During a fact-finding mission to South Africa with the Elton John AIDS Foundation, UNAIDS International Goodwill Ambassador Victoria Beckham expressed her commitment to raising awareness around women and girls’ vulnerability to HIV.
Ms Beckham met with Sheila Tlou, Director of the UNAIDS Regional Support Team for Eastern and Southern Africa, and was briefed by Ms Tlou about the HIV epidemic in the region and UNAIDS’ support to national AIDS responses. The conversation focused on the various factors driving HIV infection among women, including violence, child marriage, intergenerational sex, human rights violations and traditional practices in eastern and southern Africa.
Ms Beckham noted that her visits to mothers2mothers project sites and the Ramokgopa Clinic, as well as her close interaction with women and girls in Soweto, helped broaden her understanding of the different challenges affecting communities in South Africa.
"The best way to eliminate mother-to-child transmission of HIV is to prevent women from being infected in the first place. Victoria Beckham can help us in reaching millions of young women with prevention messages and by lending her voice to amplify their needs to the world.”
Sheila Tlou, UNAIDS Regional Support Team for Eastern and Southern Africa
“My conversation with young women in Soweto has been an eye-opener for me. It gave me an exceptional insight to the many challenges facing these wonderful young women and mothers. They moved me with their stories and I want to help in any way I can to inspire them for change.”
Victoria Beckham, UNAIDS International Goodwill Ambassador
