The International AIDS Candlelight Memorial, coordinated by the Global Network of People Living with HIV, is one of the world’s oldest and largest grassroots mobilization campaigns for HIV awareness in the world. In May, the UNAIDS country office in China invited members of community-based organizations to lead a commemorative event to mark the 36th International AIDS Candlelight Memorial at the United Nations headquarters in Beijing.       

Organized by the Man Wellness Center and Beijing Love Without Border Foundation under the theme of "Ignite Hope, Blessing for Love,” the event brought together community members, activists, young people, healthcare providers, private sector representatives and other people working in the response. They remembered those lost to AIDS-related illnesses and re-committed their efforts to end the AIDS epidemic as a public health threat by 2030.  

During the ceremony, the director of UNESCO’s Beijing office, Ms. Marielza Oliveira, welcomed the significant advances made in the response to AIDS, emphasizing the medical and scientific advances that could now be used to reduce the impact of the epidemic. She called on people to join together to reduce the stigma and discrimination associated with the virus to ensure that everybody could share in the progress being made.

Participants at the event received the latest material about HIV treatment and prevention options.

Civil society activists in China are working hard to get the message across that as long as people living with HIV take treatment regularly and are virally suppressed, they are not infectious: Undetectable = Untransmittable.        

Young people were prominent at the event. Volunteers from the Core Group for AIDS Prevention and the Red Cross Society of China’s Beijing branch attended and committed themselves to creating a discrimination-free environment for people living with and affected by HIV.

As dusk fell, people lit candles in memory of those that have been lost to AIDS-related illnesses.

At the end of the ceremony, people came together to place their candles on a commemorative red ribbon.

The event once again demonstrated the central role played by communities in the response to the AIDS epidemic.

This story was first published by UNESCO

Young people in Myanmar make up more than half of the national population, with 5-14-year-olds making up the largest group. This youthful population brings incredible potential for sustaining Myanmar’s recent development momentum, but only if investments are made to address the challenges that prevent them from making informed decisions about their health and well-being.

Research shows that young people in Myanmar have a limited understanding of sexual and reproductive health, with 38 per cent of adolescents admitting they did not know a woman could become pregnant if she has sex only once, and only 16.67 per cent of young people aged 15 - 24 having accurate HIV prevention knowledge.

To address these issues, UNESCO Yangon, in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, held a policy seminar on 22 March, 2019. More than 50 representatives from Government and non-Government organizations came together to share good practices and identity opportunities for strengthening sexuality education policy, curriculum and teaching in Myanmar.

The event featured the launch of the Myanmar-language version of the 2018 revised International Technical Guidance on Sexuality Education (ITGSE), developed by UNESCO, in partnership with the World Health Organization, UNICEF, UNFPA, UNAIDS, and UN Women. The Technical Guidance assists education, health and other relevant authorities in the development and implementation of sexuality education programmes and materials.

UNESCO regional advisor for health and education, Kabir Singh, said the UN Technical Guidance covers a wide range of topics; going beyond sexual and reproductive health to include broader life skills such as negotiating consent and staying safe.

“While young people in Myanmar face challenges in accessing sexual and reproductive health (SRH) information and services, the situation is further exacerbated by social and gender norms that prevent children and young people, particularly girls and other vulnerable groups, from achieving good health and well-being,” he said.

“This is why it is critical that CSE programmes begin at the ages of 5 – 8, as outlined in the UN Technical Guidance. We need to help children at the earliest ages understand gender equality, healthy relationships, and respect for themselves and one another.”

Sexuality education in Myanmar

The National Life Skills Education curriculum in Myanmar, developed by the Ministry of Education (MoE) in collaboration with UNICEF, has been part of the core curriculum in primary schools since 2006, and in middle schools as a compulsory co-curricular subject since 2008. The lower secondary curriculum (grades 5-8) covers seven themes, including reproductive health, HIV and STIs, substance use, and disease prevention and nutrition.

