than 7,400 new infections occurring every day it is clear that HIV prevention efforts need to be stepped up urgently,” said Michel Sidibé, Executive Director of UNAIDS. “The postal network has an extremely wide outreach; it is open to everyone from the young to the old and is an excellent and innovative way to raise awareness about how to prevent HIV”.

Over the next three years, the campaign will be expanded globally, potentially making its way into 600,000 post offices worldwide. This would mean that millions of people who use postal services every day as well as the 5.5 million postal employees would receive important information about how to prevent HIV transmission.

UPU Director General Edouard Dayan said, “With 600,000 post offices around the world, the postal network is a natural partner for this HIV-prevention awareness campaign. It is the single largest health-awareness initiative ever launched globally by the postal sector, demonstrating the huge outreach and value of the universal services it provides.” He added that, “The campaign is a strong example of what one industry can do to help achieve the important Millennium Development Goal of halting and beginning to reverse the spread of HIV by 2015.”

Among the pioneer countries, the Cameroonian postal operator is hoping that running the campaign through its 250 outlets will make an impact on the country’s HIV prevalence rates, which according to the latest data is at around 5% of people aged between 15 and 49. “Raising awareness on HIV is crucial,” said Abraham Sizimboue, Campost’s Acting Director General. “HIV touches the lives of a very large part of our population so we are very pleased to be running such an important campaign in our post offices here.” It is the first time that the postal system in Cameroon has participated in a health campaign.

Assane Diop, Executive Director of the International Labour Organisation’s Social Protection Sector, said: “The campaign promotes the development of a workplace policy for postal workers everywhere, as well as creatively using the opportunities of the postal network and its structures in each country to raise awareness of HIV/AIDS and counter stigma and discrimination. The ILO works actively with its partners to promote a fair globalization. This includes ensuring that responses to the economic crisis are informed by the ILO’s goals of decent work based on social justice and take an integrated approach that includes factoring in the implications of HIV/AIDS.”

Together with the campaign partners, the ILO will prepare a toolkit to guide the development of workplace policies and the implementation of programmes on HIV prevention, care and support for workers and managers.

UNI Global Union’s General Secretary Philip J. Jennings said, "Postal Workers and their families are also touched by HIV and AIDS. Healthy employees contribute to the decent living of their families as well as the good functioning of the company and the postal network as a whole. Furthermore, postal workers contribute fundamentally to the universal service, which represents an important mean to outreach to communities and support them. This joint campaign and the toolkit prepared by UNI post & Logistics Global Union and the ILO is also an opportunity to have employees and employers discuss and prevent HIV as well dialogue on broader issues such as health and safety. " The campaign will culminate in 2011, with the UPU encouraging its member countries to issue postage stamps that year to commemorate the discovery of AIDS thirty years earlier. It was in 1981 that the disease was first discovered.

Geneva, July 6, 2009—In 22 countries in Africa, the Caribbean, Europe and Central Asia, and Asia and Pacific, disruption of HIV prevention and treatment programs is expected over the course of this year as a result of the global economic crisis, according to a new report from UNAIDS and the World Bank, released today.

According to the new report, ‘The Global Economic Crisis and HIV Prevention and Treatment Programmes: Vulnerabilities and Impact’, reports from agency staff in 71 countries indicate that eight countries are already facing shortages of antiretroviral drugs or other disruptions to AIDS treatment. Together, these countries are home to more than 60% of people worldwide receiving AIDS treatment.

HIV prevention programs are also in jeopardy. In 34 countries, representing 75% of people living with HIV, respondents say there is already an impact on HIV prevention programmes focusing on high-risk groups such as sex workers, people who inject drugs and men who have sex with men.

“This is a wake-up call which shows that many of our gains in HIV prevention and treatment could unravel because of the impact of the economic crisis,” said Michel Sidibé, Executive Director of UNAIDS. “Any interruption or slowing down in funding would be a disaster for the 4 million people on treatment and the millions more currently being reached by HIV prevention programmes. We need to show solidarity with people living with and affected by HIV just as they are beginning to hope for a better future.”

