Civil society
Documents
UNAIDS and Global Fund's Executive Directors joint visit to Malawi
In a joint official visit to Malawi, the Executive Directors of UNAIDS and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria commended President Bingu wa Mutharika on Malawi’s progress in the AIDS response and his leadership as Chairperson of the African Union on AIDS, health, food security and development.
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The impact of the US funding freeze and cuts on Namibia’s civil society: A struggle for survival

10 March 2025
Zambia - an HIV response at a crossroads

24 February 2025
Status of HIV Programmes in Botswana

20 February 2025
Government ensures continuity of treatment in Malawi

10 February 2025
Documents
UNAIDS Executive Director visits Lebanon
UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé concluded an official visit to Lebanon on 29 September. Mr Sidibé recognized and supported the country’s achievements in the HIV response and welcomed the Government of Lebanon’s strong commitment to introduce oral substitution therapy into the country’s public health system.
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UNAIDS data 2024
02 December 2024
Global celebrities unite behind UNAIDS’ call for world leaders to “take the rights path to end AIDS”

01 December 2024
Take the rights path to end AIDS — World AIDS Day report 2024
26 November 2024
Can this innovation change the way people think about HIV?

16 October 2024
UNAIDS statement on anti-LGBTQ+ legislation in Georgia

01 October 2024
Documents
UNAIDS Executive Director meets with Brazilian Government and civil society
UNAIDS Executive Director Mr Michel Sidibé held a series of meetings with Government officials and civil society groups in Rio de Janeiro and Brasilia during his official visit to Brazil.
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The impact of the United States foreign assistance pause on the community-led HIV response in Latin America

03 March 2025
The critical impact of the PEPFAR funding freeze for HIV across Latin America and the Caribbean
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Upholding dignity for everyone: Ariadne Ribeiro Ferreira

21 November 2024
Peru approves groundbreaking law to extend health coverage for migrants with HIV and TB

21 October 2024
UNAIDS Terminology Guidelines
01 July 2024
UNAIDS commends Mexico's ban on conversion therapy

12 June 2024
Documents
UNAIDS Executive Director, Michel Sidbé visits Brazil
UNAIDS Executive Director Mr Michel Sidibé visited the Rio de Janeiro based Viva Cazuza Society on 26 March, a non-profit organization that provides a home for 20 children and adolescents, aged 2 to 16, who are living with HIV.
Related
The impact of the United States foreign assistance pause on the community-led HIV response in Latin America

03 March 2025
The critical impact of the PEPFAR funding freeze for HIV across Latin America and the Caribbean
19 February 2025
Upholding dignity for everyone: Ariadne Ribeiro Ferreira

21 November 2024
Peru approves groundbreaking law to extend health coverage for migrants with HIV and TB

21 October 2024
UNAIDS Terminology Guidelines
01 July 2024
UNAIDS commends Mexico's ban on conversion therapy

12 June 2024
Documents
UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé’s first official visit to Thailand
At the invitation of the Thai Government, UNAIDS Executive Director Mr Michel Sidibé was in Thailand this week to discuss progress in the response to AIDS and visit projects to get a better understanding of how HIV prevention and treatment efforts are making a difference to peoples lives.
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Status of HIV Programmes in Indonesia

24 February 2025
Lost and link: Indonesian initiative to find people living with HIV who stopped their treatment

21 January 2025
PrEP for her: Cambodia, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea and the Philippines prepare to introduce the Dapivirine ring to help prevent HIV

22 November 2024
Can this innovation change the way people think about HIV?

16 October 2024
Women living with HIV in China unite to confront discrimination
14 October 2024
Asia and the Pacific regional profile — 2024 global AIDS update The Urgency of Now: AIDS at a Crossroads
22 July 2024
Documents
UNAIDS Executive Director Dr Peter Piot visit to Mali 7 – 11 December 2008
UNAIDS Executive Director Dr Peter Piot paid a visit to Mali 7 – 11 December 2008 where he met with leaders including the President of Mali Amadou Touré, civil society and the newly appointed UNAIDS Goodwill Ambassador and African music star Toumani Diabaté.
Related
Status of HIV programmes in Mali

04 March 2025
Impact of the pause of US foreign assistance in Côte d'Ivoire

19 February 2025
Government mitigation measures in Cameroon

09 February 2025
Zambian football star Racheal Kundananji named UNAIDS Goodwill Ambassador for Education Plus in Zambia

23 January 2025
Empowering youth to lead Togo’s HIV response

31 October 2024
Domestic revenues, debt relief and development aid: Transformative pathways for ending AIDS by 2030, Report on Western and Central Africa
18 September 2024
Interactive health and HIV game app reaches more than 300 000 young people in Côte d’Ivoire

09 September 2024
Bridging gaps: sex education saves lives in Central African Republic

03 September 2024
Documents
UNAIDS Executive Director visits India
UNAIDS Executive Director Dr Peter Piot visited India this week where he held a series of meetings and engagements with Government and civil society.
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Status of HIV Programmes in Indonesia