A 2012 assessment of Life Skills Education in middle school found that knowledge around reproductive health was low, with the authors suggesting that cultural sensitivity and lack of teacher training may be contributing factors. A recent UNICEF U-Report, a free SMS social monitoring tool for youth participation in Myanmar, also found that most survey respondents learned about sexuality education through social media, a source that is often not scientifically accurate or age-appropriate.

At the 2019 UNESCO-led policy seminar, Myanmar government representatives agreed to review Life Skills Education in the context of the UN Technical Guidance, ensuring the sexuality education being delivered is comprehensive and age-appropriate. Representatives also indicated that comprehensive sexuality education should be strengthened as part of current education reforms to the basic education curriculum and pre-service teacher education curriculum.

Min Jeong Kim, Head of UNESCO Myanmar Project Office, welcomed the close working relationship between UNESCO and the Ministry of Education in introducing comprehensive sexuality education into the education system.

“The Ministry of Education has shown strong leadership in their efforts to address the challenges faced by children and young people, such as gender inequalities, and sexual and reproductive health. UNESCO shares this commitment to positively impact young people’s lives and look forward to continuing to work in partnership the curriculum core team and the Teacher Education Colleges to integrate CSE into the new curriculum for teacher education,” Min Jeong Kim said.

Delegates at the policy seminar discussed ways in which to introduce comprehensive sexuality knowledge and related life skills to current and future generations of children and young people in Myanmar. The seminar provided a platform that bridged key stakeholders such as public service providers, development partners and non-Government organizations, with a view to starting a dialogue on comprehensive sexuality education, understanding the gaps and identifying the best way forward for full implementation.

The revised technical guidance on sexuality education

The original international technical Guidance published in 2009 positioned sexuality education primarily as part of the HIV response. However, while HIV prevention remains important, evidence and practice demonstrate that sexuality education has a much broader relevance to other issues, not only for young people’s sexual and reproductive health but also for their overall wellbeing and personal development.

The revised Guidance presents sexuality with a positive approach, recognizing that CSE goes beyond educating about reproduction, risks and disease. It reaffirms the position of sexuality education within a framework of human rights and gender equality. It reflects the contribution of sexuality education to the realization of several internationally agreed commitments in relation to sexual and reproductive health, as well as the achievement of the goals in the 2030 Agenda in relation to health and well-being, quality and inclusive education, gender equality and women and girls empowerment.

Based on a review of the sexuality education around the world and drawing on best practices in the various regions, the Guidance demonstrates that sexuality education:

• helps young people become more responsible in their attitude and behaviour regarding sexual and reproductive health
• is essential to combat the school dropout of girls due to early or forced marriage, teenage pregnancy and sexual and reproductive health issues
• is necessary because in some parts of the world, two out of three girls reported having no idea of what was happening to them when they began menstruating and pregnancy and childbirth complications are the second cause of death among 15 to 19-year olds
• does not increase sexual activity, sexual risk-taking behaviour, or STI/HIV infection rates. It also presents evidence showing that abstinence-only programmes fail to prevent early sexual initiation, or reduce the frequency of sex and number of partners among the young.

Zhou Kai has worked in the UNAIDS China office for almost 13 years and has been involved in the AIDS response for more than 16 years. Before this, she was a university lecturer and researcher in paediatric and adolescent health for ten years.

Ms. Zhou’s experience demonstrates how China’s AIDS response has evolved over time. She first worked as a clinical researcher at the China Integrated Programme on AIDS before joining UNAIDS in 2006 to manage the coordination of the nine co-sponsor agencies that are behind UNAIDS in China.

“The AIDS response strategy in China was very weak at the time,” says Ms. Zhou.

Ms. Zhou began working on HIV prevention among key populations. As a doctor she provided strong technical support on HIV testing and prevention to national counterparts and strengthened community participation in prevention programmes. 

In the following years, the AIDS response in China gradually improved. The Chinese government hoped to share its experience and began working on development projects, including in the health sector, to strengthen China-Africa collaboration.  