Antiretroviral treatment vulnerable
The joint report says that in some countries the affordability of antiretroviral treatment is affected by falling household income and wages and/or increased cost of antiretroviral drugs caused by exchange rate devaluation.

Furthermore, the report suggests that poor nutrition could also force people to stop their life-saving treatment because not eating enough of the right foods can impair the effectiveness of their drugs. Community networks, which are the only social safety net for the poor are also being crippled by the financial crisis to the point of collapse and some respondents report that the availability of antiretroviral treatment is being threatened by budget cuts.

Many respondents are concerned that the financial sustainability of antiretroviral treatment programmes that depend mainly on external aid is uncertain. There are no reports of substantial cuts in donor assistance for 2009, but respondents in nearly 40% of the surveyed countries report that the current funding commitments for treatment programmes will end in 2009 or 2010, and most fear that external assistance will not increase or even be maintained at current levels.

“This evidence shows us that people on AIDS treatment could be in danger of losing their place in the lifeboat and bleak prospects for millions more people who are waiting to start treatment,” says Joy Phumaphi, the World Bank’s Vice President for Human Development and a former Health Minister for Botswana. “We cannot afford a ‘lost generation’ of people as a result of this crisis. It is essential that developing countries and aid donors act now to protect and expand their spending on health, education and other basic social services, invest effectively and efficiently, and target these efforts to make sure they reach the poorest and most vulnerable groups.”

HIV prevention efforts especially under threat
The report describes how respondents in 34 countries, where 75% of people with HIV live, expect prevention programmes for populations at higher risk to be affected. Respondents say that prevention efforts for populations at higher risk are especially vulnerable, because they are politically easier to cut. This is extremely worrisome—less prevention that results in more new infections will mean greater future treatment needs, with large cost implications.

Urgent measures needed
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has highlighted the economic crisis as a cause for global concern and underlined the importance of turning the economic crisis into an opportunity for a sustainable future. The UNAIDS/World Bank report outlines a number of urgent steps which are needed to maintain and expand access to HIV treatment and prevention during the global economic crisis and beyond.

Use existing funding better―especially in countries facing cuts in their national AIDS response budgets, governments and aid agencies should provide technical support to reallocate resources from low- to high-impact prevention and treatment programmes. All countries should seek ways to make programmes more efficient and more cost-effective.

Address urgent funding gaps―countries with a high reliance on external funding for HIV should strengthen collaboration between national authorities and major international funders to identify and address impending cash-flow interruptions and arrange bridge financing as necessary to avoid cash-flow interruptions.

Monitor risks of programme interruption―a simple warning system could be established to anticipate and minimize treatment interruptions. A key component of such a system would be to carry out regular surveys to identify “vulnerable” countries and provide tailor-made financial and policy assistance.

Plan for an uncertain environment―the uncertainty that many respondents note calls for contingency planning: contingency plans could consider changes that could be made to ensure continued access to treatment and realistic expansion plans, and to maintain the most effective, highest priority prevention activities under alternative potential funding scenarios. The report recommends that resource mobilization strategies include sources of finance that can be sustained over the long term.

To see more of the new report ‘The Global Economic Crisis and HIV Prevention and Treatment Programmes: Vulnerabilities and Impact’ visit http://www.unaids.org  

UNAIDS programme coordinating board approves 2010-2011 budget and work plan, highlighting prevention among injecting drug users and gender issues as priority areas

GENEVA – 24 June 2009 – The governing body of the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) met in Geneva from 22-24 June for the 24th Meeting of the Programme Coordinating Board (Board).

At the meeting the Executive Director of UNAIDS, Michel Sidibé presented his plans for the future direction of UNAIDS, highlighting the importance of a coordinated response to the epidemic amongst all stakeholders and particularly within the UN system.

