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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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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.

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.

Feature Story

UNAIDS saddened by the death of Abel Shinana

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.

Update

United States Global AIDS Coordinator presents PEPFAR’s vision to civil society

23 May 2014

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. 

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."

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