One of the agendas for China-Africa cooperation is sharing best practice between China and African countries. In 2018, with the support of the UNAIDS Regional Support Team for Eastern and Southern Africa and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, Ms. Zhou helped facilitate a visit for officials from Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania to Beijing and to Yuxi in Yunnan province in the south-west of the country.

During the visit, the delegates visited a rehabilitation clinic for people who use drugs and learned about the needle and syringe exchange programmes and opioid substitution therapy projects which have significantly reduced HIV infections among people who inject drugs.

Another of Ms. Zhou’s responsibilities is to advocate for the local production of medicines and health commodities in Africa. “I believe the local production of pharmaceuticals is essential if Africa wants to achieve further progress in the AIDS response and public health. It’s not purely a health issue, but closely linked with a country’s industrial development.” She started to work on the file in 2014 and transferred to her current position of policy and strategy adviser in 2018.

Through her efforts, several two-way visits have been arranged. These have resulted in the agreement of several partnerships between Chinese pharmaceutical companies and African counterparts.

On the country level, China-Africa cooperation has also been bolstered. The Roundtable of China-Africa Cooperation upgraded to the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), elevating the academic dialogue to a multiple-themed forum at the country level.

As the Belt and Road Initiative attracts more countries, Ms. Zhou sees more opportunities for South-South cooperation. She also expects to expand public health cooperation to more Asian countries to share knowledge and experience between them.

UNAIDS has signed strategic partnership agreement with China that strengthens cooperation around the Belt and Road Initiative and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, including the scale up of the local production of medicines and health commodities. 

“There is a huge potential for China to engage in South-South cooperation and make progress in the AIDS response and public health," said Ms. Zhou "The partnership will also benefit from the Belt and Road Initiative."

Ahmed (not his real name) is worried as he tells his story: his five-year old son Mukhtar has been newly diagnosed with HIV. Ahmed, a medical officer working in a local hospital in the city of Ratodero in southeast Pakistan, had taken Mukhtar to be tested for HIV when the local media began warning of an increase in HIV cases among children living in his area of Sindh Province.

At the end of April, following warnings from a medical practitioner in Ratodero that a number of children under his care had tested positive for HIV in a short span of time, health officials expanded HIV screening in Larkana District. After more than six weeks of testing, more than 750 people have been newly diagnosed with HIV, with children accounting for 80% of the confirmed cases. Ahmed’s son is one of them. Before the outbreak, just over 1000 children were living with HIV in the entire country. Although further investigations are being conducted to uncover the cause of the outbreak, experts say that poor infection control practices including a lack of sterilization and the re-use of syringes and drips, could be a factor.   

Mukhtar sits quietly in his father’s lap, as Ahmed continues to tell his story.

“When I told my wife, she started to ask me questions, where did this come from, why has this happened to my child and will my child survive.” Anxiety and fear have grown in Ahmed’s family and across the province.  Every day, hundreds of parents line up outside the screening sites and pour into hospitals and clinics to get their children tested. Many of them have little understanding of HIV.

As an immediate response to the outbreak, the Sindh AIDS Control Programme (SACP) has been carrying out a major testing campaign by expanding HIV testing hubs and establishing a new HIV testing facility at the Taluka Headquarter Hospital in Ratodero. These measures have enabled more than 26 000 people to be tested, mostly children.  Sindh’s Ministry of Health has also strengthened its efforts to prevent   unlicensed and informal medical practices from operating and, as a result, 900 health clinics and unlicensed blood banks have been closed.

To ensure immediate access to HIV treatment, a new antiretroviral treatment clinic for children has been established in Larkana and additional health care providers have been deployed. These efforts are saving lives, as 356 people, including Ahmed’s son, have already been enrolled in HIV care services and started antiretroviral therapy. “I was scared but then my child got the treatment he needed,” says Ahmed. “Now we need to ensure that ARV treatment will continue to be available in our district”.

