By Leonard Okello
International head of HIV/Aids, ActionAid

I have received the very sad news of the sudden death of Ramesh Venkataraman, the former ActionAid Asia HIV and AIDS regional coordinator. Ramesh joined ActionAid in April 2007 till he resigned his post at the close of 2008. He passed away on 31 January due to an internal haemorrhage. He had been suffering from multiple illnesses.

Over the last two years that I have worked with Ramesh, he touched my heart and became literally like my younger brother. He had—and will continue to have—a special place in my heart. We shared in depth both official and personal challenges and opportunities.

Ramesh had a deep passion for his work and a special love for ActionAid. He always stood up for Human Rights and fought injustice straight on, but his health frustrated him more and more as the days passed by. He always told me how much he knew of his abilities, but was getting increasingly frustrated by his physical strength failing him. He feared to fail the team that he loved so much and had a sense of responsibility that often drove him to tears of pain and hope depending on the context.

Ramesh was immensely intelligent, and had super advocacy skills with a range of media, cameras, drama, information technology, and a rich humorous language, something that fate never allowed him to fully utilize.

When we last met together in Delhi, Ramesh informed me that he feared his body was giving up. He resigned about two weeks thereafter. We kept in touch on and off although the phone lines were often not really friendly. Last time Ramesh and I talked on phone briefly he was very hopeful following a knee surgery.

But like my mother often told me, when a patient gives you a lot of hope, then you know it is about time to prepare for the worst. Human life, she always told me, lives on hope and it is hope that must keep you going till you rest at the end.

There is something else I learnt from the comrades of the African National Congress (ANC) and at college in Uganda, during the anti-apartheid struggles. "Do not mourn, Comrades, Mobilize!" was the slogan that kept them moving during tough times.

I am seeking of each and every one of the global AIDS movements across the world, to use this time of reflection to mobilize even more to deal with HIV and improve our health.

Please keep the fire that Ramesh kept burning so that we can deliver on whatever he left behind not yet done. Let us complete the struggle for human rights as passionately as he would have loved too.

May his soul rest in eternal peace. Aluta Continua! Solidarity!!

By Rodrigo Pascal, UNAIDS Partnerships Officer

Allan Dunaway, Founder and President of Honduras National Association of people living with HIV.

It is indeed sad news to hear of the passing of Allan Dunaway who died in San Pedro de Sula, Honduras on 25 January 2009 at the age of 39.

Allan was one of the earliest AIDS activists in Latin America and he dedicated 18 years to supporting people living with HIV struggle for the right to treatment access in his country.

Allan and his beloved wife Rosa González were the first couple in Honduras to publicly declare that they were living with HIV. They were co-founders of Fundacion Llaves, which provides care and support for people living with HIV and Allan was the founding member and President for two consecutive periods of the Honduras National Association of people living with HIV. He was also the Chair of San Pedro de Sula National AIDS Forum.

The words of his wife Rosa resonate with my memories of Allan as being by nature a quiet person but who was determined to highlight important issues on behalf of others: “Allan never doubted that he had to give a face to AIDS; and he made it clear from the beginning days of his activism that he had a responsibility to speak for those who had no voice.” Allan was tireless in his efforts to make a difference. He reached out to local organizations and community groups building capacity and empowering them to organize events, marches and workshops. He also conducted workshops on managing funds and administration. He believed in the power of collaboration and worked hard to ensure that different organizations were informed of each other's activities and so strengthen the overall impact of their projects.

Allan was an assiduous advocate of human rights and worked closely with the National Commissioner for Human Rights to end discrimination against people living with HIV.

One of the proudest moments for Allan was to hear his 13-year-old daughter Keren deliver a breathtaking speech on behalf of young people living with HIV to thousands of delegates from around the globe at the opening of 2008 International AIDS Conference.

Allan also attended the High Level Meeting in New York in June 2008 when he and Rosa and a group of women living with HIV met with the UN Deputy Secretary-General.

