Everyone will have experienced stigma and discrimination of some kind during their lives; however, non-discrimination is a human right. As part of UNAIDS' work to achieve zero discrimination, UNAIDS encourages people to speak up and prevent discrimination from standing in the way of achieving ambitions, goals and dreams.

Two UNAIDS ambassadors recently took part in a dialogue with students at Peking University about the need to achieve zero discrimination to end the AIDS epidemic and ensure better health for all.

The First Lady of Panama, Lorena Castillo de Varela, UNAIDS Special Ambassador for AIDS in Latin America, and the famous actor and humanitarian, Huang Xiaoming, UNAIDS Goodwill Ambassador for China, spoke about their commitment to reducing stigma and discrimination at an event on 24 April. The dialogue was opened by the Vice-President of Peking University, Zhan Qimin.

During the lively discussion between the two ambassadors, the First Lady encouraged young people to integrate their antidiscrimination efforts into their everyday actions. “Just that smile, even though it might look very small to you, it can make another humanbeing feel special, not discriminated or different,” said Ms Castillo.

Discrimination has many forms, from racial or religious discrimination to discrimination based on gender, sexual orientation or age, and to bullying at school or at work. In only three out of 10 countries worldwide do equal numbers of girls and boys attend upper secondary school, and people living with disabilities are nearly three times more likely to be denied health care than other people.

Ms Castillo stressed that the important role that the young generation has to play in taking the lead. “I want to use this platform to send messages to all the universities in the world, they should all follow your lead too, and give voices to those who have no voices, be the voice for them, let them know that there’s somebody somewhere sending them love, fighting for them.”

Mr Huang explained what had motivated him to start working on zero discrimination and become a UNAIDS Goodwill Ambassador. “I had seen children who suffered from discrimination related to HIV. Their inner repression, touched me and made me start to think about how I could help them. Of course discrimination is not limited to just children. So when I learned that UNAIDS had the goal of ending AIDS worldwide by 2030, I was very excited and willing to do my best for this goal.”

A piece of advice to young people from Mr Huang moved everyone in the meeting hall: he quoted a line from the film Wonder, "When given the choice of being right and being kind, choose kind—I believe it is important to be kind to everyone, it’s particularly important to keep our minds clear and objective, and to uphold justice and truth".

Ran Wei, a representative of UNAIDS, thanked the two ambassadors for their tireless efforts championing zero discrimination and urged students to follow their lead. “It is not only a responsibility, but also a privilege for youth, to fight for a world that’s healthy, just and free from discrimination,” she said.  

The United Nations Women for Peace Association (UNWDPA) has honoured Lorena Castillo de Varela, the First Lady of Panama and UNAIDS Special Ambassador for AIDS in Latin America, with its Leadership Award. The award was made in recognition of her work in the response to HIV and the promotion of human rights and women’s empowerment.

Presented at the UNWDPA Annual Award Luncheon, held at United Nations Headquarters in New York, United States of America, on International Women’s Day, the award honours people who have made a difference to the lives of women and girls.

Since her appointment as a UNAIDS Special Ambassador in 2016, Lorena Castillo de Varela has led a zero discrimination campaign that has gone beyond the borders of Panama and become internationally recognized. In her role as Chairwoman of the National AIDS Commission, she catalysed support from 45 governmental institutions to sign an act of commitment to promote HIV prevention and zero discrimination. 

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UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé joined the former First Lady of the United States of America, Laura Bush, the First Lady of Namibia, Monica Geingos, and the First Lady of Panama, Lorena Castillo de Varela, on 18 September to discuss how they have used their political platforms and voices to bring attention to some of the most pressing issues affecting the world.

The event, A Role Without a Rulebook: the Influence and Leadership of Global First Ladies, was held at the Concordia Annual Summit in New York, United States, and explored the challenges of being a woman of influence without a job description. Unelected but official, the spouses of government leaders have a unique opportunity to build bridges between civil society and government institutions. The three first ladies each shared how they have navigated the role, crafting their own platforms and agendas for progress.

“I know the power of first ladies,” said Mr Sidibé, who moderated the discussion. “They have become our special champions for ending the transmission of HIV from mother to child. It is when I enlisted their support that we started to see real progress. Now we have some countries that have managed to almost eliminate new infections of HIV among infants.”

Ms Bush discussed her efforts to advance the human rights agenda for women in Afghanistan and her efforts in global health. She recalled her experiences in championing the health of women and girls, including ending the transmission of HIV from mothers to children. Ms Bush focused on her commitment to end AIDS through the United States President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief and her desire to build on the positive progress of the AIDS response and eliminate cervical cancer.

“We found out that women were living with HIV, but they were dying from cervical cancer, which is also sexually transmitted through the human papillomavirus (HPV). We launched Pink Ribbon Red Ribbon to add testing and treatment for HPV and the vaccine to the AIDS platform that was already set up with the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief. So far, we have been very successful,” Ms Bush said.

