- About UNAIDS
- Our work
- Targets and commitments
- 2011 Political Declaration: Targets and elimination commitments
- Reducing sexual transmission
- Preventing HIV among drug users
- Eliminating new HIV infections among children
- 15 million accessing treatment
- Avoiding TB deaths
- Closing resource gap
- Eliminating gender inequalities
- Eliminating stigma and discrimination
- Eliminating travel restrictions
- Strengthening HIV integration
- 2011 Political Declaration: Targets and elimination commitments
Feature stories
May
- Influential leaders champion the role of the private sector in challenging HIV and global health threats
- Taking stock of the successes, challenges and future of the global AIDS response after three decades was at the core of the Global Business Coalition annual conference on Health (GBCHealth) held from 14-15 May in New York.
- UNITAID: Five years of health innovation brings new approach and new medicines to developing country markets
- Through spearheading innovative initiatives and providing financing for global health over the past five years, UNITAID has had a dramatic impact on millions of lives, using creative market approaches to increase access to treatment and diagnostics for HIV, malaria and tuberculosis. In its latest progress report UNITAID highlights a series of successes that have led to more focused and effective health interventions.
- Sweden and UNAIDS stress the importance of youth engagement in shaping global health agenda
- An official delegation from Sweden led by the Minister of International Cooperation, Gunilla Carlsson met with UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé at the UNAIDS Headquarters in Geneva. Young people features high on the agenda.
- South Africa launches campaign to reduce maternal mortality
- South Africa struggles with a high rate of maternal and child mortality. To reduce this, the campaign on Accelerated Reduction of Maternal Mortality in Africa (CARMMA) was launched at Osindisweni Hospital in Ethekwini District, KwaZulu-Natal Province on Friday 4 May.
- United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon leads a high-level mission to India in support of the Every Woman Every Child initiative
- On 28 April, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon led a high-level mission to Mumbai, India in support of the Every Woman Every Child initiative. During the visit, the Secretary-General commended Indian officials for the progress made in the AIDS response. Mr Ban also encouraged the Government of India to continue efforts to eliminate new paediatric HIV infections by 2015—one of the objectives of the Secretary-General’s five-year action plan.
- “See to understand”: Human rights, zero discrimination and improved AIDS response
- In Guatemala, wearing a pair of red glasses has transcended from being a fashion statement to a symbol against stigma and discrimination faced by people living with HIV. UNAIDS, in partnership with the National Red Cross, launched “See to understand”, a campaign that challenges people to look at the world through red glasses for a new perspective on what it can mean to live with HIV.
- Thailand and neighbouring countries get together to help provide HIV treatment for thousands of migrants in need
- Migration plays an integral role in Thailand’s economic development and the country hosts more than five million migrants from Cambodia, Lao People’s Democratic Republic and Myanmar. Many find themselves in situations that heighten their risk of HIV and have difficulty accessing key services such as antiretroviral therapy (ART). Partners in the region are exploring ways of ensuring better provision of ART to this potentially vulnerable group.
April
- Innovative WFP electronic voucher programme in Zimbabwe brings relief to many living with HIV
- Thousands of people living with HIV in Zimbabwe are no longer going hungry thanks to a creative intervention spearheaded by the World Food Programme. The project, which involves households receiving electronic vouchers that can be used to buy highly nutritious food, is proving a lifeline to people living with HIV.
- Joint PEPFAR-UNAIDS mission spotlights progress and challenges in preventing new HIV infections among children in Nigeria
- Preventing new HIV infections among children and saving mothers’ lives were high on the agenda in a two-day mission to Nigeria by Michel Sidibé, UNAIDS Executive Director, and Ambassador Eric Goosby, the U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator.
- Nigerian governors commit to stopping new HIV infections in children
- In a round-table discussion, high-level representatives from six Nigerian states committed to working with the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) and the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) to eliminate new HIV infections in children. The meeting came at the start of a joint two-day mission to Abuja by UNAIDS Executive Director Mr Sidibé and Ambassador Goosby, the U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator.
- ACT UP turns 25—marking a quarter century of AIDS activism
- AIDS activism had its start with groups like ACT UP—the AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power. Twenty-five years ago this month, Larry Kramer was speaking from his heart in New York and galvanizing what would become the first group to use political advocacy to change the course of the AIDS epidemic.
- Landmark report on HIV among Zambia’s young people highlights challenges and charts the way forward
- For Zambia’s young people the AIDS response has seen a number of important successes, with a significant 25% decline in HIV incidence over the last decade. However, according to a groundbreaking new report, the AIDS epidemic continues to have a huge effect on the country’s youth, especially young women, and much more needs to be done to achieve an HIV-free generation.
