Photo credit : UNAIDS\O. O'Hanlon

The United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan urged the international community to continue to “fight to bring the global AIDS epidemic under control” as he visited UNAIDS in Geneva on Monday 20 November.

“In a short quarter of a century, AIDS has drastically changed our world. At least 25 million people have died of it; almost 40 million live with HIV today. AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria make up the deadliest triad the world has known,” he said, on his final visit to the UNAIDS Secretariat in his capacity as United Nations Secretary General.

“But at the same time, there is more than ever reason for hope. We can see how much things have changed, how the world is joining forces,” he added.

During his term in office Kofi Annan has been a pioneer in the AIDS response calling it ‘a personal priority’. “Even as I leave the office of the Secretary General, I assure you I will continue to fight AIDS,” he said, as he officially inaugurated the new UNAIDS/WHO building which will house both the UNAIDS Secretariat and the HIV, TB and malaria departments from WHO.

UNAIDS Executive Director Peter Piot underlined the importance of the Secretary General’s contribution and commitment to the AIDS response. “ If the world is now increasing acting against AIDS it is in no small part because of the leadership of Secretary General Kofi Annan,” he said “I trust you will remain an AIDS activist as I know your commitment is a passion way beyond your duty as Secretary General,” he added.

During his visit to the new UNAIDS/WHO building – designed by Baumschlager and Eberle architechts – the Secretary General also met with several artists who’s work on and around AIDS is displayed around the new building. He then visited the UNAIDS conference room which is named after him in recognition of his exceptional contribution to the AIDS response.

“This house will not only bring UNAIDS and WHO closer together. It will also be a meeting place for ideas, a centre for dialogue, a forum bringing together people and organizations, in the UN and beyond, to strengthen the global response against AIDS, TB and malaria. In this way, the building will be a nerve centre in our mission to reach the Millennium Development Goals and build better lives for people in the 21 st century,” he said.

Also speaking at the opening of the UNAIDS/WHO building were H.E.Ms Gunilla Carlsson, Swedish Minister for International Development Cooperation and Chair of the UNAIDS Programme Coordinating Board; Dr Anders Nordström, Acting Director General of the World Health Organization, H.E Mr Blaise Godet, Ambassador, Permanent Representative of Switzerland to the United Nations Office and other International Organizations in Geneva and Mr Mark Muller, State Councillor of Geneva (Conseiller d’Etat chargé du Département des constructions et des technologies d’information, Conseil d’Etat de la République et Canton de Genève).

Read: 
Speech by UNAIDS Executive Director, Dr. Peter Piot   (PDF, 30 Kb)
Speech by WHO Acting Director-General, Dr. Anders Nordström   (PDF, 30 Kb)
Allocution by Ambassador Blaise Godet  , Mission of Switzerland to the UNOG and other I.O. (PDF, 256 Kb), on the occasion of the UNAIDS HQ inauguration ceremony in Geneva on November 20, 2006

Every morning Buddhist Monk Maytryjit gets up at 3:45 am to meditate for one hour. Afterwards, he walks through the streets of Vientiane in the Lao Peoples Democratic Republic to collect his food alms.

However, this October he took time out of his usual routine to catch a flight to Pakse to attend a workshop convened by UNAIDS Cosponsor the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) entitled Leadership for Results, which brought together more than 100 representatives from several provinces including Buddhist monks, government ministries and people living with HIV.

UNDP’s Leadership for Results training workshops aim to develop the capacity of local leaders to transform the response to AIDS by promoting leadership at all levels. A series of workshops were held, the final one in Pakse where the leaders attending formed seven “break through” groups in charge of developing proposals for a transformed response to AIDS in the country. The “break through” initiatives focused on increasing HIV prevention among women living in rural settings, improving access to condoms within the Army and increasing access to information on HIV through radio.

Ms. Setsuko Yamazaki, UNDP Resident Representative, a.i. said, “The rationale behind the Leadership for Results programme is to encourage the formation of strong leadership on AIDS related issues within all sectors, beyond those traditionally involved in the epidemic’s response.”