The United Nations in Pakistan is working closely with the federal and provincial governments to provide on-site technical support to help local partners effectively respond to the HIV outbreak and reduce the impact of the crisis. With the full participation of the World Health Organization,  UNICEF, UNAIDS, UNFPA and other UN agencies, the United Nations is providing support for the implementation of the “Sindh HIV Outbreak Response Plan, May 2019-Apr 2020”, which includes short-term  and long-term steps to identify the causes of the HIV outbreak, address them and strengthen the continuum of HIV prevention, treatment, care and support services.

A team comprised of SACP and other national partners with support from the United Nations acted as first responders. Subsequently, international support and expertise was brought in at the request of the federal government, to carry out an epidemiological investigation to understand the source, extent and chain of HIV transmission and provide recommendations. The investigation, whose preliminary findings will be presented on June 14, is led by the WHO with support from the Aga Khan University (AKU), the Field Epidemiology and Laboratory Training (FELTP) Programme, UNAIDS, UNICEF, the Dow Medical University in Karachi, Microbiology Society of Infectious Disease in Pakistan. 

The United Nations is also supporting national partners to develop a community response plan which will engage communities at all levels to reduce prevailing stigma and discrimination and promote health education. SACP will train health workers on paediatric case management and awareness and health education sessions will be organized with the involvement of community led organizations and religious leaders. Training sessions for local media on responsible HIV reporting and coverage will also be carried out. “We need to make sure that the root causes of this outbreak are tackled to prevent such tragedies from happening again,” says Ahmed.

With 20 000 new HIV infections in 2017, Pakistan has the second fastest growing AIDS epidemic in the Asia Pacific region, with the virus disproportionately affecting the most vulnerable and marginalized, especially key populations. UNAIDS continues to advocate for a strengthened response to the epidemic.

“We need ongoing work with national and international stakeholders to effectively address the critical gaps in preventing new HIV infections and to guarantee the health and well-being of all people living with HIV in Pakistan, so that the country is not left behind in the effort to end AIDS,” says Maria Elena F. Borromeo, UNAIDS Country Director in Pakistan.  

“I thought I could never be happy again,” said Mei Zi, who is living with HIV and a mother of a lively young boy. She calls her son “calm angel”, as he doesn’t talk much. Mei Zi says that “calm angel” as a gift from God.

Mei Zi met her husband two years after she discovered that she was living with HIV. After their wedding, she went to live with her husband in Beijing, China, where he worked. She remembers receiving a red down jacket as a present from her husband when she got off the train in Beijing. The excitement is still fresh, even though it was a long time ago. 

Soon after her marriage, Mei Zi became pregnant. Although her doctor advised her that she could take medicine to ensure that her baby was born free from HIV, she made the painful decision to terminate the pregnancy. She and her husband were both living with HIV and, in addition, she was living with hepatitis C.

Mei Zi put having children out of her mind, but five years later a test showed that she was pregnant.

Mei Zi was treated just like any other expectant mother at the hospital. She decided to take treatment to stop her baby becoming infected with HIV and to treat her hepatitis after the baby’s arrival.

Because of the hepatitis, Mei Zi had a cesarean section in the 34th week of her pregnancy. She was afraid of the surgery, but eager to see her baby.

“As the door of the operating room was pushed open, I started crying,” said Mei Zi. “I felt the door was just like between life and death.” When the doctor presented her with the new arrival, she could not believe it was true―a healthy baby boy, free from HIV.

The Women’s Network against AIDS in China (WNAC) is striving to ensure that more women living with HIV and hepatitis C are aware that they can have healthy children and receive the support to do so.

WNAC was established in 2009 with assistance from UNAIDS and consists of 27 women’s community organizations across 12 provinces in China. It is a platform that brings together and advocates for women living with HIV and ensures that women living with HIV get the help and support they need to access appropriate health care and give birth to babies free from the virus.

Mei Zi achieved her dream of having a healthy baby, but it was not by chance. The support she received from her health-care provider, WNAC, organizations in the network and many other community groups made it possible.