- World Bank: Greatly intensified HIV prevention in Africa vital to managing long-term financial impact of AIDS
- Without a dramatic reduction in HIV infections in Africa existing national AIDS treatment programmes could become unsustainable in the future, warns a new World Bank Report. African governments, development partners and donors are urged to actively intensify their HIV prevention efforts to stop this becoming a reality.
- Prioritising gender equality in response to AIDS in Liberia
- Cynthia Quaqua is a mother, wife, the president of the Liberian Women’s Empowerment Network (LIWEN), and, perhaps most importantly, a survivor. Raped by soldiers during the Liberian civil war, she became pregnant as a young woman. Years later she fell ill and was diagnosed with HIV. Suddenly, she found herself abandoned by her relatives even began discussing where to bury her.
- UNAIDS requests Pope Benedict XVI for support in efforts to stop new HIV infections in children
- The Executive Director of UNAIDS Michel Sidibé has asked for Pope Benedict XVI’s personal engagement in ending new HIV infections in children. During an audience with the Pope, Mr Sidibé spoke to him about how keeping children free from HIV was an achievable goal and, with concerted efforts, one which can be reached by 2015.
- West Indies cricketers support UNAIDS vision of eliminating new HIV infections among children
- Hosting a group of students on 6 April at the Kensington Oval stadium in Bridgetown, Barbados, the West Indies Cricket Team expressed solidarity with the UNAIDS vision of zero new HIV infections among children. The event was held as part of the Think Wise Campaign—a global partnership that uses the power and reach of cricket to address key issues around AIDS.
- UNAIDS Executive Director urges young people in Morocco to drive a revolution in HIV prevention
- Speaking with a group of young Moroccans on 4 April, UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé urged youth across the country—and region—to break the silence on AIDS and lead a revolution in HIV prevention.
- Morocco launches new national AIDS strategy
- Focusing resources on populations at high risk of HIV infection is at the core of a new national AIDS strategy in Morocco. Launched in Rabat on 3 April by the Minister of Health, El Hossaine Louardi, Morocco’s five-year strategy is closely aligned with the targets of the 2011 Political Declaration on AIDS.
- UNAIDS Executive Director praises Algeria as a regional leader and pioneer in the HIV response
- In a meeting on 2 April with the President of the Algerian Senate, Abdelkader Bensalah, UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé commended Algeria as a champion in the AIDS response—both at home and across the region.
- New initiative launched to deliver better, cheaper medicines to Africa
- The need to ensure that people in Africa have access to essential, high quality, safe and affordable medicines has just received a major boost with the launch of the East African Community (EAC) Medicines Registration Harmonization Project in Arusha, Tanzania, on 30 March 2012.
March
- UNAIDS and African Development Bank convene high-level meeting on AIDS financing
- How can African countries ensure a financially sustainable response to HIV? UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé explored this topical issue in a breakfast briefing on 27 March with African Ministers of Finance and other high-level participants from the region. Co-convened by UNAIDS and the African Development Bank, the round-table discussion was held on the sidelines of the African Union Conference of Ministers of Economy and Finance.
- Integration of HIV/TB services (Infographic)
- The goal of integrating HIV and TB services is to decrease the burden of TB and HIV in people at risk of or affected by both diseases.
- World TB Day: Children with tuberculosis being failed
- Much more needs to be done to prevent tuberculosis (TB) which affects at least half a million of the world’s children every year, with as many as 70 000 losing their lives. According to WHO and the Stop TB Partnership, most children can be saved from this curable illness with better diagnosis of the condition, greater access to health services and improved coordination of healthcare programmes.
- Men playing a role in eliminating new HIV infections among children and keeping mothers alive
- Sitting on a traditional stool at a Dare—a special meeting platform—Chief Chiveso of Mashonaland Central Province in Zimbabwe speaks to men about the possibility of having babies born HIV free and keeping their mothers alive. For that to happen, stresses the Chief, there is a need to challenge harmful cultural and religious practices that can affect community responses to HIV.
- Arab countries to develop a unified AIDS Strategy to reach targets set in the 2011 Political Declaration on AIDS
- The Council of the Arab Ministers of Health, representing the member countries of the League of Arab States, officially launched the Arab AIDS Initiative. This initiative aims at accelerating national and regional AIDS responses to achieve the targets set in the 2011 Political Declaration on AIDS
- Inter-American Commission on Human Rights creates a specialized unit to address human rights of lesbians, gays, bisexual, trans and intersex people
- The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) has created a specialized technical unit to strengthen its capacity to protect the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, and intersex (LGBTI) people in the Americas.