Ms Geingos focused on her work with young people and empowerment, emphasizing the importance of young people with regard to issues of gender-based violence, education, health and cultivating entrepreneurship. Ms Geingos said that there is a great need to encourage confidence in young people and to include them in conversations about their health. She spoke candidly about the youth bulge in Africa, where 60% of the population is under the age of 25 years, with the population set to double by 2050.

“We let young people lead the conversation in the language they understand. We use the opportunity to give them important health information. Namibia has done great work with the help of global partners like UNAIDS and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria in reducing new HIV infections. We have halved them in less than a decade, and we are about to eliminate mother-to-child transmission of HIV,” said Ms Geingos.

Ms Castillo highlighted her efforts to ensure inclusion and respect for all people. Mr Sidibé noted that Ms Castillo, the UNAIDS Special Ambassador for AIDS in Latin America, has been a powerful advocate for communities and people who are excluded. He highlighted her efforts to counter stigma and discrimination in all its forms in order to build an inclusive society.

“We should all work on leaving no one behind. By leaving no one behind, I mean truly no one,” said Ms Castillo.

From their platforms as global leaders, first ladies are able to take risks, challenge expectations and push against deeply ingrained biases to offer a more inclusive and equitable vision of society.

In closing, Anita McBride, former assistant to former President of the United States George W. Bush and former Chief of Staff to Ms Bush said, “Concordia is an action tank, not a think tank, and this session clearly shows how a first lady’s podium, when used effectively, is a catalyst for action, and for change, and that there is even greater value when they come together and work together.”

The First Lady of Panama, Lorena Castillo de Varela, has delivered a passionate speech in favour of the zero discrimination agenda at the opening of the 40th meeting of the UNAIDS Programme Coordinating Board in Geneva, Switzerland.

Ms Castillo, who is the UNAIDS Special Ambassador for AIDS in Latin America, said that everybody must have access to essential health and education services without fear of being harassed, mistreated or rejected. Without an end to discrimination there would be no end to the AIDS epidemic, she said.     

“Discrimination is a serious violation of human rights. It is illegal, immoral and inhumane. We all deserve to live with dignity,” said Ms Castillo.  

In her speech, the First Lady also underlined the progress made in Panama to expand HIV testing services for young people and key populations, such as gay men and other men who have sex with men, transgender people and sex workers.  

Ms Castillo told Board members about the Love on Wheels initiative, which runs mobile clinics offering HIV and breast cancer testing services to hard-to-reach groups of people in rural areas of Panama.

During her speech, she also noted advances in protecting the rights of women and girls in Panama by increasing the country’s marriageable age to 18 years.

The Executive Director of UNAIDS, Michel Sidibé, thanked Ms Castillo for her strong commitment to ending stigma and discrimination, especially for people living with HIV.

“My sister, the First Lady of Panama, is a passionate defender of zero discrimination and is committed to supporting UNAIDS’ work to end the AIDS epidemic. I thank her for her compassion and commitment to leave no one behind.”

Ms Castillo is on a four-day working visit to Geneva, during which she is meeting with staff of UNAIDS, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and the International Trade Centre. 

The Executive Director of UNAIDS, Michel Sidibé, welcomed Lorena Castillo de Varela, First Lady of Panama, to UNAIDS headquarters on 24 May. During their meeting, they reviewed Ms Castillo’s achievements since being named UNAIDS Special Ambassador for AIDS in Latin America in November 2015.

In the past six months, Ms Castillo has tirelessly promoted zero discrimination throughout Panama by engaging all government departments in a national campaign and travelling around the country, meeting with communities most affected by HIV in order to learn about and raise awareness of the impact of discrimination on people’s lives. She has also been advocating for access to sexual and reproductive health and rights services for adolescents, particularly adolescent girls. 

During her visit to UNAIDS, Mr Sidibé commended the First Lady’s work as a compassionate and courageous leader and an extraordinary champion of rights in Latin America and beyond.

Ms Castillo thanked UNAIDS for its support and reiterated her commitment to focus on empowering young women and girls, HIV treatment and prevention for all and achieving zero discrimination. 

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The First Lady of Panama, Lorena Castillo de Varela, said that accelerating the AIDS response and empowering women and girls is key to ending the AIDS epidemic

GENEVA, 23 May 2016—At a high-level side event held during the 69th session of the World Health Assembly, taking place in Geneva, Switzerland, delegates have urged countries to end gender inequity in the response to HIV by putting women and adolescent girls on the Fast-Track to ending the AIDS epidemic. Lorena Castillo de Varela, First Lady of Panama and UNAIDS Special Ambassador for AIDS in Latin America, hosted the event. Ms Castillo de Varela stressed the importance of women assuming leadership roles to ensure the development of programmes and policies fitting to their needs.

“Limited access to health care and education, coupled with systems and policies that do not address the needs of young people, are obstacles that block adolescent girls and young women from being able to protect themselves against HIV, particularly as they transition into adulthood,” said Ms Castillo de Varela. “To reduce HIV infections and AIDS-related deaths, we must advance gender equality, women’s empowerment and autonomy to ensure that girls and young women make independent decisions about their own health and are able to live free from all forms of violence.”