“This involves stimulating a deep-rooted shift within individuals, organizations and communities, to enable them to see AIDS from a new perspective, identify new possibilities and take action,” she added.

As a follow up to the workshop, the group committed to carrying out ten HIV prevention pilot projects at bus stations, markets and villages, with the aim of reaching out to thousands of people. Using radio programmes and loudspeakers, Monk Maytryjit and his group will also begin disseminating AIDS information during religious ceremonies, including one of Laos’ most significant religious festivals, the Pha That Luang (The Great Stupa or Sacred Reliquary) that is held in November.

“According to Buddhist philosophy one needs to follow the right path and an important part of our life-skills is to treat every person equally. It is important therefore to reduce stigma against people living with HIV in Laos and to help their families,” said Monk Mayrtyjit.

All photo credit : Yasmin Padamsee/UNDP

Increasing access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support services for drug users and their partners is crucial to addressing the issue of growing HIV infections related to injecting drug use in the Middle East and North Africa region.

This was the overwhelming conclusion reached by regional representatives from law enforcement agencies, national AIDS programmes, NGOs, researchers, community representatives, people living with HIV and UN organizations who joined at a regional workshop on the issue of HIV and drug use in the region, held in Cairo, Egypt from 5 – 8 November.

Throughout the 3-day discussions, participants from the Arab countries, Afghanistan, Iran and Pakistan affirmed that drug use is an important risk factor in facilitating spread of HIV that calls for immediate action. Joint efforts of police, national AIDS actors, NGOs, drug users and of people living with HIV were recognized as fundamental elements in the prevention of HIV among drug users and their partners.

While significant efforts are being undertaken in a number of countries to reach out with HIV preventive services to drug users communities, limited capacities coupled with discrimination against drug users hamper implementation of wider-scale programmes.

“From my personal experience and my field work on reducing harm related to drug use, I suggest training more drug users and ex-drug users –to build their skills in order to promote and implement [HIV preventive] programs in the region,” an ex-drug user and outreach worker said in the workshop.

New initiatives for building capacities of civil society actors on implementing harm reduction measures and networking in the region were discussed and examined.

“Participation in this workshop has allowed an exchange of international experiences among NGOs and governments, and a discussion of the strategic approaches to planning at the national level to protect against the harms and risks of drugs and related HIV. It has created cooperation between [national stakeholders]…and encouraged civil society actors to assist and support alternative programs for drug users,” police participants from one of the Gulf countries said.

As part of the workshop, UNAIDS and UNODC launched the finalized Rapid Situation Assessment on Drug Use and HIV in Algeria and Morocco, as well as facilitate consensus on programmatic follow up for all participating countries. WHO and the International Harm Reduction Association launched a project on strengthening the role of civil society in harm reduction for injecting drug users in the Middle East and North Africa.

Although the main mode of HIV transmission in the Middle East and North Africa remains unprotected sexual contact, injecting drug use is an increasingly important factor in the region’s epidemics.

"Towards Universal Access to Prevention, Treatment, Care and Support in the West and Central African Region”

The renewed commitment to universal access to prevention, treatment, care and support undertaken by countries across the world, has paved the way in West and Central Africa to more inclusive dialogue among partners, galvanizing consensus around the core challenges currently obstructing the national response, and strengthening joint determination to scale up national programmes. 

The process of scaling up towards universal access in West and Central Africa has demonstrated the positive impact that broad and collaborative partnerships can provide, bringing together actors from government, civil society, (including people living with HIV, faith-based organizations, women’s groups, networks of health NGOs, youth associations, community based organizations), the media, the private sector, and bilateral and multilateral partners. This broad partnership set the backdrop for informed and open discussion on central themes of the national consultations, for example, raising issues around the importance of prevention as a means to ensure the sustainability of treatment provision.  