Speaking of the loss, Richard Stern of Agua Buena Human Rights Association said: “Allan was a hero in a political struggle for human rights, but most of all he was a devoted husband and father. He will be sorely missed by all of us who worked with him for so many years.”

This is indeed a sad loss for Rosa and Keren. As a family, the Dunaways have been passionate advocates for universal access to care, support and treatment for those living with HIV, particularly in Latin America. I have no doubt Rosa and Keren by continuing their advocacy will keep Allan’s memory alive.

By Eric Sawyer, cofounder of ACT UP, Housing Works, Inc., & Health GAP, Inc.

Martin Delaney.

Last week we lost one of the true heroes in the response to AIDS. Martin Delaney, the founder and longtime Executive Director of the HIV advocacy/education organization Project Inform, died of liver cancer at his home near San Francisco on January 23, 2009. Marty Delaney was 63.

The world is truly a poorer place after the loss of Martin Delaney. Marty was on the front lines of the community’s response to AIDS from the very beginning of the epidemic. Marty was smart, sweet and quick to move to the side of social justice in any issue he confronted. His vision, energy and un-ending commitment contributed to the development of some of the first effective treatments for HIV opportunistic infections.

In 1985 Martin Delaney founded Project Inform, a national HIV treatment information, public policy and advocacy organization based in San Francisco. Marty created Project Inform because people living with HIV and their loved ones needed access to information to help save their lives; because people who were not infected needed information to stay that way; and because people who cared needed help organizing advocacy campaigns to push the government to find a sense of urgency and a new approach to finding treatments for HIV/AIDS.

Through his work at Project Inform Marty was one of the founders of the community-based HIV research movement and helped to ensure that HIV treatment education becoming widely available to patients, medical providers and anyone who cared worldwide.

He led in the movement to accelerate Food and Drug Administration approval of promising drugs and was a key player in the development of today’s widely used Accelerated Approval regulations and Parallel Track system for providing access to experimental drugs to seriously ill people prior to formal FDA approval.

Mr Delaney was a member of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) AIDS Research Advisory Committee from 1991 to 1995, served on NIAID’s National Advisory Allergy and Infectious Disease Council from 1995 to 1998. On January 19 2009, Mr. Delaney received the NIAID Director’s Special Recognition Award for “extraordinary contributions to framing the HIV research agenda.”

In recent years, among many other activities, Mr Delaney led the Fair Pricing Coalition to improve access to HIV treatment, and advocated for an aggressive research agenda to find a cure for AIDS.

Of Marty’s passing, our mutual good friend Larry Kramer (ACT UP and GMHC Founder) said: “He was a great, great, great person. Every single treatment for AIDS is out there because of activists like Marty and Project Inform. I shall miss him very much. He was a dear friend and fellow fighter. He was a phenomenal leader, a brilliant strategist, and an indefatigable caretaker of us all.

For further information about Martin Delaney or Project Inform, please contact Ryan Clary at 415-558-8669 or rclary@projectinform.org.

(L to R) Elhadj Amadou Sy, UNAIDS Director of Partnerships and External Relations and Dr Mukesh Kapila, Special Representative of the IFRC Secretary General. Credit: UNAIDS/L. Solberg

The International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent (IFRC) and the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) renewed their collaboration agreement to work together to scale up efforts for universal access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support services worldwide.

The partnership, covering a three-year period from 1 January 2009 to 31 December 2011, will focus on two main issues. First, it will pay particular attention to addressing stigma and discrimination related to HIV and secondly, it will also aim to maximise HIV prevention, treatment, care and support efforts in situations of humanitarian crisis.

“This agreement brings together the comparative advantages of both organizations to effectively address the challenges of HIV, particularly in the context of humanitarian conflict situations”, said Elhadj As SY, UNAIDS Director Partnerships and External Relations. “Stigma and discrimination are major barriers towards achieving universal access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support. Strong partnerships with people living with HIV will help us make a difference,” he added.

To attain the objective of bringing down stigma and discrimination, the IFRC will work in partnership with the Global Network of People living with HIV and AIDS (GNP+), the leading organization that advocates to improving the quality of life of all people living with HIV.