- UNAIDS and UNDP commend New Zealand’s leadership in the HIV response
- UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé and UNDP Administrator Helen Clark praised New Zealand as a model for the AIDS response in a joint meeting on 6 March with the country’s Prime Minister, John Key.
- HIV increasingly threatens women in Eastern Europe and Central Asia
- The glamorous world of pop music and the grim realities of the HIV epidemic in Eastern Europe and Central Asia may seem like strange bedfellows. However, Russian singer and AIDS activist, Julia Lasker, engages in both with full commitment.
- Sex workers advocate for access to health care and legal services
- More than 150 male and female sex workers marched through the Central Business District (CBD) of Nairobi, Kenya on 3 March claiming respect for their rights. Participants wearing masks signifying the hidden nature of their work walked from Koinange Street—Nairobi’s leading venue for sex work—to the Mayor’s office at City Hall.
- United States Congressional Staff first-hand view of Zambia’s AIDS response
- A delegation of nine United States Congressional staff members travelled to Zambia from 18 – 24 February. The aim of the visit was to have a first-hand understanding of the progress made and challenges remaining in scaling up HIV treatment, care and prevention programs in one of the most heavily impacted countries Sub-Saharan Africa.
- Joint UN Statement calls for the closure of compulsory drug detention and rehabilitation centers
- Twelve United Nations entities have issued a joined statement calling for the closure of compulsory drug detention and rehabilitation centers. The existence of such centers—which have been operating in many countries for the last 20 years—raises human rights issues and threatens the health of detainees, including through increased vulnerability to HIV and tuberculosis (TB) infection.
- President of Fiji commits to easing HIV burden for women in the Pacific region
- Speaking at a meeting on International Women’s Day in Suva, capital city of Fiji, UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé praised President Ratu Epeli Nailitikau for his “remarkable leadership” and personal engagement in the AIDS response at country, regional and global levels.
- UNDP and UNAIDS Leaders Begin High Level Joint Mission in New Zealand
- The Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Helen Clark, and the Executive Director of the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), Michel Sidibé, began a three day mission in New Zealand—the first joint mission by the two UN leaders in this Pacific country.
- UNICEF: Children in cities facing neglect
- Many of the hundreds of millions of young people living in towns and cities across the globe are facing poverty, social exclusion, health inequity and lack of access to vital services. This is the key finding in UNICEF’s latest flag ship report, The state of the world’s children 2012: Children in an urban world.
- Archbishop of Canterbury: “AIDS is not just a question of epidemiology but a question of social life”
- The Archbishop of Canterbury Dr Rowan Douglas Williams made an official visit to UNAIDS Headquarters in Geneva on 29 February 2012. The aim of the visit was to build on the collaborative partnership established last year between the Anglican Communion and UNAIDS around a number of issues including sexual violence, human rights and HIV.
February
- Increased domestic funding for AIDS is a ‘national priority,’ says the President of Côte d’Ivoire
- Meeting on 27 February with President Alassane Ouattara of Côte d’Ivoire, UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé noted with concern that the country relies heavily on external aid to finance its national AIDS response—a trend seen in many countries across Africa.
- UNAIDS Executive Director calls for greater local production of HIV medicines in Ghana
- Meeting today with John Evans Atta Mills, President of the Republic of Ghana, UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé sounded a theme from his recent missions in Bénin and Togo: sustainability of the AIDS response in Africa.
- Q&A with Ambrose Rachier, Chair of the HIV Equity Tribunal in Kenya
- At the June 2011 High Level Meeting on AIDS, world leaders pledged to eliminate stigma and discrimination against people living with HIV by promoting laws and policies that advance human rights and fundamental freedoms. The recent creation of an HIV Equity Tribunal in Kenya—the first of its kind globally—represents a bold step towards achieving this goal.
- UNAIDS Executive Director calls for increased national spending on AIDS in Togo
- Sustainable financing for the AIDS response was a key topic of discussion in a meeting on 21 February between UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé and Prime Minister Gilbert Houngbo of Togo.
- UNAIDS Executive Director meets with Bénin’s Head of State
- In an official meeting with President Boni Yayi of Bénin on 20 February, UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé called on the country’s Head of State to use his position and influence as President of the African Union to accelerate the HIV response across the continent.
- Zimbabwe: AIDS levy generates new resources for treatment
- An additional 70 000 Zimbabweans living with HIV will get access to anti-retroviral (ARV) treatment by the end of 2012, using the country’s National AIDS Trust Fund. This announcement by the Zimbabwe National AIDS Council is a welcome sign for a country that has some 1.2 million adults and children living with HIV in 2009.