The UNAIDS Regional Support Team in Dakar has extensively supported the meaningful involvement of civil society which has been of varying but increasing frequency/intensity, In several countries such as Burkina Faso, Mali, Nigeria and Senegal, civil society has been actively involved in both the target setting and review processes of national strategic planning, ensuring the critical input of West African civil society into regional and global fora. This participation was ensured at the Brazzaville regional consultation and the Abuja Heads of State Summit, but more significantly, enabled African civil society to contribute to “ Africa’s Common Position to the UN General Assembly Special Session on HIV/AIDS” June 2006.  

Significant momentum has built up on target setting and its follow up, facilitated by technical and financial support provided by the UNAIDS country and regional offices, the UN Country Team and UN Theme Group . Seventeen of the twenty countries who have held national consultations to date have set targets towards scaling up, with countries raising the bar of aspiration by setting far more ambitious goals for 2010, in line with the 2001 Abuja Declaration and the UN High Level Meeting of June 2006.  

Progress made in West and Central Africa testifies to the central importance and utility of a strong strategic plan as the vehicle for reaching ambitious targets. Thirteen countries in all have developed nationally agreed roadmaps for scale-up over the next five years (2006-2010). Evidence suggests that those countries able to harmonize target setting with the strategic planning cycle, encountered far less difficulties in establishing targets than those who undertook a separate process. A harmonized strategic planning approach ensures that partners operate in accordance with national priorities, supporting the principles enshrined in the Three Ones and Global Task Team recommendations. In addition, it has been widely recognised that countries will only succeed in scaling up towards universal access if the critical obstacles identified during the country consultations are addressed through the national HIV strategic plans, and are complemented by regional and global level policy action.

Countries in the region have nevertheless encountered several challenges in the target setting and planning processes. In some cases, target setting has been hindered by a lack of available and reliable data, and further support is needed to establish one national M&E system, including a common database accepted and accessible by all partners. In addition, countries have struggled to cost their revised annual workplans, a process completed by six countries to date. Particular attention is needed to scale up technical capacity in this area to elaborate detailed costed annual work plans. Continued and sustained technical and financial support will be needed, for national governments and country-based civil society, to accelerate the national response .

The Regional Support Team in Dakar and the Country and Regional Support Department of UNAIDS Geneva will continue to provide technical and financial support to countries towards scaling up including the finalization of target setting and planning processes. In addition, the RST will also continue to work with the regional civil society networks in West and Central Africa to empower their respective member organization networks to play their role in the national AIDS response and to help them identify more effective means of communication and representation at key regional and global fora and institutions.

Operational guidelines for setting targets  

Although the main mode of HIV transmission in the Middle East and North Africa remains unprotected sexual contact, injecting drug use is an increasingly important factor in the region’s epidemics.

The spread of HIV among drug users appears to be closely related to evolving patterns of drug use in the region in recent decades. Evidence suggests increase in number of drug users, decrease in the age at first use of drugs and some indication of an increased percentage of women using drugs in several countries.

The United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime (UNODC) estimates there are 400,000 injecting drug users in Arab countries and approximately 200,000 in Iran. These figures do not include a recent increase in numbers in Afghanistan which have been observed.

The sharing of contaminated injecting equipment among injecting drug users has become the predominant route of HIV infection in at least two countries since the mid to late 1990s – Iran and Libya –where a concentrated epidemic now appears to be well established.

“This is a real and growing issue for countries in the Middle East and North Africa. And although we are seeing increasing willingness to introduce HIV prevention and treatment programmes for drug users, focused efforts are needed urgently to ensure access to services for all drug users and their partners,” said Oussama Tawil, Director of UNAIDS’ Regional Support Team, Middle East and North Africa.

Over the last years, UNAIDS and UNODC have supported assessments on drug use and HIV-related risks in Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, as well as in Oman and Syria, as part of efforts to better understand trends and dynamics of the epidemics in the region and to increase HIV prevention efforts.

Main findings ensued suggest that needle sharing, ranging from 40 to 60%, coupled with low knowledge on AIDS, limited access to health and HIV-related services, stigma and discrimination, and other associated risk factors, are among some of the challenges faced by the region to reduce HIV risks and vulnerability among injecting drug users.