The collaboration between IFRC and GNP+ has been instrumental in the preceding UNAIDS agreement of 2004-2006 by addressing HIV related stigma and discrimination through the national Red Cross Red Crescent Societies.

Credit: UNAIDS/L. Solberg

The promotion and protection of human rights, greater involvement of people living with HIV in the response to AIDS, gender equality and the involvement of civil society in national coordinating and decision making bodies are some of the guiding principles that will drive the collaboration.

“People living with HIV are entitled to the full protection of national laws to uphold their human rights, but even that is not enough. Stigma is still killing people at least as much as AIDS, and so the irrational drivers of this fear and lethal exclusion must be better understood and mediated. Social cohesion is the foundation of effective response to HIV,” said Dr Mukesh Kapila, Special Representative of the Secretary General.

About IFRC

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies is the world's largest humanitarian organization, providing assistance without discrimination as to nationality, race, religious beliefs, class or political opinions. Founded in 1919, the International Federation comprises member National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and a Secretariat working from Geneva and strategic locations around the world. The Federation strives, through voluntary action based on the Fundamental Principles of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, for a world of empowered communities, better able to prevent and alleviate human suffering and advance human development.

About UNAIDS

UNAIDS, the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS is the main advocate for global action on the epidemic. It brings together the efforts and resources of ten UN system organizations in the AIDS response: UNHCR, UNICEF, WFP, UNDP, UNFPA, UNODC, ILO, UNECSO, WHO and World Bank. It leads, strengthens and supports an expanded global response aimed at preventing transmission of HIV, providing care and support, reducing the vulnerability of individuals and communities to HIV, and alleviating the impact of the epidemic.

Justice Edwin Cameron at a roundtable discussion on stigma at the UNAIDS office in Beijing. Credit: UNAIDS/Zhou Dao

The South African Supreme Court Judge Edwin Cameron visited China from 27th to 31st October at the invitation of China’s Ministry of Health and UNAIDS. Through his visit, he set out to support the response to AIDS in China with a special focus on legal issues, discrimination and rights of people living with HIV.

Judge Cameron met with Chinese government officials, civil society, business leaders and people living with HIV as well as national and international media. He shared his insights gained from a decade-long battle to address AIDS in South Africa as well as successes and failures of AIDS programmes in Africa and around the world that China may be able to learn from.

Justice Cameron acknowledged that the demographics of the epidemic in Africa and China are different. South Africa has the world’s largest population living with HIV - between 5 and 6 million people - and the epidemic has affected the heterosexual population the most. In China, by contrast, the government estimates that 700,000 people are living with HIV, and the people most at risk of new infection are mainly men who have sex with men (MSM), commercial sex workers, their clients and partners, and intravenous drug users and their partners.

Nonetheless, Justice Cameron noted that the differences between the AIDS epidemics in South Africa and China are less significant than the similarities. “In China, as in South Africa, AIDS is still a disease associated with a terrible stigma,” he observed. That stigma acts as an obstacle to all aspects of HIV prevention and treatment. “Stigma is fatal,” said Justice Cameron. “Stigma prevents people from getting tested, from talking about their positive status, and from seeking help.”

Justice Cameron eating with staff and people living with HIV from the Positive Art Workshop, You An Hospital, Beijing. Credit: UNAIDS/Zhou Dao

In China, the government makes available free HIV testing, but because of stigma people are reluctant to take advantage of it. Indeed, it is estimated that more than 500,000 people may be living with HIV without knowing it. At a roundtable held at the UNAIDS’ offices in Beijing, people living with HIV gave testimonies of the impact of stigma on their lives: One woman who went to the hospital with a cold was told by the doctor not to lie on the bed because she was HIV positive; A man living with HIV now limps because doctors refused to operate on him; Another man living with HIV was told not to eat in the canteen of a local office of the China’s Center for Disease Control.

