A new report by the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) shows that the AIDS epidemic is beginning to change course as the number of people newly infected with HIV is declining and AIDS-related deaths are decreasing.

On September 2010, world leaders gathered at the UN Headquarters in New York to assess progress made in meeting the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and to assess what is required to achieve the eight Goals by 2015.

Highlights from UNAIDS and Partners presence at the XVIII International AIDS Conference - AIDS2010 -18 -23 July 2010, Vienna, Austria.

UNAIDS Executive Director is on official visit to China.

The XVIII International AIDS Conference opened on Sunday 18 July in the city of Vienna. Austria has welcomed an estimated 20,000 delegates from all over the world to take part in conferences and satellite meetings under the theme “Rights Here, Right Now” selected to emphasize the critical connection between human rights and HIV.

Today there are heavy hearts at UNAIDS, as we celebrate and commemorate the life of Dr Sergei Furgal – one of UNAIDS most valued staff members and a distinguished international civil servant.

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.

The heads of seven African states were in Yaoundé at the invitation of Cameroon’s President Paul Biya to celebrate the 50th anniversary of their countries’ independence on Thursday. The seven leaders also took part in the closing ceremony of the international conference “Africa 21” on Wednesday evening.

The Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Helen Clark and Executive Director of UNAIDS Michel Sidibé are on a four day mission to Mali. It is the first joint mission to Mali by these two UN agencies. During the mission, Ms Clark will call for an accelerated national AIDS response in the lead-up to 2015, the target date set for reaching the Millennium Development Goals.

UNAIDS Executive Director Mr Michel Sidibé was invited by the South African government to join in the launch of a new testing campaign with President Jacob Zuma, Minister Motsoaledi, Premier Mokonyane and civil society representatives Ms Vuyiseka Dubula and Nkululeko Nxesi.