Within the assessments, researchers spoke to drug users about their thoughts and fears: “If I enter [a treatment center] I'll be marked, and my future is over. I will not be able to do anything, neither work nor life," said one of the participant.

“Drug use and other risk behaviors remain stigmatized in the region, which is why we must forge strong partnerships with different sectors, such as the national AIDS programmes, non-governmental organizations, drug users, people living with HIV and law enforcement agencies, to be able to better understand the epidemic and implement concrete solutions,” said Mr Tawil.

Foundations for an increased response to address HIV risks and vulnerability among drug users have been established in some countries and are underway in others. In Iran – considered a global best practice model – HIV-related initiatives for injecting drug users inside and outside prisons are now being scaled up beyond the pilot levels.

In an example of a bold movement to better tackle the issue of HIV and drug use in the region, representatives from law enforcement agencies, national AIDS programmes, NGOs, researchers, community representatives, people living with HIV, UN organizations and other partners will join at a regional workshop to be held in Cairo, Egypt from 5 – 8 November.

The workshop— “Towards Implementation of a Comprehensive HIV response and AIDS Response Among Drug Users in the Middle East and North Africa”— convened by UNAIDS and its cosponsors UNODC and the World Health Organization (WHO) as well as the German Technical Coorperation (GTZ), will welcome participants from 16 countries and aims to build capacities on programming and implementing HIV prevention, treatment and care interventions among drug users.

As part of the workshop, UNAIDS and UNODC will launch the finalized Rapid Situation Assessment on Drug Use and HIV in Algeria and Morocco, as well as facilitate consensus on programmatic follow up for all participating countries. WHO and the International Harm Reduction Association will also launch the project on strengthening the role of civil society in harm reduction for injecting drug users in the Middle East and North Africa.

“This gathering bringing together wide diversity of partners is unique for the region and a turning point for action on drug use and HIV in the region” Mr. Tawil said.

Global Health Initiative of the World Economic Forum and the World Bank are calling for continued support for Business Coalitions in sub-Saharan Africa to back companies in tackling pandemic.

1st November 2006, Geneva, Switzerland: In the first ever study of its kind, “The State of Business Coalitions in Sub-Saharan Africa”, which is released today, shows how 27 countries are supporting businesses in addressing HIV/AIDS. At least 20 coalitions exist in Sub- Saharan Africa today with more than 16 having been established in the last 5 years to meet growing demands. The study provides guidance to newly launched and those soon to be formed coalitions, shares best practices, benefits, achievements, and highlights the key challenges facing coalitions. Other businesses and donors are now being urged to back the approach and help strengthen Business Coalitions as an important part of the solution to the epidemic, which is devastating Africa’s people and economy.

Business Coalitions create critical mass for businesses wanting to respond to the crisis. Although the set-up and running can vary dramatically from country to country, they are successfully mobilizing business efforts in a coordinated way, facilitating the sharing of best practices and serving as the voice of the private sector in calling for increased action and facilitation of treatment programmes. They provide a way for businesses to engage with other coalition partners in their country in fighting the disease, and channeling resources from both the private and public sectors.

For five years, The Global Health Initiative’s (GHI) and the World Bank’s AIDS Campaign Team for Africa (ACTafrica), have worked together to catalyze public private partnerships in health, by building and supporting business coalitions across Africa, and well placed to coordinate the mapping and evaluation of the work done to date. This was achieved with additional cooperation from Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ), UNAIDS, Corporate Council on Africa, and PharmAccess. Francesca Boldrini, GHI Director, commented, “This study highlights the richness of the business response in Africa that groups like the World Bank have been able to stimulate. It is fantastic that so many Business Coalitions have formed across Africa in recent years. It presents a huge opportunity to strengthen further the business response to AIDS - an opportunity we should not miss.”

All these new Business Coalitions have made excellent progress to date. In total, the coalitions have reached 1,950 organizations in sub-Saharan Africa. In order to sustain and keep growing their efforts a number of challenges need to be overcome.