The high-level side event focused on three topics, the elimination of new HIV infections among children, HIV prevention in adolescent girls and young women and access to HIV treatment for all.

The engagement and empowerment of women as leaders, policy makers, implementers and peer supporters combined with increased access to effective HIV treatment and prevention has proved essential in the success of global efforts to eliminate new HIV infections among children, which have decreased by more than half, from 520 000 a year in 2000 to 220 000 in 2014. This comprehensive and inclusive approach now has to be widened to include all people living with HIV, including young women and girls.

“We need a combined, holistic approach and interventions that support adolescent girls and women,” said HIV activist of the Salamander Trust, Angelina Namiba. “It is crucial that women living with HIV are meaningfully involved at all stages of these interventions right from design to delivery.”

Globally, AIDS remains the leading cause of death among women of reproductive age. In 2014, there were around 220 000 new HIV infections worldwide among adolescents (aged 15 to 19 years), with adolescent girls accounting for 62% of new HIV infections among this age group. In 2014, AIDS was the leading cause of death in adolescents in sub-Saharan Africa.

Gender-based violence, gender inequity, harmful gender norms, stigma and discrimination often prevent women and girls from knowing their HIV status and accessing appropriate HIV prevention and treatment services. It is estimated that of 670 000 adolescent girls aged 15 to 19 living with HIV, only one in five knows she is HIV-positive.

The UNAIDS Fast-Track approach focuses on ensuring that at least 90% of adolescents and young women and men (as well as other groups at higher risk of HIV infection) have access to combination HIV prevention and sexual and reproductive health and rights services and that they are empowered with the skills, knowledge and capability to protect themselves from HIV by 2020.

In addition to scaling up HIV prevention, the roll-out of access to HIV treatment is critical. The World Health Organization’s global health sector strategy on HIV, 2016–2021, being discussed at this week’s World Health Assembly reiterates UNAIDS’ 90–90–90 treatment target. This will require that 90% of people living with HIV know their HIV status, 90% of people who know their HIV-positive status are accessing antiretroviral treatment and 90% of people on treatment have suppressed viral loads. To achieve this, innovative models of service delivery will be critical to ensuring that adolescents and young people are diagnosed early, rapidly linked to treatment services, helped to adhere to treatment and retained in care to make sure they stay healthy. These services must be accessible, affordable and sensitive to the needs of women and girls. Other Fast-Track targets include achieving fewer than 500 000 new HIV infections a year by 2020 and reaching zero discrimination.

Switzerland and Zambia, who were among the sponsors of the event in Geneva, are co-facilitators of the United Nations General Assembly High-Level Meeting on Ending AIDS. As co-facilitators they will take forward the summary outcomes of this World Health Assembly side event to help inform discussions at the High-Level Meeting, which will take place in New York, United States of America, from 8 to 10 June 2016.

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UNAIDS

The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) leads and inspires the world to achieve its shared vision of zero new HIV infections, zero discrimination and zero AIDS-related deaths. UNAIDS unites the efforts of 11 UN organizations—UNHCR, UNICEF, WFP, UNDP, UNFPA, UNODC, UN Women, ILO, UNESCO, WHO and the World Bank—and works closely with global and national partners towards ending the AIDS epidemic by 2030 as part of the Sustainable Development Goals. Learn more at unaids.org and connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

The First Lady of Panama, Lorena Castillo de Varela, has been named as a UNAIDS Special Ambassador for AIDS in Latin America. UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé appointed her during a visit to Panama, noting her commitment to expanding HIV testing coverage and bringing services closer to people. More than 15 000 people were tested for HIV in June 2015 as part of the Tests Save Lives campaign, which was led by the First Lady and the Ministry of Health.

The ceremony was held at the Presidential Palace on 16 November with the participation of President Juan Carlos Varela, Vice-President Isabel de Saint Malo de Alvarado and Minister of Health Francisco Terrientes. The dignitaries, along with the First Lady, reaffirmed their commitment to Fast-Track the AIDS response and work towards ending the epidemic as a public health threat by 2030.

Panama has made important progress in the AIDS response. HIV prevalence was 0.6% in 2014, with an estimated 53% of adults living with HIV receiving antiretroviral therapy. Mr Sidibé lauded Panama’s efforts and noted that the country is in a position to eliminate mother-to-child transmission of HIV. These figures hide large disparities by geographic region and population group, however. For example, HIV prevalence among men who have sex with men was 7.7% in 2014.

Mr Sidibé said that social issues that increase vulnerabilities need to be addressed and that improved comprehensive sexuality education can have a significant impact on reducing new HIV infections. He also encouraged increasing sustainable funding to civil society organizations working on HIV and on human rights issues related to the epidemic.

The government agreed that it is important to include vulnerable and marginalized people in the AIDS response. Nationwide there are six primary health centres for key populations, such as men who have sex with men, sex workers and transgender people. An additional three centres will open soon. The clinics focus on the unique needs of the clients, provide accessible health care and offer HIV testing and treatment for sexually transmitted infections.

While in Panama, Mr Sidibé also met with representatives of civil society, applauding their role in advocating for the adoption of a legal framework for the HIV response.

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