24 February 2025
Lost and link: Indonesian initiative to find people living with HIV who stopped their treatment

21 January 2025
PrEP for her: Cambodia, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea and the Philippines prepare to introduce the Dapivirine ring to help prevent HIV

22 November 2024
Can this innovation change the way people think about HIV?

16 October 2024
Women living with HIV in China unite to confront discrimination
14 October 2024
Asia and the Pacific regional profile — 2024 global AIDS update The Urgency of Now: AIDS at a Crossroads
22 July 2024
Documents
The M∙A∙C AIDS Fund, Rihanna and UNAIDS team up to reach nearly 2 million young people in need of lifesaving HIV treatment
The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) announced today the expansion of its Treatment 2015 initiative with a US$ 2 million grant provided by the heart and soul of M∙A∙C Cosmetics, the M∙A∙C AIDS Fund. The Fund is fully supported from the sale of VIVA GLAM Lipstick and Lipglass with global superstar Rihanna lending her celebrity to spur purchase and awareness. Leveraging this new funding, UNAIDS will build on Treatment 2015 by advancing global, regional and country level policies and programs to expand HIV testing and treatment to young people worldwide.
Related
UNAIDS data 2024
02 December 2024
Take the rights path to end AIDS — World AIDS Day report 2024
26 November 2024
The AIDS response is recognized as a beacon of hope and guide for revitalizing multilateralism at the 79th UN General Assembly

27 September 2024
Young people living with HIV urge world leaders to partner with them in the AIDS response

19 September 2024

Feature Story
UNAIDS saddened by the death of Abel Shinana
23 May 2012
23 May 2012 23 May 2012
Abel Shinana participating at a national HIV combination prevention workshop where he offered insights and recommendations on how to address the needs of key populations at higher risk.
Until recently, the needs and rights of sex workers were largely ignored in Namibia. Over the past year, however, this situation has changed. Sex workers have been organizing themselves, they have been speaking out about the abuses and barriers they face to access HIV services and people have been listening.
Abel Shinana, the late Coordinator of African Sex Workers Alliance in Namibia, was instrumental to this change. A young, male sex worker, Abel was open, thoughtful and committed to the movement. When he first started as the ASWA coordinator over a year ago he was somewhat shy and reserved. Within a few months Abel developed into a courageous and vocal advocate for the rights of sex workers, people living with HIV and the LGBTI population. He was also a critical partner for both UNFPA and UNAIDS on efforts to address HIV among sex workers at both country and global levels.
Just 2 weeks ago, Abel was a presenter and an active participant at a national HIV combination prevention workshop and offered valuable insights and recommendations on how to address the needs of key populations at higher risk. He also recently co-authored a Community Assessment Report on HIV and Sex Work and was the lead author of the related abstract that has been accepted for presentation at the 2012 International AIDS Conference to be held in Washington in July.
In March this year, Abel coordinated the first ever commemoration of the International Sex Worker Rights Day in Namibia which generated considerable press coverage and led to increased public understanding that sex workers have rights too. Indeed Abel was one of the new and strong voices of the human rights of sex workers in Africa, bringing the lived experiences of sex workers to the center of policy debates.
The untimely and tragic death of this committed young leader due to a car accident represents a major loss for the nascent sex worker movement in Namibia and beyond. The outpouring of sympathy from partners at all levels is testimony to this fact. For us at UNAIDS and UNFPA in Namibia, we have also lost a dear friend.
Related


On the side-lines of the sixty-seventh World Health Assembly, UNAIDS convened a meeting between European-based members of civil society with Ambassador Deborah Birx, the new United States Global AIDS Coordinator.
Update
United States Global AIDS Coordinator presents PEPFAR’s vision to civil society
23 May 2014
23 May 2014 23 May 2014On the side-lines of the sixty-seventh World Health Assembly, UNAIDS convened a meeting between European-based members of civil society with Ambassador Deborah Birx, the new United States Global AIDS Coordinator.
Ambassador Birx presented her vision for PEPFAR, including a focus on impact, accountability and transparency. She also emphasized the essential role of civil society in helping achieve an AIDS-free generation. "From the earliest days of the AIDS epidemic to the present, in communities and countries around the world, civil society has been at the very heart of an effective and accountable response. Moving forward, civil society's role remains as vital as ever."
Participants discussed a variety of issues including the need to invest in community capacity development and grass roots advocacy work, the impact that policies against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people have on service delivery and how to address this trend, drug pricing concerns, and the importance of working with faith based providers more directly. The group also discussed the value of using viral load as a measure of program success as well as opportunities to work together to intensify the global response to AIDS.
UNAIDS Deputy Executive Director Luiz Loures acknowledged this was Ambassador Birx's first meeting with civil society outside of the United States in her new role, and pledged continued collaboration. "UNAIDS is committed to working closely with PEPFAR to advance the response to AIDS. Ambassador Birx and I share a common commitment to ensure multiple stakeholders, including civil society, are meaningfully involved in that response."