The study reveals key challenges facing Business Coalitions today which include financial sustainability, with unpredictable funding from donors; the difficulty in meeting increasing company demands with limited staff and a lack of relevant skills; and reaching out to engage small and medium enterprises (SMEs), who employ the majority of Africa’s workers, but don’t have the resources and expertise of multinationals.

“In the global battle against HIV/AIDS, business has an obvious and important role to play”, says Elizabeth Ashbourne, Focal Point for Private Sector and HIV/AIDS in Africa, at the World Bank. “This study provides an excellent overview of how Business Coalitions can work effectively to overcome the challenges they face. I hope it acts as a motivator for all stakeholders – businesses, governments, donors – to recognize the value of National Coalitions and to work together with our development partners and country clients to strengthen their initiatives across Africa.”

The study concludes that strengthened HIV/AIDS Business Coalitions have the potential to meet the demands of companies today.

To download a copy of the full report and the individual country coalition profiles, highlighting the activities and successes, please visit the GHI website, http://www.weforum.org/en/initiatives/globalhealth/index.htm

Notes to editors:

About the Global Health Initiative (GHI) of the World Economic Forum
The GHI provides a unique platform for catalysing public-private partnerships in health and driving action on HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria at the regional, national and international levels. To achieve this goal, the GHI works closely with the World Economic Forum’s member and partner companies as well as UNAIDS, the boards of the Global Fund and the Global Partnership along with the World Health Organization’s Stop TB and Roll Back Malaria partnerships. In addition to these, the GHI successfully engages with a broad range of NGOs and other members of civil society, as well as governments from across the world, effectively stimulating public-private dialogue in world health.

The World Economic Forum is an independent international organization committed to improving the state of the world by engaging leaders in partnerships to shape global, regional and industry agendas.
 
Incorporated as a foundation in 1971, and based in Geneva, Switzerland, the World Economic Forum is impartial and not-for-profit; it is tied to no political, partisan or national interests.

For more information:
Richard Elliott
Senior Media Officer
Tel.: +41 (0)22 869 12 92
Fax: + 41 (0)22 869 13 94
richard.elliott@weforum.org 
www.weforum.org

Asia and Pacific countries with low HIV prevalence rates called for action to increase sustainable HIV prevention efforts and funding for AIDS, at the ‘Low to Zero’ Asia Pacific regional conference that took place in Mongolia from 24 – 27 October.

“Whether a country is low prevalence or high prevalence, the risk factors are the same, and HIV prevention efforts need to be focused to be most effective,” the Director of the UN Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) Regional Support Team for Asia and the Pacific, J.V.R. Prasada, told the meeting of 10 countries in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.

Countries where HIV is still relatively rare have a window of opportunity to avoid more serious epidemics cost-effectively. But it is essential that they invest in sustainable and focused prevention efforts, and actively counter the stigma of HIV and the taboos that hinder addressing risky behaviours.

This was the conclusion of the First Asia-Pacific Regional Conference on Universal Access to HIV Prevention, Treatment, Care and Support in Low Prevalence Countries, where experts from governments, civil society and international organizations shared experiences and strategies for strengthening national AIDS programmes.

Opening the conference, Prime Minister Enkhbold Miyegombo announced that Mongolia had re-established its national AIDS committee, and pledged to step up action against HIV. “I believe that the low prevalence of HIV is not a reason to limit the allocation of domestic and international financial resources to HIV prevention,” he stated.

Delegates adopted the Ulaanbaatar 2006 Call for Action, highlighting the priorities of an effective response to the epidemic such as improving surveillance systems, so they can better understand factors driving the epidemic and target interventions to those most at risk.

National AIDS action plans need adequate funding, ambitious but realistic targets, high-level political commitment, and the full involvement of civil society, the Call said, urging governments and international donors to increase support for national HIV prevention programmes.