“Casual transmission of HIV is virtually impossible,” said Justice Cameron. “But the general public in China appears not to know this.” Justice Cameron noted that he would probably have been denied a visa under normal circumstances because of China’s travel restrictions on people living with HIV (the Chinese Ministry of Health facilitated the issuance of a visa to Justice Cameron).

Reducing stigma in society is urgently needed and may require various approaches. At the UNAIDS roundtable, several participants voiced the need for greater education about HIV. Justice Cameron also identified educational outreach as a key activity for reducing stigma, as well as raising awareness around HIV prevention.

Justice Cameron also engaged Chinese audiences on the role of the law in reducing stigma. At Peking University’s law school, he participated in a roundtable discussion on the role of human rights in HIV prevention and AIDS treatment in China. While courts in South Africa have been pivotal in reducing stigma and advancing the rights of people living with HIV, at the present time Chinese courts are in most cases refusing to accept cases dealing with discrimination against people living with HIV.

Justice Cameron writing a word of thanks to staff at You An Hospital, Beijing. Credit: UNAIDS/Zhou Dao

But not all stigma comes from external sources. As Justice Cameron wrote in his memoirs, Witness to AIDS, and as he has said to the many groups with whom he has interacted in China, after being diagnosed with HIV he felt contaminated and ashamed. Initially, he believed that his feelings derived from the fact that he had contracted HIV through homosexual sex, but he discovered that such feelings of shame and contamination prevail regardless of the sexual orientation, gender, race, or culture of the HIV-positive individual.

In this regard, Justice Cameron highlighted that experience shows that a strong movement of people living with HIV that affords mutual support and a voice at local and national levels is particularly effective in tackling stigma.

Stigma and accompanying discrimination are widely recognized as significant barriers to HIV prevention, treatment and care services reaching those who need them most. Without concerted action to eliminate stigma, the goal of universal access to these vital services will be impossible to achieve.

UNAIDS Deputy Executive Director Michel Sidibe addressed the vital role of civil society at “Rendez-vous de la coopération québécoise et canadienne dans la Francophonie” hosted by the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA).

Ahead of the XIIe Sommet de la Francophonie, the role of civil society in development and international cooperation is being discussed at an important pre-conference event taking place in Quebec City 15-17 October.

“Sustainable partnerships” is the central theme of the “Rendez-vous de la coopération québécoise et canadienne dans la Francophonie” hosted by the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), a meeting to explore Quebec and Canada’s role in international cooperation in French-speaking countries.

On 15 October UNAIDS Deputy Executive Director Michel Sidibe took part in a keynote event. Mr Sidibe reflected on the crucial role that civil society plays in an effective AIDS response in Francophone Africa and elsewhere, citing examples of successes in specific countries.

“In this global mobilization for AIDS, civil society has undoubtedly been the determining catalytic agent that has often initiated, consolidated and always brought forward new ideas and concern around human rights, addressing the virus and inspiring international organizations and traditional bilateral cooperation,” said Mr Sidibe. “Civil society has always been present in all major decisions in the AIDS response,” he continued.

Describing the vital importance that civil society plays in AIDS response at this turning point in the epidemic, he outlined its ability to speak with many voices, represent many different perspectives, mobilize political leadership, ensure a rights-based approach to HIV responses and bring life-saving prevention messages directly to communities.

The importance of securing input from the full spectrum of civil society, including people living with HIV, cannot be overstated. The wide range of strategic and tactical expertise within civil society organizations makes them ideal partners in the process of preparing National Progress Reports and specifically, civil society organizations are well positioned to provide quantitative and qualitative information to contribute to the data collected by governments.

UNAIDS has a range of specific tools to help civil society make an impact including the Technical Support Facilities to assist and solve problems in strategic planning, communications, resource mobilization and tracking and monitoring and evaluation. This reinforces national capacity and supports countries have a country-owned, country-led and demand-driven AIDS response.

Other speakers at the event were Mrs Djakagbè Kaba, President of the Guinean Network of Economic and Social Solidarity, RéGESS (Guinea); Mrs Danièle Magloire, Coordinator of the Bureau of Rights and Democracy (Haïti) and Mr Bakary Doumbia, Director-General of KILABO (Mali).