“We must ensure that our future leaders stay focussed on AIDS—not fatigued by it,” said Michel Sidibé. “We must reposition UNAIDS in a crowded global health landscape. UNAIDS key objective will be to break the trajectory of the AIDS epidemic by putting back focus on HIV prevention.”

The Board approved the UNAIDS budget of US$ 484.8 million for 2010 and 2011 and endorsed its action agenda and priority areas. In light of the ongoing financial crisis UNAIDS did not request an increase of its funding from previous levels. The UNAIDS executive director committed UNAIDS to act on three fronts— increasing results and their impact, expanded partnerships, and to transform itself into a more efficient and effective organisation. “We can do more with less,” said Sidibé.

Mr Sidibé also announced that UNAIDS will bring together the AIDS movement and the other global movements for health, human rights, women and development. “If we keep AIDS in isolation, we will fail to link HIV to the broader international health and development agenda, as represented by the MDGs,” he said. “Promoting such a comprehensive approach and leveraging these partnerships will be essential to sustain and accelerate progress in the next phase of the global response to AIDS. This is what I call the AIDS+MDG movement.”

The thematic segment of the meeting focussed on ‘people on the move’ and gave an important insight into the urgent need to provide universal access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support services for migrant populations and displaced people. The Board called on UNAIDS to facilitate inclusion of such programmes for people on the move including migrants and forcibly displaced populations in national AIDS strategies.

A forward-looking set of recommendations to increase coverage of essential and effective measures to greatly reduce HIV in drug users was endorsed at the meeting. It was specified that these important harm reduction measures include needle and syringe programmes, opioid substitution therapy, access to antiretroviral therapy and prevention of sexual transmission among drug users.

The Board also urged Governments, Donors and UNAIDS to significantly expand efforts to address inequality and inequities between men and women, gender based violence including sexual and physical abuse, and tackle harmful gender based practices and norms that serve as the main drivers of the epidemic.

Welcoming the pilot initiative to strengthen the capacity of African states in decision making bodies of UNAIDS and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria, the Board asked for developing indicators to measure success.

The heads of Cosponsoring organizations of UNAIDS were asked to reaffirm their commitment to UN reform and promote the concept of delivering as one at the country level with a stronger strategic focus on UNAIDS. The Board also received an update on the preliminary findings of the independent evaluation of UNAIDS it commissioned in 2007. The final report will be presented at the December 2009 PCB meeting.

Over 300 participants and observers from member states, international organizations, civil society and non-governmental organizations attended this year’s meeting, which was chaired by Ethiopia with the Netherlands acting as vice chair and Guatemala as special rapporteur. The next meeting of the board will take place in December 2009. A complete record of the decisions, recommendations and conclusions of the meeting can be found in the document.

GENEVA, 23 June 2009 – The UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has appointed Dr Paul De Lay and Ms Jan Beagle as the Deputy Executive Directors of the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS). Dr De Lay will be responsible for overseeing UNAIDS’ programmatic aspects and Ms Beagle for management and external relations. “I look forward to working closely with Dr Paul De Lay and Ms Jan Beagle as we increase UNAIDS’ support to countries in reaching their universal access goals,” said UNAIDS Executive Director Mr Michel Sidibé. “They are both leaders, and they will help increase the effectiveness of UNAIDS”.

Dr Paul De Lay has been engaged in strategic planning, implementing and monitoring national and international AIDS programmes for more than a decade. Dr De Lay has been acting Deputy Executive Director of UNAIDS since 8 January 2009; he joined the joint programme in 2003. His responsibilities as UNAIDS’ Director of Evidence, Monitoring and Evaluation involved directing UNAIDS’ role in monitoring the status of the epidemic, promoting the production of strategic information on the HIV epidemic in terms of the level and quality of prevention and treatment efforts and the impact of the response, and annual reporting to the UN Secretary-General on progress toward achieving the 2001 UN General Assembly Special Session Declaration of Commitment.