Participants agreed that focused prevention efforts are urgently needed for people most at risk, including sex workers and their clients, injecting drug users, men who have sex with men and young migrants. Efforts should also be made to raise general awareness about AIDS to help break down AIDS-related stigma and discrimination. Despite a few notable successes in containing the epidemic, infections continue to rise throughout Asia and the Pacific region and have reached concentrated levels in a number of countries.

The Government of Mongolia organized the four-day meeting, which ended on Friday, in partnership with the UN Population Fund (UNFPA), the UN World Health Organization (WHO), UN Children’s Fund ( UNICEF), the UN Development Programme (UNDP) and UNAIDS. The 10 countries attending were: Bangladesh, Bhutan, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), Fiji, Laos, Malaysia, Maldives, Mongolia, Sri Lanka and the Philippines.

Less than six months after the United Nations Member States endorsed the 2006 Political Declaration on HIV/AIDS, countries across the world have started setting ambitious targets to significantly scale up their response to AIDS. This is the first step to moving towards the goal of universal access to comprehensive HIV prevention, treatment, care and support by 2010.  

We asked Mr Prasada Rao, UNAIDS Regional Support Team Director for Asia and the Pacific to update us on progress in his region.

In June 2006 the UN Member States committed to significantly scale up their AIDS response in the bid to achieving the goal of universal access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support by 2010. What can we say about this process in Asia and the Pacific?

Countries in Asia and the Pacific have made significant progress and taken concrete actions on the commitments made in New York. Since the first regional consultation that took place in February 2006 to identify obstacles to moving towards the goal of universal access by 2010, a number of national and regional consultations have been held to discuss the different aspects of this process and put in place mechanisms to move forwards, including developing targets, and updating and costing strategic plans. The consultation held on 25 August, immediately after the Toronto AIDS Conference, focused specifically on how to ensure civil society involvement in the universal access process in the region. More recently, a consultation took place between 24 and 27 October in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, which brought together government, civil society, bilateral and UN representatives from 11 low-prevalence countries in the region.

Can you give us concrete examples of what has happened in Asia and the Pacific after the 2006 Political Declaration was endorsed?

Countries such as Cambodia, India, Philippines, Nepal and Thailand have already agreed on targets. It’s important to note that they have set targets in three programmatic areas: prevention, treatment and care and support. It’s also important to note that these countries have assessed the resources needed to achieve the new targets.

Can you tell us how these targets have been set?

One of the specificities of the process of scaling up a comprehensive response to HIV towards the goal of universal access by 2010 is that it should be driven by local realities and should include all stakeholders, in particular civil society. This means that no two countries followed the same process. However, we worked with all countries and involved stakeholders to re-visit the targets set in the Declaration of Commitment in 2001, in light of their actual performance and their current capacity. The purpose of this exercise is to consider setting ambitious targets for countries making good progress and for countries which are not as successful, to explore the reasons why and identify the concrete obstacles that are hindering progress. This also gives countries an opportunity to improve harmonization and alignment of partners’ efforts with their national AIDS strategies, as recommended by the Global Task Team.

What about the other countries in the region?

Bangladesh , Indonesia, China, Laos, Viet Nam, Myanmar and Sri Lanka are making progress but at a slower rate. In these countries, governments are committed to moving forwards and UNAIDS is working with them, and with representatives from civil society, to evaluate if the targets are ambitious enough, while remaining realistic and feasible. We are expecting to complete this process by the end of 2006 as set out in the Political Declaration.

In other smaller, low prevalence countries in Asia and the Pacific, we are working closely with country representatives to accelerate the target setting process. The response from these countries has been extremely positive.

What are some of the challenges countries are facing in Asia and the Pacific in setting targets?

Harmonizing the target setting process with ongoing planning processes is definitely a challenge. However, I have to say that several countries have been able to overcome this. For example in Nepal, the National Strategic Plan for 2006/7-2010/11 is being developed and will contain quantitative targets for scaling up prevention and treatment towards universal access. India and Pakistan have also incorporated the target setting process in their national planning process.

In the Political Declaration, countries commit to setting the new targets through consultations with all stakeholders involved in the AIDS response, including people living with HIV. Can we see this happening in Asia and the Pacific?