“Calm angel” is now four and a half years old and energetic and curious about the world.

“The job has just begun. We have come a long way, but we still have a lot to do.” That was the message from Ajit Prakash Shah, who delivered the Delhi High Court judgement in 2009 that led the way to the eventual annulling in 2018 of Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code, which criminalized same-sex sexual relations.

The retired Chief Justice of Delhi High Court was speaking at a meeting hosted by UNAIDS and partners in New Delhi, India, on 15 and 16 May on the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) people in India.

“Our aim is to mobilize and organize the community so they can together help each other,” said Bilali Camara, UNAIDS Country Director for India.

The speakers noted that despite recent legal judgements―including the annulling of Section 377 and the decision by the Supreme Court of India in 2014 on the rights of transgender people―the situation for LGBTI people in India had not changed drastically. However, it was noted that there is a perception that there is an increasing understanding of the issues of transgender people among the general public.

“The reason for the spike in crimes against lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex people is partly due to a lot of cases now being reported, while earlier they were not being reported. The National AIDS Control Organisation has worked with communities that at one time in history fell onto the other side of the law. It has built models that have worked and are being replicated around India,” said Shree Alok Saxena, the Joint Secretary of the National AIDS Control Organisation.

Marietou Satin, Deputy Director of USAID, India, said, “Excluding any section of society is not only a moral evil, but it also impacts a country as a whole. You are denying a large population from being productive members of society. By including them, you are also investing in your economy. They have a right to contribute. For that, people need access to jobs and safety in the workplace.”

The meeting also saw the establishment of an LGBTI taskforce to provide strategic advice to UNAIDS and the United Nations Development Programme in India on current and emerging LGBTI issues in India, and on policy, programmes and services to address those issues.

The participants noted the need end discrimination, sensitize political leaders and policy-makers and ensure that the LGBTI community has access to all services, including health and education, and employment.

The Thai Red Cross AIDS Research Centre (TRC-ARC) has been at the forefront of the response to HIV since the early days of the epidemic, when its director, Praphan Phanuphak, diagnosed Thailand’s first case of HIV, in 1985. Since then, it has continued to develop and promote innovative prevention and treatment approaches, including pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), same-day antiretroviral therapy and key population-led health services.

Located in Bangkok, Thailand, the TRC-ARC is an organization that sits under the umbrella of the Thai Red Cross Society. The Thai Red Cross has been a leading organization in the country’s response to HIV through projects implemented with partners and funded through the United States President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR).

Since the end of 2014, the TRC-ARC has been offering PrEP to people at higher risk of becoming infected with HIV through projects including the Princess PrEP programme, which is strongly supported by Her Royal Highness Princess Soamsawali. The Princess PrEP programme provides free PrEP services through community-led organizations such as the Service Workers in Group (SWING) Foundation, the Rainbow Sky Association of Thailand, Mplus, CAREMAT and SISTERS. The TRC-ARC also offers members of those community groups comprehensive training on health-care provision, sustainable financing, evaluation and quality control.

Since 2017, the TRC-ARC has also been offering same-day antiretroviral therapy to improve retention in care and adherence to treatment. People who test positive for HIV are initially prescribed a two-week supply of medicine and are then referred to other health facilities to continue their treatment.

Another significant achievement has been the creation of the Tangerine Clinic, the first in the country to offer health care and counselling tailored towards transgender people. The clinic is managed by transgender people and staffed by gender-sensitive medical professionals. It provides sexual and reproductive health-care services, psychosocial counselling, hormone counselling and therapy, HIV testing services and referrals for treatment.

During his recent visit to Thailand, the Executive Director of UNAIDS, Michel Sidibé, paid tribute to the work of Mr Praphan and the TRC-ARC at an event organized by UNAIDS and attended by representatives of the Thai Ministry of Public Health, the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs, PEPFAR, USAID, United Nations development partners and civil society organizations.