XIIe Sommet de la Francophonie

The governments of Canada and Québec, in partnership with the Government of New Brunswick, are hosting this year’s Francophonie Summit which takes place in Québec City from 17 to 19 October and will include delegations from some 69 states and governments. Mr Sidibe will attend the opening of the Summit.

The Summit is a gathering of the heads of state and government of member countries in the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie (OIF), an institution founded on the basis of a shared language (French) and shared values. It has 55 member states and governments and 13 observer states, representing a total population of 803.4 million and close to one-third of all United Nations member states. It supports member states in policy development and spearheads political action for multilateral cooperation.

HIV epidemics

While sub-Saharan Africa’s epidemics vary significantly from country to country in both scale and scope, the region is home to 67% of people living with HIV worldwide and almost 90% of all children living with HIV. On a positive note, most of the comparatively small HIV epidemics in West Africa are stable or are declining—as is the case for Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, and Mali. In Côte d’Ivoire, HIV prevalence among pregnant women in urban areas fell from 10% in 2001 to 6.9% in 2005.

However in 2007, adult national HIV prevalence was above 5% in seven countries in Central and East Africa including Francophone Cameroon, the Central African Republic and Gabon. More than one third (35%) of female sex workers surveyed in 2006 in Mali were living with HIV, and infection levels exceeding 20% have been documented among sex workers in Senegal and Burkina Faso.

Three awardees of UNAIDS Award for Outstanding Contributions to the AIDS Response were presented by Dr Peter Piot (3rd from left). The three awardees are Prof. Li Xiguang (right), Executive Dean of Tsinghua University School of Journalism and Communication; Mr Serge Dumont (2nd left), UNAIDS Special Representative and Omnicon Group Inc. Senior Vice President and President Asia Pacific, and Yao Ming, Chinese Basketball icon (his manager on his behalf).

Progress in scaling up HIV prevention, treatment, care and support is underway in China thanks in part to the involvement of leaders from many different sectors of Chinese society in the AIDS response.

UNAIDS Executive Director Dr Peter Piot is acknowledging the contributions of nine such individuals during his official visit to China this week, 16-19 September, by presenting them with the UNAIDS’ “Award for Outstanding Contributions to the AIDS Response”.

Medals are awarded to Yao Ming, international Chinese basketball player, Serge Dumont, UNAIDS Special Representative and businessman, Li Xiguang, Executive Dean of Tsinghua University’s School of Journalism and Communication, Li Junru, Vice President of Central Party School, Doctor Xu Lianzhi from You’an Hospital, Doctors Ren Minghui, Hao Yang and Wu Zunyou with the Chinese Ministry of Health and Meng Lin, who is living with HIV and the head of the organization “Arc of Love”, which works for people living with HIV.

The awardees were chosen for their efforts to help stop the spread of HIV and to spur greater awareness of the epidemic in China, where an estimated 700,000 people are living with HIV in the country.

Dr Peter Piot, UNAIDS Executive Director, delivered an inauguration speech on Global and China’s AIDS epidemic and response at Global Health Forum in Tsinghua University, China.

Dr Piot is presenting the awards at several occasions throughout Beijing. The first ceremony was on 17 September at Tsinghua University, where he delivered the inaugural lecture for the university’s new Global Health Forum. Later the same day, Dr Piot presented the medal to Central Party School Vice President Li Junru following a lecture at the School on the role of leadership in China’s AIDS response.

Combating stigma in China, engaging more partners in the response

Yao Ming was recognized for his role in combating the stigma and discrimination faced by people living with HIV in China. A star player with the US National Basketball Association (NBA), Yao Ming has been a very important advocate for people living with HIV. In 2006, Yao featured in a PSA with HIV positive basketball icon Magic Johnson with key messages on stigma and discrimination. The PSA has been widely used in China and was used in the UNAIDS-International Olympic Committee (IOC) Olympic AIDS Campaign. Yao Ming also featured in the UNAIDS-IOC AIDS leaflet that accompanied all condoms distributed at the Beijing Olympics as part of that campaign.