Ensuring the significant contribution of civil society, particularly people living with HIV in the target setting process is another challenge in the region and a critical element of the commitment made in New York. While all countries are trying to involve civil society as much as possible, we feel that we can help countries perform better on this aspect.

In August 2005, we organized a civil society forum where more than 40 representatives from regional networks and NGOs working on HIV in the region and national civil society partners met to discuss how they can play a role in the development of national strategic plans and target setting at country level.  They made very practical recommendations and proposed a framework for strong and meaningful civil society participation. The framework defines minimum standards for civil society involvement, as well as guidelines on systematic and equitable representation of civil society, including vulnerable groups, [1] in the official mechanisms, the target setting process, and in developing national strategic and operational plans. This consultation has in fact helped us to finalise and send a list of eight indicative targets, which are specific to countries with low and concentrated epidemics, to all stakeholders including the National AIDS Councils and National programme Mangers for adoption and integration into their national planning process.

They also made recommendations about building the capacity of civil society and developing indicators for monitoring civil society involvement. Many groups need to be informed in more detail about the concept, the implications of the process and what their role is. They also need to be trained to effectively advocate, negotiate and express their concerns and perspectives.

What are the next steps in your region?

It’s important to maintain the current momentum and to strengthen mutual accountability by all partners (this is why we think civil society involvement in scaling up national responses is critical). We are also providing funding and technical support, by engaging the country based UN teams and supporting countries to mobilize resources either internally or with external donors and the Global Fund. While continuing to support countries, we are working now to involve more regional intergovernmental bodies, to ensure that target setting remains on the agenda of regional high level meetings, to jointly address obstacles to scaling up towards universal access, as well as developing strategic information for advocacy purposes.

[1] Sex workers, men who have sex with men, people who inject drugs, transgender, and other vulnerable groups

Operational guidelines for setting targets  

Zalevskiy’s condom headdress was one of the highlights of the show
Photo Credit: Reuters \ ANTIAIDS Foundation

On the first day of Ukrainian fashion week, the art and fashion world came together to promote AIDS awareness at a gala event in Kiev. Top Ukrainian designer Alexey Zalevsiky unveiled his new spring-summer collection which featured men’s and women’s formal and casual wear with a difference.

Huge red hearts pulsed in the background as the models strode down the catwalk in their striking red and white outfits. The hearts were part of the set design, but the real show stopper was the headwear; bunches of condoms arranged stylishly as headdresses and Zalevsiky’s new take on hatpins; syringes sticking out at rakish angles around the model’s heads. This unusual show was part of an effort by the organisers to increase awareness around the main drivers of Ukraine’s AIDS epidemic; unsafe injecting drug use practices and unprotected sex.

It is the first time in the history of Ukraine that a top designer has made AIDS awareness a central part of one of the country’s major cultural and social events. The show was put on to raise awareness about AIDS and call for support for people living with HIV. Of the fifty models appearing in the show, five were living with HIV.

“This is actually my second collection dedicated to AIDS that I have presented in Ukraine,” said the designer, Alexey Zalevskiy. “I had my first show eight years ago, but this time I decided to do a really big project. And what was most significant for this show was that we had both professional and non-professional models living with HIV walking down the catwalk. I came up with this idea after talking with people working in HIV organizations just before the International AIDS Conference in Toronto. It was vital for me to say ‘here, HIV-positive people are also living among us and need our support’.”

Fashion designer Alexey Zalevskiy with the models from the show
Photo Credit: Ukrainian Fashion Week \ K.Mohnach

During the fashion week, Zalevskiy challenged Ukrainian designers to address the issue of AIDS in Ukraine as their own personal problem, “Our fashion community should follow the lead of the international fashion community that has been engaged in raising AIDS awareness worldwide for many years.”