“The Thai Red Cross AIDS Research Centre has played a key role in developing and promoting innovative and effective prevention and treatment approaches to HIV for more than 30 years,” said Mr Sidibé, “Its contribution expands beyond Thailand, being a catalyst for change across the Asia–Pacific region,” he said.

Mr Praphan thanked UNAIDS for recognizing the achievements of the TRC-ARC and said its work would continue until the end of the AIDS epidemic. “I accept this recognition on behalf of all the people working with me at the Thai Red Cross and in the community to ensure that no one is left behind. We have demonstrated how science, integrated into the community level, can bring health care to the most marginalized groups of people.”

Discussions about sex and HIV in Indonesia remain highly taboo, while the limited information that exists is often unclear, not easy to digest or contradictory. That’s why many young people are turning towards new technology platforms to seek answers to questions that affect their health and well-being. 

In an attempt to improve the quality of information provided to young people, the UNAIDS Country Office in Indonesia has developed Tanya Marlo, or Ask Marlo, a chatbot powered by artificial intelligence and designed to be the go-to source for all things HIV-related.

Marlo is a cute character who provides basic information about HIV through user-friendly content such as infographics, quizzes and FAQs (frequently asked questions). In just a few taps, Ask Marlo users can also book HIV testing appointments at health centres across Jakarta, Indonesia. Young people looking for a more in-depth chat are connected to real counsellors, who are on standby to talk, provide guidance and make referrals to specialized services.

The counsellors receive many questions on how to access HIV services and HIV treatment.

“Many people, particularly young people, in Jakarta still do not know basic information about HIV. I hope that as a counsellor on Marlo, I can change that,” one of the counsellors said.

The Ask Marlo chatbot is integrated into the LINE chat messaging application. Users looking to chat to Marlo can simply add @tanyamarlo on LINE and begin chatting. Indonesia is one of LINE’s top markets, with around 90 million users. Around 80% of its users are young people, many of whom use LINE Today to get news and information and to shop.

Since launching on 1 December 2018, Ask Marlo has increased the number of its users, reaching almost 3000 followers at the end of March. Reviews of Ask Marlo bear witness to how important and necessary the service is for young people.  

Upon seeing Ask Marlo for the first time, a psychology graduate from the University of Indonesia said, “It is so youth-friendly! My friends and I use LINE a lot, so this is the perfect platform for Ask Marlo. I am surprised that a chatbot can be used to teach about things as complex as HIV.”

A university student at the Atma Jaya University likes the anonymity provided by the application. “With Ask Marlo, we don’t have to be ashamed to ask anything related to HIV.”

University students, young professionals, communities, civil society activists and the Ministry of Health have endorsed Ask Marlo. Besides students and young professionals, several social media influencers and YouTube personalities have also given their stamp of approval. Their endorsement of Ask Marlo has helped to promote the chatbot to wider audiences. The idea is to eventually expand to offer testing in other major cities across Indonesia.

GENEVA, 4 April 2019—UNAIDS and UNFPA, the United Nations sexual and reproductive health agency, are seriously concerned by new criminal law provisions that came into force yesterday, 3 April 2019, in Brunei Darussalam. The provisions, which impose the death penalty for same-sex sexual activity, adultery and for having a child outside of marriage, breach a number of international human rights norms, including the right to be free from torture and from cruel, inhumane or degrading treatment. The provisions will have a significant negative impact on overall health and well-being.  

“These extreme and unjustified punishments will drive people underground and out of reach of life-saving HIV treatment and prevention services,” said Michel Sidibé, Executive Director of UNAIDS. “I strongly urge Brunei Darussalam to suspend or repeal the amendments to the Syariah Penal Code and I offer UNAIDS’ support to ensure that laws are grounded in human rights, based on evidence and protect the most vulnerable.”

Laws that punish sexual orientation, same sex relations and reproductive health care are discriminatory, and have a disproportionate impact on women, creating barriers to accessing health information and services, which in turn increases vulnerability to HIV and other health concerns. Impeding access to sexual and reproductive health and rights, including HIV services, negatively affects public health.