Dr De Lay is a medical doctor with training and experience in family practice, infectious and tropical diseases, epidemiology, preventive medicine, and public health. He practiced clinical medicine for 15 years. He has also previously served as Chief of the HIV/AIDS Division at the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and worked with the Global Programme on AIDS at the World Health Organization.

Ms Jan Beagle is currently the Deputy Director-General of the United Nations Office at Geneva (UNOG). With more than 30 years of experience in the political, development, management, administrative, and inter-agency areas of the United Nations, Ms Beagle has also served as the Assistant Secretary-General for Human Resources Management of the United Nations from October 2005 to 2007. In this capacity, she led the development of the comprehensive human resources management reform strategy “Investing in People”.

Before joining the UN in 1979, Ms Beagle served in her country’s diplomatic service, including five years as a delegate of New Zealand to the UN. Ms Beagle has a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in history and international relations from the University of Auckland.

NEW YORK, 16 June 2009 – Ahead of this year’s World AIDS Day, the United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, the World AIDS Campaign and the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) have come together to announce the theme of ‘Universal Access and Human Rights’.

The theme has been chosen to address the critical need to protect human rights and attain access for all to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support. It also acts as a call to countries to remove laws that discriminate against people living with HIV, women and marginalized groups. Countries are also urged to realise the many commitments they made to protect human rights in the Declaration of Commitment on HIV/AIDS (2001) and the Political Declaration on HIV/AIDS (2006).

Speaking ahead of the announcement at the United Nations in New York, Michel Sidibé Executive Director of UNAIDS said, "Achieving universal access to prevention, treatment, care and support is a human rights imperative. It is essential that the global response to the AIDS epidemic is grounded in human rights and that discrimination and punitive laws against those most affected by HIV are removed.”

Many countries still have laws and policies that impede access to HIV services and criminalize those most vulnerable to HIV. These include laws that criminalize men who have sex with men, trangendered people and lesbians; laws that criminalize sex workers; and laws criminalizing people who use drugs and the harm reduction measures and substitution therapy they need. Some 84 countries have reported that they have laws and policies that act as obstacles to effective HIV prevention, treatment, care and support for vulnerable populations.

Speaking from Cape Town, South Africa, The World AIDS Campaign Executive Director Marcel van Soest said, “The epidemic has not gone away, tens of millions of people are still affected, but those hit the hardest, the poor and marginalised in society often don’t have a say when big decisions and laws are made. Their fundamental right to essential health care and life free from fear of stigma and discrimination must be strengthened.”

Governments continue to pass and enforce overly-broad laws that criminalize the transmission of HIV which are in direct contradiction to their commitments to “promote…. a social and legal environment that is supportive of safe and voluntary disclosure of HIV status.” Some 59 countries still have laws that restrict the entry, stay and residence of people living with HIV based on their positive HIV status only, discriminating against them in their freedom of movement and right to work.

At the same time, laws and regulations protecting people with HIV from discrimination and women from gender inequality and sexual violence are not fully implemented or enforced.

The organisation’s Chairperson, Allyson Leacock added, “The Human Rights theme is about us, about communities, about people like you and me and our governments making a commitment to honour and respect the dignity of the vulnerable and to those already living with HIV.”

UNAIDS’ executive director meets Ministers of Health and the UN Secretary General during the World Health Assembly in a bid to accelerate progress towards universal access

GENEVA, 21 May 2009 – During the week of the World Health Assembly, UNAIDS’ executive director met with Health Ministers to underscore UNAIDS’ commitment in supporting countries to achieve their universal access goals.

UNAIDS outlined key priority areas in which joint action by the United Nations will make a significant difference to the AIDS response and a positive contribution to the broader development agenda. Realising results in the identified areas will have a direct impact on halting and reversing the AIDS epidemic.