UNAIDS Country Coordinator Anna Shakarishvili said, “Ukraine is experiencing a very serious AIDS epidemic which is showing no signs of abating.…Zalevskiy has done a great job of getting people to talk about AIDS. If we are to have any chance of getting ahead of the epidemic in Ukraine we need to talk openly about the problem and educate people about AIDS.”

The project has been supported by the ANTIAIDS Foundation and its founding member Elena Franchuk, together with the All-Ukrainian Network of People Living with HIV and the International Renaissance Foundation.

One of the new designs by Alexey Zalevsiky
Photo Credit: Ukrainian Fashion Week \ K.Mohnach

“My organization was happy to be able to support Alexey Zalevskiy’s initiative,” said Franchuk. “The creation and display of a collection dedicated to AIDS awareness is another important way to say again that AIDS is everybody’s problem. We used to say that HIV is concentrated in risk groups – but now we say that it concerns everyone. It is necessary to know as much as possible about AIDS to be able to protect oneself.”

Sergey Fyodorov, one of the models in the show living with HIV, works in the All-Ukrainian Network of People Living with HIV. He was among one of the first people living with HIV in Ukraine to speak out about AIDS and his HIV status in the late 1990s. “AIDS touches everybody, regardless of whether or not you live with the infection or whether or not you dress fashionably,” he said.

“Not only people’s lives but also quality of life depends on our efforts. People living with HIV should not have to face discrimination. It is very important that HIV is associated with something positive – you can feel a lot of positive energy in Alexey’s collection. And that is essential.”

All-Ukrainian Network of People Living with HIV

Elena Franchuk ANTIAIDS Foundation

International Renaissance Foundation

(Left to right) Mr. Sergei Martynov, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus; Professor Lars Kallings; Dr. Vassiliy Zharko, Minister of Health of the Republic of Belarus.

In less than a decade, numbers of new infections have increased twenty-fold in Eastern Europe and Central Asia. The country of Belarus is no exception. Although estimates of people living with HIV may seem low at around 20,000 adults and children, and there are signs of some progress, the spread of HIV does not seem to be slowing.

Addressing the issue of rising infection rates and the need for greater awareness on HIV in Belarus UN Secretary General’s Special Envoy on HIV/AIDS in Europe Professor Lars Kallings from Sweden paid a high level advocacy visit to the country in October 2006.

During the visit Professor Kallings met with key Belarus officials including Mr. Sergey Martynov, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr. Vasilij Zharko, Minister of Health, Dr. Victor Kolbanov, First Deputy Minister of Health. He also met Dr. Mikhail Rimzha, Deputy Minister of Health & Chief Sanitary Physician, Dr Ludmila Postoyalko, Chairperson of the Standing Committee for Demographic Security and Social Development of the National Assembly Council.

Professor Lars Kallings meets with the UN Country Team

“In the course of my visit I urged political leaders to step forward and to talk openly about AIDS. I speak for the strengthening of partnerships with civil society organizations to ensure universal access to HIV prevention, treatment and care,” Professor Kallings said.

Learning of the various aspects of the AIDS response in Belarus, Professor Kallings praised progress achieved so far, including reaching out to more young people with HIV prevention messages and ensuring that three quarters of mothers living with HIV and their newborn babies underwent a complete course of antiretroviral prophylaxis in 2005. Professor Kallings also noted that antiretroviral treatment is integrated into health care systems and has been scaled up to reach 80 per cent of those in need by mid 2006.

Professor Lars Kallings speaks at a press conference during his visit to Belarus

As part of the visit, Professor Kallings also met with the UN country team, visited the AIDS Prevention Department of the National Center of Hygiene, Epidemiology and Public Health (which serves as a Secretariat of the Republican Interdepartmental Council on HIV/AIDS and STDs Prevention) and met with representatives of civil society organizations and people living with HIV who are involved in the country’s multi-sectoral response to the epidemic.

“With continued political commitment and increased HIV prevention and treatment programmes, Belarus has a window of opportunity to keep prevalence rates low and to reverse the epidemic,” said Dr Sergei Furgal from UNAIDS European Regional Support Team in Geneva.

Photo Credits : UNAIDS