“I am very honoured to receive this esteemed award for AIDS work,” said Yao Ming, who received his award by video. “Contributing to the fight against AIDS is something that I happily do as I believe that AIDS is one of the most important global problems. We can and we should all do something to stop the spread of AIDS and the discrimination of people living with HIV”.

Commenting on the athlete’s engagement, Dr Piot said, “I am really pleased that the AIDS response has the critical support of sports stars, the business community, media and academia alike. AIDS is so much more than a health issue and without the help of champions like the ones we honour today, we cannot be successful in stopping the spread of AIDS.”

HIV prevention remains a priority for China’s AIDS response. Reaching out with correct information on prevention is crucial and requires greater collaboration; from government and community organizations to private business and media.

Highlighting the role of the private sector, UNAIDS Special Representative Serge Dumont said, "There are many ways the business sector can contribute to a successful AIDS response. In particular, savvy approaches are required in a number of places around the world to help overcome the prevalent prejudices, which continue to affect people living with HIV".

A recent survey supported by UNAIDS found that 65% of the surveyed adult population were unwilling to live in the same household as a person living with HIV and nearly 50% thought mistakenly that HIV can be transmitted through a mosquito bite.

Commenting on his award, Professor Li Xiguang underscored media’s role in AIDS education. “Journalists can make an important difference on how people think about AIDS through good reporting,” he said. “False perceptions need to be overcome by communicating correct information in interesting and innovative ways.”

Throughout his engagements in China, Dr Piot commended the Chinese on their efforts and progress made in responding to AIDS, in particular around HIV prevention and antiretroviral treatment. But he emphasized AIDS is not yet over in any part of the world – including China – and called on leaders to scale up their efforts for a heightened response.

UNAIDS Executive Director meets Ghanaian AIDS groups, 3 September 2008
Credit: UNAIDS

In Ghana attending the Accra High Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness, UNAIDS Executive Director Dr Peter Piot also visited the headquarters of the Ghana Network of Persons Living with HIV (NAP+) on 3 September where he met civil society groups active in responding to the country's AIDS epidemic.

Members from Ghana Network of Persons Living with HIV (NAP+), the Society for Women against AIDS in Africa-Ghana (SWAA) and the Centre for Popular Education and Human Rights-Ghana (CEPEHRG) shared with Dr Piot the scope of their work in the country, where, in 2007, an estimated 260,000 people were living with HIV in Ghana and 21,000 died of AIDS-related illnesses.

The three organizations work jointly and with other civil society groups to provide access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support services and to promote the health, wellbeing and human rights of those living with HIV.

(From left): Cecilia Lodonu of SWAA Ghana chats with Dr Peter Piot UNAIDS Executive Director and Dr Leopold Zekeng UNAIDS Country Coordinator, Ghana. 3 September 2008.
Credit: UNAIDS

In the lively exchanges with Dr Piot, NAP+ members explained its role as an umbrella organization for all groups active in improving the lives of people living with HIV. SWAA, as an organization dedicated to women and their families, provided an overview of the activities it carries out in six of Ghana’s ten regions, including its "positive living toolkit", while CEPEHRG members spoke on their efforts to generate awareness around, and protect, human rights for marginalized groups, in particular men who have sex with men.

CEPEHRG's community-based outreach initiatives have received recognition both nationally and internationally - most recently at the 2008 International AIDS Conference in Mexico City, where it was singled out from other Red Ribbon Award winners for special recognition for its work with men who have sex with men.

The MTV Staying Alive Foundation invites grant applications from youth-led organizations and young people who are working on HIV prevention and AIDS education campaigns within their communities

The MTV Staying Alive Foundation invites grant applications from youth-led organizations and young people (aged between 15-27 years) who are working on HIV prevention and AIDS education campaigns within their communities.

