UNAIDS governing body, the Programme Coordinating Board (PCB) is holding its 33rd Board meeting from 17-19 December in Geneva, Switzerland.

In the opening session, UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé will address the Board giving an overview of the progress made in the AIDS response as well as the challenges ahead.

Board members will receive a report on the strategic use of antiretroviral therapy for treating and preventing HIV, as well as information on the coordination of HIV technical support in a rapidly changing environment. The Board will also be updated on AIDS in the post-2015 development agenda.

Board members have been encouraged to include young people in their delegations to attend the 33rd UNAIDS Board meeting and the final day of the meeting will be dedicated to a thematic segment on HIV, adolescents and youth.

The Pan-Caribbean Partnership Against HIV/AIDS (PANCAP) launched the Justice for All Programme on World AIDS Day, 1 December 2013. The new initiative will help guide countries as they address AIDS related stigma and discrimination, improve the legal environment and remove discriminatory laws related to HIV.

Under the leadership of the Prime Minister of St Kitts & Nevis and Head of PANCAP, Denzil Douglas, and spearhead by the United Nations Secretary General’s Special Envoy for AIDS in the Caribbean, Edward Greene—national consultations are taking place throughout the Caribbean to pursue legislative reforms and related key programmes to increase justice for all in all countries.

Quotes

In a report released on 11 December, the United Kingdom’s Department for International Development (DFID) stated that UNAIDS is ‘good value for money for UK aid’.

The report outlines that UNAIDS ‘exceeded expectations’ in cost and value consciousness, notably achieving a 13% efficiency saving (approx. $42 million) in administration costs between 2011 and 2012, following a wide-ranging organizational restructure.  Progress in this area was enough for UNAIDS to move to a higher value for money category from their 2011 report, the only organization to do so in this current report.   

The 2013 review is used by DFID to determine the level of funding to multilateral organizations. In 2012/2013, DFID gave around £3.25 billion of UK aid as core funding through the multilateral organizations.

As a result of the report’s findings the United Kingdom has increased its contributions to UNAIDS from £10 million a year to £15 million a year for 2013/2014 and 2014/2015.

Quotes

Criminalization, stigma and discrimination continue to be the main barriers which are preventing people most in need from accessing lifesaving HIV services.

UNAIDS Deputy Executive Director Luiz Loures met with Dutch Aids ambassador Lambert Grijns and government funded community groups in the Netherlands for a two day meeting to reinforce efforts to enhance services for key populations and strengthen their human rights.

The country has been recognized for its pioneering role and willingness to take a high-profile stance on difficult issues related to people who use drugs, men who have sex with men and sex workers and have been a key and consistent player in the global efforts against AIDS.

In Amsterdam’s vibrant red light district, Dr Loures met with Dutch police to discuss law enforcement, sex work and HIV. The police explained that the decriminalization of sex work has had a positive impact on reducing new HIV infections with sex workers more at ease in accessing HIV prevention services, no longer fearing legal reprisals.

Dr Loures encouraged the Netherlands to continue its specialized work with key populations as a global champion for human rights and key populations. The Government and civil society groups will also continue to collaborate with UNAIDS at the country and global level to protect and promote human rights. 

Quotes

The link between gender-based violence and HIV as both a cause and consequence of HIV is increasingly recognized. Studies show that women living with HIV are particularly vulnerable to sexual, physical and psychological violence, reporting violations of their sexual and reproductive rights, including coerced abortion and forced sterilization. Addressing gender-based violence is therefore critical to preventing new HIV infections and AIDS-related deaths.

Statistics from the World Health Organization around violence against women are compelling; globally, one in three women experience physical or sexual violence by a partner and 38% of all murders of women are committed by their intimate partners. In addition, up to 45% of adolescent girls around the world report that their first sexual experience was forced.  

As in many other countries around the world, gender-based violence is widespread in Namibia. This type of violence is often invisible, as it frequently happens behind closed doors.  Many survivors remain unknown and forgotten, hidden away in a society where gender-based violence generates a sense of shame among the victims, rather than among the perpetrators.

As part of efforts to eliminate gender-based violence in Namibia, the First Lady of Namibia, Mrs Penehupifo Pohamba, launched the ‘Unite to End Gender-based Violence’ art exhibition at the National Art Gallery of Namibia in June this year. The exhibition featured 60 works of art that were selected from over 200 submissions by Namibian artists, all centred around addressing gender-based violence.

The exhibition was part of an initiative organised by Ms Hem Matsi, Director of Victims2Survivors and a group of young people who climbed Mount Brandberg in April 2013, calling for the end of gender-based violence in Namibia. It showcases Namibia’s innovative and creative initiative to break the silence around gender-based violence and mobilize people and communities to join forces in eliminating gender-based violence.

Reaffirming  shared commitment around eliminating gender-based violence, the Permanent Mission of Namibia to the United Nations in Geneva, Victims2Survivors, the National Art Gallery of Namibia and UNAIDS, have brought 24 works of art from the ‘Unite to end Gender-based Violence’ exhibition to Geneva to be displayed at UNAIDS Headquarters from the 10 to 20 December 2013.