Many of the priority areas call for urgent and effective actions which save lives including preventing the transmission of HIV from mothers to their children and providing ongoing care and treatment for women, their partners and their children.

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. Despite this, latest estimates show that in 2007, only 33% of HIV-positive pregnant women received the necessary treatment and only 21% of women in low- and middle-income countries were tested for HIV as part of their antenatal care. Progress in this area can only be achieved by integrating programmes which prevent the transmission of HIV from mothers to their children into the broader reproductive health agenda.

“We can prevent mothers from dying and babies from becoming infected with HIV. That is why I am calling for a virtual elimination of mother to child transmission of HIV by 2015,” said Michel Sidibé, Executive Director of UNAIDS. “This is one of the main priority areas for UNAIDS, UNICEF, WHO and UNFPA to act on.”

Another focus area will be to prevent people living with HIV from dying of tuberculosis. TB is a preventable and curable disease yet it is one of the leading causes of death for people living with HIV. Around 80% of people living with HIV are thought to be co-infected with TB in sub-Saharan Africa yet globally only 2% of people living with HIV were screened for TB in 2007. Diagnosing and treating TB for people living with HIV will be a vital step forward in the response.

The other priority areas include: ensuring people living with HIV receive life saving treatment; protecting drug users from becoming infected with HIV; removing laws, policies, practices, stigma and discrimination that block effective responses to HIV; stopping violence against women and girls; empowering young people to protect themselves from HIV; and enhancing social protection for people affected by HIV.

The ultimate impact of joint action in these areas will be to avert HIV infections and deaths from AIDS. UNAIDS will commit human and financial resources to scale up joint programmes of support, and clear accountability indicators will be developed to track progress.

UNAIDS and UNDP launch plan to increase access to HIV information and services

GENEVA, 15 May 2009 – Ahead of the International Day Against Homophobia (17 May), the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) are launching a plan to encourage new and better approaches to HIV, specifically focusing on men who have sex with men and on transgender populations.

In many parts of the world HIV prevalence among men who have sex with men is more than 20 times higher than in the general population. Studies show that HIV prevention services reach only one tenth to one third of people who engage in male homosexual activity. In addition, a growing body of evidence shows that the majority of new infections in many urban areas are among men who have sex with men.

Yet, these same groups have limited access to HIV-related information and health services due to discrimination, violence, marginalization and other human rights violations. In many countries, they still face criminal sanctions and lack access to justice.

“Countries must be rigorous in monitoring the evolution of their epidemics and recalibrate their HIV programming to respond to the needs of those most at risk. In many settings this will be men who have sex with men,” said Paul De Lay, Deputy Executive Director ad interim, Programme, UNAIDS. “Responses must be based on local epidemiological and social realities to be effective,” he added.

This status quo falls far short of what is required to achieve universal access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support—a commitment made by United Nations member states in 2006.

“The case is clear and urgent,” said Jeffery O’Malley, Director of UNDP’s HIV group. “If we are going to make universal access for sexual minorities a meaningful reality, we must work towards ending homophobia and transphobia. We must address the legal and policy barriers,” he added.

The UNAIDS framework responds to the lack of commitment and resources allocated to HIV programming for these populations.

The framework outlines several factors that impede access to HIV services: unwillingness on the part of governments and donors to invest in the sexual health of sexual minorities; the impact of social marginalization on the desire to access health-related services; fear of violence and public exposure; fear of criminal repercussions and a lack of provision of information and services.

The action framework outlines how UNAIDS will work towards achieving universal access through three main objectives: improving human rights; strengthening the evidence base through better data; and reinforcing capacity and promoting partnerships to ensure broader and better responses. Within the UNAIDS partnership, UNDP focuses on the rights of vulnerable populations such as men having sex with men and transgendered people.

UNAIDS Action Framework: Universal Access for Men who have Sex with Men and Transgender People