Angolan singer Yola Semedo was appointed as a UNAIDS National Goodwill Ambassador for Angola on World AIDS Day 2015 at the Palácio dos Congressos, in Luanda, Angola. She will support UNAIDS in Angola to achieve the target of ending the AIDS epidemic by 2030 as part of the Sustainable Development Goals.
Through strategic campaigns and outreach initiatives, Ms Semedo will promote HIV prevention messages and will help to mobilize resources and engage with communities to eliminate stigma and discrimination. She hopes to encourage and empower youth, especially adolescent girls and pregnant women, to find out their HIV status and protect themselves from HIV.
Ms Semedo has supported a range of social causes in Angola that particularly affect young people throughout her musical career. She has been the face of several public health and social campaigns, including campaigns on saying no to drugs and no to violence, vaccination against measles and the prevention of breast cancer. She is also an ambassador for Chevron for the response to malaria and HIV in Angola.
“I am proud and honoured to be working with UNAIDS in this new role to help end the AIDS epidemic by 2030, and in particular to help raise awareness and prevent new HIV infections among young people in Angola. Ensuring that young people have access to HIV services is investing in a healthier future for generations to come,” said Ms Semedo.
