Federal Councillor for Foreign Affairs of Switzerland, Didier Burkhalter (left) and UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé.
The Federal Council for Foreign Affairs of Switzerland has announced that it will double its annual contributions to UNAIDS over the next three years. Switzerland will contribute a total of CHF 30 million until 2015 to support UNAIDS efforts in helping countries reach the HIV-related Millennium Development Goals. This contribution makes Switzerland UNAIDS’ eighth largest donor.
“We appreciate Switzerland’s engagement and leadership in the response to HIV and their unwavering confidence in the work of UNAIDS,” said UNAIDS Executive Director, Michel Sidibé. “Switzerland’s forward thinking policy development on harm reduction and its commitment to scientific research have been essential in advancing the response to HIV both domestically and globally. We look forward to continued close collaboration with Switzerland.”
The Swiss Government stated that UNAIDS was ‘the most important multilateral platform in the response to HIV’ and highlighted the key role of UNAIDS in ensuring a coordinated UN response to the epidemic.
Switzerland’s forward thinking policy development on harm reduction and its commitment to scientific research have been essential in advancing the response to HIV both domestically and globally. We look forward to continued close collaboration with Switzerland.
UNAIDS Executive Director, Michel Sidibé
As a member of UNAIDS’ Programme Coordinating Board, Switzerland actively advocates for increased efforts to stop new HIV infections among children and young people. It also strongly supports HIV prevention programmes for people at higher risk of infection such as sex workers, people who use drugs and men who have sex with men and has undertaken pioneering work in this domain.
Switzerland has a unique role in global health as the host country of leading global health organizations. Switzerland’s continued engagement in responding to HIV and strong partnership with UNAIDS will be critical in helping to shape the future of AIDS and in achieving UNAIDS vision of zero new HIV infections, zero discrimination and zero AIDS-related deaths.