The exhibition was opened by Ms Sabine Böhlke-Möller, Ambassador of Namibia to the United Nations Office in Geneva, Ms Jan Beagle, UNAIDS Deputy Executive Director, Management and Governance, Ms Hem Matsi, President of Victims2Survivors, and Ms Golda Ha-Eiros, Curator of the National Art Gallery of Namibia. The opening was held on 10 December to mark the final day of the annual 16 Days of Activism to end Gender-based Violence campaign and International Human Rights Day. The opening reception, which also featured a musical performance by Eritrean musician Faytinga, was attended by over 80 guests from diplomatic missions, international organisations, civil society representatives and UN staff. 

Quotes

Young people from all over Africa reaffirmed their commitment to ensure that AIDS related promises are fully implemented in Africa. Youth leaders made the announcement at a press conference held on 8 December at the XVII International Conference on AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Infections in Africa (ICASA). This was just one of the many events throughout the conference where young people demonstrated their leadership role in the AIDS response.

In an earlier meeting with youth delegates, UNAIDS Executive Director, Michel Sidibé called on young people to ensure that HIV is prominently included in the new post-2015 health and development agenda. He stressed the need for youth leadership in galvanizing a movement for social change and shaping the future of the AIDS response.

At ICASA, the African Young Positives Network (AY+) collected more than 5 000 signatures calling for a specific goal on the end of AIDS by 2030. Many young people, civil society, representatives of international organisations and ICASA participants became signatories of the petition.

UNAIDS Deputy Executive Director, Luiz Loures alongside Julitta Onabanjo, UNFPA Regional Director for eastern and southern Africa, Louise Van Deth, Executive Director of Stop AIDS Now!, Dr Joyce Mumah, youth leader, and Stella Nantumbwe Miss Uganda 2013/14 opened the Youth Pavilion. Speaking at the opening, Dr Loures said UNAIDS and its co-sponsors are committed to keeping young people central to the HIV agenda. He also emphasized on the need for strong and continued youth activism to ensure inclusive and sustained AIDS responses throughout the African continent.

In recognition of young people’s needs, ministers of health and education in eastern and southern Africa agreed to 10 key commitments to scale up comprehensive sexuality education and services for young people in the region. These commitments follow a recent UNESCO report: Young People Today, Time to Act Now, which brings together significant evidence on the challenges posed by the AIDS epidemic among youth in the region, especially for young women.

In 2012, an estimated 780 000 youth between the ages of 15-24 were newly infected with HIV in the world and 560 000 of new infections among young people occurred in Africa during the same year. 

Quotes

At the 20th Polish National Conference for people living with HIV on 2 December 2013, government and civil society leaders highlighted the need for a renewal of HIV prevention activities if Poland is to achieve zero new HIV infections, zero discrimination and zero AIDS-related deaths. 

This event, organized in Warsaw by the Res Humanae Foundation in collaboration with National AIDS Center, was also held to mark World AIDS Day 2013 and 20 years of the National AIDS Programme in Poland.

Speaking at the event, Dr Igor Radziewicz-Winnicki, Undersecretary of State for Health, reiterated Poland’s commitment to ending its AIDS epidemic as well as continuing its solidarity and collaboration with neighbouring countries. UNAIDS Deputy Executive Director, Programme, Dr Luiz Loures congratulated Poland for scaling up access to antiretroviral treatment and highlighted the increasing concern across Europe at growing rates of new HIV infections among key populations particularly among men who has sex with men.

New HIV infections have risen in Eastern Europe and Central Asia by 13% since 2006. In Western Europe men who have sex with men represent 42% of all diagnosed HIV cases, and have increased by 6% from 2006 to 2012.

Dr Loures called for greater European solidarity and underscored UNAIDS’ commitment to strengthening its collaboration with Poland and other countries in Europe. He said UNAIDS would support countries in raising political visibility and mobilising communities to address stigma and discrimination and ensure access to HIV services for people most affected by the epidemic.

Quotes

“HIV treatment is a game-changer” was one of the main messages from participants at a key session on Scaling up HIV treatment in Africa: 2015 and beyond.

Held at the XVII International Conference on AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Infections in Africa (ICASA) on 8 December, the session explored strategies for scaling up access to HIV treatment in Africa to achieve the goal of universal access. Participants discussed how to leverage the current moment of opportunity in the global HIV response to lay the groundwork for the end of the AIDS epidemic.

Panelists included Michel Sidibé, UNAIDS Executive Director; Mark Dybul, Executive Director of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria; Caroline Ryan, Deputy Global AIDS Coordinator  (PEPFAR); Catherine Hara, Minister of Health, Malawi; Kenly Sikwese, Coordinator, AFROCAB; and Brian Williams, Chair of the Board of Trustees, SACEMA. About 800 representatives from international organizations, political groups, scientists and civil society representatives attended the meeting.

From 2006 to 2012 the number of people accessing ART in Africa rose from slightly more than 1 million to 7.6 million, a 400% increase.  While much progress has been made, the continent is facing new challenges in its advance towards universal access to HIV treatment.

Quotes

UNAIDS and the African Society for Laboratory Medicine (ASLM) signed a Memorandum of Understanding on 8 December to collaboratively improve access to HIV testing and strengthen health systems throughout Africa.

The aim of the collaboration is to improve access to inexpensive, accurate and simple HIV and TB diagnostics to ensure the long-term effectiveness and quality of antiretroviral therapy (ART), which is key to achieve the objectives of the UNAIDS 2015 Treatment Initiative.

The ASLM is committed to supporting efforts to expand access to key diagnostics through its 2020 strategic vision—strengthening laboratory workforce development, improving laboratory accreditation, harmonizing regulatory systems and strengthening national and regional laboratory networks.

Quotes