The deadline for December 2008 proposals is the 15th September 2008, and successful applicants will be announced on World AIDS Day, 1 December 2008. Young people, 15–24 years of age, accounted for around 45% of all new HIV infections in 2007 and many young people lack accurate, complete information on how to avoid exposure to the virus. The Staying Alive Foundation (SAF) believes that the information geared towards young people is one of the keys to helping prevent HIV infection and that young people can bring about positive social change around HIV prevention, if given the opportunity.

A Staying Alive Award comes with a financial grant up to US$ 12,000, Staying Alive materials (including MTV Staying Alive programming and teaching kits), a small fund to buy technical media equipment, a local mentor and a personal grant manager.

About Staying Alive

In 1998, MTV launched the Staying Alive campaign, a multimedia global HIV prevention campaign to challenge AIDS-related stigma. UNAIDS has partnered with MTV, providing funding and technical assistance on key AIDS issues.

Following the success of the campaign, the Staying Alive Foundation (SAF) was set up in 2005 to support young people around the world who are working in AIDS awareness, education and prevention campaigns among their peers. To date they have given 100 grants to 81 projects across the globe.

If you have any further questions then email at foundation@staying-alive.org  

2008 Red Ribbon Award Ceremony and Dinner was held 6 August 2008
Credit: UNAIDS/agencialibrefoto

Representatives of 25 Red Ribbon Award 2008 winning communities were guests of honour at a formal Award Ceremony and Dinner, held last night in Mexico City and attended by government officials and global AIDS leaders. UNAIDS Executive Director Dr Peter Piot addressed the Awards Ceremony at which five organizations were selected by a jury for special recognition in the following categories:

1. Providing access to treatment, support and care
2. Supporting children orphaned by AIDS
3. Promoting human rights
4. Empowering women and girls
5. Providing HIV prevention programs and services

The communities singled out for special recognition are:

1. Centre for Popular Education and Human Rights, Ghana
2. Sanghamitra, A Women’s Collective, India
3. Hamyaran Mosbat – The Mashhad Positive Club, Iran 
4. Consol Homes, Malawi
5. Fortalecidendo la Diversidad, Mexico

The Red Ribbon Award is presented every
two years at the International AIDS
Conference to recognize and celebrate
outstanding community leadership and
action.
Credit: UNAIDS/agencialibrefoto

“These are extraordinary organizations helping to meet the needs of their own communities in often very difficult circumstances,” said Rebecca Grynspan, Director of the Regional Bureau for Latin America and the Caribbean of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), during the awards ceremony.

“In doing so they have shown extraordinary creativity, courage and leadership in responding to the epidemic and achieving tangible results with limited resources.”

“All the Red Ribbon participants at this conference are winners,” said As Sy, Director of Partnerships and External Relations, Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS).

“We hope that the knowledge and resources gained from AIDS 2008 will help inspire you in your own communities in taking your work to the next level. I know all of us have learned from you and your experiences. This knowledge is truly what the Red Ribbon Awards are about.”

AIDS 2008: Community Dialogue Space

This year, more 550 nominations were
received for the award from 140 countries
around the world.
Credit: UNAIDS/agencialibrefoto

The 25 Red Ribbon Award 2008 winning organizations are also participating in the XVII International AIDS Conference, in Mexico City 3-8 August 2008 where they are hosting the Community Tequio in the heart of the Global village. “Tequio” is an Aztec word conveying a collective work that benefi¬ts the community and the goal is developing an enabling environment for community participation in the AIDS response.

The Community Tequio is a space for conference participants from around the world to interact and share their experiences to strengthen an international network of community best practices on HIV. Open and active discussions are taking place highlighting stories of grassroots victories, challenges communities face and opportunities to improve their response to the epidemic.

Red Ribbon Award

The Red Ribbon Award is presented every two years at the International AIDS Conference to recognize and celebrate outstanding community leadership and action that is helping to stop the spread of HIV and mitigate the impact of AIDS. This year, more 550 nominations were received for the award from 140 countries around the world.

The Red Ribbon Award Secretariat is hosted and by UNDP and supported by the XVII International AIDS Conference, the Canadian International Development Agency, Irish Aid and the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. It is a UNAIDS family initiative.