“Every person, without any distinction on any grounds, has an equal right to live free from violence, persecution, discrimination and stigma of any kind. Human rights are universal. Cultural, religious and moral practices and beliefs, and social attitudes must not be invoked to justify human rights violations against any group regardless of gender or sexual orientation,” stated Natalia Kanem, Executive Director of UNFPA.

Criminalization of same-sex sexual conduct has been shown to increase stigma and give license to discrimination, violence and harassment. Evidence shows that where communities are criminalized, they are more vulnerable to violence, less likely to access necessary HIV and other health services, and less able to protect themselves against HIV infection. Criminalizing people also works against reaching the Sustainable Development Goals agreed by the United Nations General Assembly.     

UNAIDS and UNFPA are concerned by increasing conservative and discriminatory policies and rhetoric in a number of countries, which may potentially give rise to violence, stigma and discrimination against people on the basis of gender, gender identity and sexual orientation. Recent discussions with governments in the Asia–Pacific region and beyond have highlighted the need to put evidence-informed and human rights-based laws and policies in place. 

Last December, Brunei Darussalam called for more and better data on its key affected and higher-risk populations in order to ensure more effective outreach. The production of those data, which would help improve Brunei Darussalam’s health-care provisions for key affected and higher-risk populations, will be undermined by the Syariah Penal Code.

UNAIDS and UNFPA support the calls of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and the open letter of the five United Nations human rights mandate holders to suspend the implementation of the revised penal code and urge all governments to protect the human rights of all people. This includes repealing criminal laws against adult consensual sexual conduct and decisions on reproduction, implementing laws to protect all people from violence and discrimination and ensuring that adequate health services, including sexual and reproductive health services, are accessible, affordable and acceptable to address their needs.

UNAIDS

The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) leads and inspires the world to achieve its shared vision of zero new HIV infections, zero discrimination and zero AIDS-related deaths. UNAIDS unites the efforts of 11 UN organizations—UNHCR, UNICEF, WFP, UNDP, UNFPA, UNODC, UN Women, ILO, UNESCO, WHO and the World Bank—and works closely with global and national partners towards ending the AIDS epidemic by 2030 as part of the Sustainable Development Goals. Learn more at unaids.org and connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

UNFPA

UNFPA is the United Nations sexual and reproductive health agency. Our mission is to deliver a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe and every young person's potential is fulfilled. Learn more at www.unfpa.org.

In a landmark ruling in April 2014, India’s Supreme Court introduced recognition of a third gender and directed that transgender people must have access to the same rights to social welfare schemes as other minority groups in the country.

Now, the State of Gujarat has established a Transgender Welfare Board to increase access to essential services for transgender people, including to health care, housing, education and employment. The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment created the board following consultations with the transgender community and community groups, including the Lakshya Trust and Vikalp. UNAIDS and the United Nations Development Programme provided technical support and guidance throughout the process.

The new board aims to improve cross-departmental coordination to improve the delivery and provision of services for the transgender community. The 16-member board will include 8 civil society representatives, including representatives from the third gender community and will be chaired by the Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment.

"The new welfare board is a great effort to help in day-to-day issues faced by transgender people. We hope that issues of livelihood, employment, social security and the protection of human rights will be addressed by the board," said Aakriti Patel of the Lakshya Trust.

Part of the board’s work will be to work on the development of an agreed legal definition of who can be designated as transgender.

“UNAIDS looks forward to working with the new Transgender Welfare Board in Gujarat. I applaud the ministry and all partners for the work they have done in helping to create the board, which will greatly improve the lives of the transgender community,” said UNAIDS Country Director for India, Bilali Camara.

UNAIDS will continue to provide support to the board with the development of a policy road map and the roll-out of social protection programmes for transgender people. UNAIDS is also working with the private sector in Gujarat to provide skills training for around 3000 transgender people.

In India, HIV prevalence among transgender people is 3.1%, compared to the national HIV prevalence among all adults of just 0.2%.