- Libya: UNAIDS works with National Transitional Council to rebuild the country’s AIDS response
- As Libya celebrates the first anniversary of the 17 February revolution, UNAIDS together with the governing National Transitional Council are putting the building blocks for rejuvenate the country’s AIDS response.
- HRH Crown Princess of Norway Mette-Marit in CrowdOutAIDS Online Town Hall
- UNAIDS Goodwill Ambassador HRH Crown Princess of Norway, Mette-Marit met with young people at a CrowdOutAIDS Online Town Hall held at UNAIDS headquarters in Geneva. CrowdOutAIDS is the UNAIDS Secretariat’s online project to crowdsource the development of a new UNAIDS strategy on young people. The strategy aims to outline a new approach to working young people.
- Brazilian football legend Pelé joined Gabon’s “CAN without AIDS” Campaign
- On 10 February 2012, Brazilian football legend Pelé took thousands of young people by storm during a beach soccer tournament organized in Gabon alongside the 2012 Coupe d’Afrique des Nations (or “CAN”). After the tournament, “O Rei” Pelé joined President Ali Bongo Ondimba of Gabon and the First Lady at a beach event organized as part of the “CAN without AIDS” campaign.
- Nordic countries continue to back the AIDS response
- The Nordic countries have reiterated their commitment to HIV and to doing their part to help countries reach the ambitious targets set out by United Nations Member States in the 2011 Political Declaration on AIDS.
- Asia-pacific nations pledge equal partnership with communities for accelerated regional AIDS action
- The active involvement of communities most affected by HIV in the design and implementation of HIV policy and programmes has been heralded as “critical” by nations across Asia and the Pacific. Through a new Asia-Pacific HIV action plan, governments in the region have pledged to work in partnership with civil society to reach global AIDS commitments and targets.
- UNAIDS Goodwill Ambassador James Chau receives award for outstanding journalistic reporting
- For a second consecutive year, China Central Television has awarded its annual prize to CCTV News anchor and UNAIDS national Goodwill Ambassador James Chau for his outstanding journalistic reporting in 2011.
- “Hear our voice” say young people from key affected populations in Asia-Pacific
- In Asia and the Pacific, data indicates that 95% of all new infections in young people in the region are among young people from key affected populations. But programmes focusing specifically on young people most at risk are often scarce.
January
- Stopping new HIV infections among children a key priority for new OAFLA chair
- Speaking at the 11th General Assembly of the Organization of African First Ladies Against HIV/AIDS (OAFLA) on 30 January, Madame Penehupifo Pohamba, First Lady of Namibia, identified the prevention of new HIV infections among children as a key objective for her new term as President of OAFLA.
- UN Secretary-General speaks against discrimination based on sexual orientation
- United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon stressed the need to anchor Africa’s development to the respect for human rights. “The Universal Declaration of Human Rights is a promise to all people in all places at all times,” said Mr Ban at the 18th annual meeting of the African Union.
- Global Fund marks 10th anniversary
- This year marks the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (Global Fund). Through all these years, the Global Fund has made a profound difference in saving millions of lives around the world. It has created momentum and helped countries achieve results.
- Improving women and children’s health a priority in Davos
- Under the theme The Great Transformation: Shaping New Models, the World Economic Forum brings together a unique multi-stakeholder audience of global decision-makers, thought leaders and representatives of the world's biggest companies to shape the future of the world economy.
- “CAN without AIDS”: reaching youth with HIV prevention messages at the Africa Cup of Nations football tournament
- UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé travelled to the West African nation of Gabon on 23 January to lend his support to an innovative campaign launched by the Sylvia Bongo Ondimba Foundation—a charitable organization run by Gabon’s First Lady.
- New government of Libya identifies AIDS as a priority
- A Libyan delegation headed by the Deputy Minister of Health Dr. Adel M. Abushoffa met with UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé on 24 January at UNAIDS headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. The aim of the meeting was to set up the short-term priorities for the country’s response to AIDS as well as to establish the basis for the development of a strong national AIDS plan.
- Elena Pinchuk AntiAIDS Foundation and UNAIDS award interactive responses to AIDS
- Elena Pinchuk ANTIAIDS Foundation announced the winners of the “Social Media and Mobile Phones for HIV Prevention” competition on 18 January 2012. The project entries by South African non-profit organization Cell-Life and by Chinese internet portal Danlan were declared winners. More than 50 teams from 19 countries took part in the competition.
- CrowdOutAIDS: the next phase!
- In October 2011, UNAIDS launched CrowdOutAIDS, an online/offline collaborative project to ‘crowdsource’ the organization’s new youth strategy. The project is now moving into its final phases.
