Despite encouraging signs that the AIDS epidemic is beginning to be contained in a small but growing number of countries, the epidemic continues to expand worldwide, according to a report released by UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan.

Three United Nations leaders today called for the world to refocus its attention on the chronic problems and humanitarian needs of millions of people in southern Africa, especially children.

A recent advertising campaign is touting the benefits of vitamin therapy above antiretroviral therapy and claiming that antiretroviral therapy is toxic. These advertisements, placed in the international press, are wrong and misleading, reiterated the World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) today.

The Executive Director of UNAIDS, Dr Peter Piot, today announced the appointment of Ms Deborah Landey, currently the United Nations Resident Coordinator to the Philippines, as the new Deputy Executive Director of UNAIDS.

The Flemish Government and the United Nations in Mozambique today announced the launch of a four year programme to combat the growing feminization of the HIV and AIDS epidemic in Mozambique.

Two years after a historic Special Session of the UN General Assembly on HIV/AIDS, despite considerable progress, many UN Member States will not meet basic AIDS prevention and care goals established at the 2001 meeting unless efforts are dramatically scaled up, according to reports released today by the UN Secretary-General and UNAIDS.

Today, India’s Ministry of Defence and the UNAIDS Office on AIDS, Security and Humanitarian Response announced the signing of a partnership agreement committing both parties to work together to reduce the impact of HIV and increase prevention efforts among military personnel, particularly young men and women.

At the conclusion of his first mission to Viet Nam, UNICEF/ UNAIDS Goodwill Ambassador Jackie Chan called for an end to discrimination and stigma towards children and families infected or affected with HIV/AIDS.

UNAIDS and WHO applaud the announcement made today by the Clinton Foundation HIV/AIDS Initiative of two new programmes to help expand AIDS care and treatment to children and to people living in rural areas.

UNAIDS thanks the Commission for the opportunity to address it under Agenda Item 12. UNAIDS also wishes to express its gratitude to the Special Rapporteur on Violence against Women, Yakin Ertürk, who has described so forcefully the many ways that violence against women and girls – both inside and outside marriage – increases their vulnerability to HIV infection and to the impact of AIDS.