President of Brazil Dilma Rousseff joined on 10 June the UNAIDS’ Protect the Goal campaign to raise global awareness of HIV.

During a meeting with UNAIDS Executive Director, Michel Sidibé, President Rousseff added her signature to the campaign ball in support of the initiative that aims to encourage young people to commit to HIV prevention and to emphasize the need to ensure universal access for all eligible for HIV treatment by 2015.

The campaign was officially launched in Brazil on the eve of the 2014 FIFA World Cup at a special event in the city of Salvador, Bahia on 9 June, with the presence of the Governor of Bahia, the Mayor of Salvador and the Brazilian Health Minister, among others.

Before reaching Brazil, the Protect the Goal ball started a tour from South Africa—the host of the World Cup 2010—through countries that are joining the World Cup competition. Heads of State of Algeria, Argentina, Cameroon, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Honduras, Nigeria, and Uruguay also signed the ball. The United Nations Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, also signed the Protect the Goal football as have many heads of United Nations agencies and the former United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan.