United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon speaking at the 18th annual meeting of the African Union. Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Credit: UNAIDS/J.Ose

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon stressed the need to anchor Africa’s development to the respect for human rights. “The Universal Declaration of Human Rights is a promise to all people in all places at all times,” said Mr Ban at the 18^th annual meeting of the African Union.

Mr Ban noted that discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity is one of the injustices that has been ignored or even sanctioned by many States. “This has prompted some governments to treat people as second-class citizens, or even criminals. Confronting this discrimination is a challenge. But we must live up to the ideals of the Universal Declaration,” said Mr Ban.

Currently, an estimated 76 countries and areas worldwide have laws that criminalize same-sex sexual relations between consenting adults––five impose the death penalty. UNAIDS considers the criminalization of people based on their sexual orientation a denial of human rights and a threat to public health in the context of the HIV response. Such discriminatory laws drive people underground and create obstacles for people accessing HIV services.

Countries such as the US and UK have already modified their provision of foreign aid to ensure that the rights of sexual minorities are being respected. These countries will use their assistance to protect human rights and advance non-discrimination, and will work with international organizations to end discrimination against gays and lesbians.

In 2009 the Delhi High Court overturned a law that criminalized consensual adult sexual behaviour. This stand was also supported by the Government of India in its affidavit filed with the Supreme Court. But not all countries are following India’s approach.

In June 2010, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), with the support of the UNAIDS Secretariat, launched the Global Commission on HIV and the Law. The Commission’s aim is to increase understanding of the impact of the legal environment on national HIV responses. Its aim is to focus on how laws and law enforcement can support, rather than block, effective HIV responses.

UNAIDS urges all governments to ensure full respect for the human rights of men who have sex with men, lesbians and transgendered people through repealing laws that prohibit sexual acts between consenting adults in private; enforcing laws to protect these groups from violence and discrimination; promoting campaigns that address homophobia and transphobia; and ensuring that crucial health needs are met.

Prof. Shiela Tlou, UNAIDS Director, Regional Support Team for Eastern and Southern Africa speaks at the launch of the High-Level Taskforce on Women, Girls, Gender Equality and HIV for Eastern and Southern Africa.
Credit: UNAIDS/J.Ose

A new High-Level Taskforce on Women, Girls, Gender Equality and HIV for Eastern and Southern Africa was launched at the 16^th International Conference on AIDS and STIs in Africa (ICASA). The Taskforce will engage in high-level political advocacy in support of accelerated country actions and monitoring the implementation of the draft Windhoek Declaration for Women, Girls, Gender Equality and HIV.

The draft Windhoek Declaration (April 2011), recommends action in seven key thematic areas including sexual and reproductive health, adopting a multi-stakeholder approach to adders violence against women and HIV and the law, gender and HIV. 

Immediately after the launch of the Taskforce, its members participated in a special session titled Universal Access:  Are we failing to meet the needs of women and girls where they took stock of challenges faced by women and girls throughout Africa.

“We see women at the top of HIV infection numbers, but when it comes to leadership women are at the bottom,” said Dr Speciosa Wandira, former Vice President of Uganda. “The world is insecure because it is in the hands of only half of the gender. But the job of identifying what we need to do is in our hands.”

Young women are particularly vulnerable to HIV, accounting for 64% of infections among young people worldwide. In sub-Saharan Africa, young women make about 70% of young people living with HIV.

Dr Specioza was joined by Dr Fatma Mrisho, Chair of the Taskforce and Executive Chairperson of the Tanzanian AIDS Commission, Dr Elhadj As Sy, UNICEF Regional Director for Eastern and Southern Africa, Prof Shiela Tlou, UNAIDS Director, Regional Support Team for Eastern and Southern Africa, Ms Louis Chingandu, Executive Director of SAfAIDS, Hon Naomi Shaban Minister of Gender of Kenya and Hon Thandi Shongwe Senator and Member of Parliament of Swaziland.

The Taskforce members outlined the directions the group will follow to empower women as well as to hold governments accountable to ensure positive policy development and implementation of legal environments to protect women and girls.

“Many countries have legal support systems in place. However, its implementation is difficult due to social pressure and archaic cultural laws,” said Senator Shongwe.

Participants outlined the need to engage political leadership to challenge harmful cultural norms and laws such as early marriage and wife inheritance. Equally important is the involvement of men and boys in the gender equality equation. “We know what we want,” said Minister Shaban. “But we have not educated men on what we want.”

Prof. Tlou added that, “We need to use good men as role models to show that it is masculine to love and care for women.”

The Taskforce was first conceived at the Technical Meeting on Women, Girls, Gender Equality and HIV, which was jointly convened by the East African Community (EAC), the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and UNAIDS.

The meeting, held in Windhoek, Namibia in April 2011,  brought together government and civil society representatives from Comoros, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Rwanda, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia and Regional Directors from UNAIDS, UNICEF, UNFPA and UN Women.

Ambassador Olawale Maiyegun, Director, Social Affairs, African Union and Karine Shalaby, National HIV Officer at UNODC Regional Office for the Middle East and North Africa, Dr. Tapiwa Magure, CEO, Zimbabwe National AIDS Council, Prof. Sheila Tlou, UNAIDS Regional Support Team Director for East and Southern Africa, Innocent Laison, African Council of AIDS Service Organizations, and Ato Meskele Lera, Deputy Director General, Federal HIV and AIDS Programme of Ethiopia.
Credit: UNAIDS/J.Ose.

Government, United Nations and civil society representatives gathered on the last day of ICASA 2011 to discuss how to deliver on the 2011 United Nations Political Declaration on HIV/AIDS for Africa. The Declaration, unanimously adopted at the UN High Level Meeting on AIDS in June 2011, sets forth bold new targets and calls on member states to redouble efforts to achieve universal access by 2015.

Co-chaired by Ademola Olajide, Head of Health, Nutrition and Population department of Social Affairs, African Union and Karine Shalaby, National HIV Officer at UNODC Regional Office for the Middle East and North Africa, the session was moderated by Meskerem Grunitzky-Bekele, UNAIDS Regional Support Team Director for West and Central Africa and participated by Dr Tapiwa Magure, CEO, Zimbabwe National AIDS Council, Prof Sheila Tlou, UNAIDS Regional Support Team Director for East and Southern Africa, Innocent Laison, African Council of AIDS Service Organizations and Ato Meskele Lera, Deputy Director General, Federal HIV and AIDS Programme of Ethiopia.

Dr Magure highlighted that most countries in the region, including Zimbabwe, were already adapting their National Strategic Plans on AIDS to adopt the new targets. She also stressed the need to increase domestic resources in order for the targets to be reached.

Scaling up funding from national and international sources was seen as key to reach the targets, but also the need for partnerships and inclusion where governments, civil society and international partners share the responsibility to ensure effective AIDS responses.

Participants urged all stakeholders to review their strategies and focus on programmes and services that can demonstrate results. “We talk about more money for health. But now it is time for us to talk about more health for the money we have,” said Mr Olajide. “Let’s demonstrate tangible results with the money we have. Then, we will be able to ask for more.”

Innocent Laison, with African Council of AIDS Service Organizations, stressed the urgency to act in order to meet the 2015 deadline and assured that “civil society will play a role of monitoring the implementation and push for the targets to be met on time.”

All participants agreed that the single most important thing to guarantee that the targets are achieved is to ensure commitment from key actors in the region such as the African Union, Regional Economic Communities, governments and civil society. In addition, participants said engendering sense of ownership is crucial for national actors to lead the implementation of the commitments made at the June High Level Meeting on AIDS. 

First lady of Ethiopia, Wzro Azeb Mesfin with Michel Sidibé, UNAIDS Executive Director.
Credit: UNAIDS/P.Wiggers

In a meeting at the Presidential Palace in Addis Ababa on 5 December, Mr Sidibé congratulated the First Lady of Ethiopia on her successful stewardship of the Organization of African First Ladies Against HIV/AIDS (OAFLA) and urged her to continue to champion the health and well-being of women and girls across Africa.

“We are counting on you to remain fully engaged in the HIV response,” said Michel Sidibé, UNAIDS Executive Director. “We hope that you will continue to call for the elimination of new HIV infections among children, and that you will continue your conversations with community and traditional leaders around difficult cultural issues.”

As Chair of OAFLA from June 2008 to June 2011, First Lady Wzro Azeb Mesfin was a staunch advocate for the elimination of new HIV infections among children and spoke out against harmful cultural practices, among other issues. She currently serves as a member of the Ethiopian Parliament, a Board Chairperson of the National Coalition for Women Against HIV/AIDS and President of the Ethiopian Women's Federation.

During his meeting with the First Lady, Mr Sidibé emphasized the critical link between AIDS and the wider health and development agenda. “It is important that we take AIDS out of isolation—OAFLA must continue to build a bridge between AIDS and maternal mortality, young people, violence against women and other issues,” Mr Sidibé said.

The First Lady noted that preventing new HIV infections among children has become an increasingly visible issue in Ethiopia. “PMTCT is now on the national health and development agenda on a near-daily basis.” She added that later this month in Addis Ababa, PMTCT will be widely discussed at a conference focused on women’s leadership attended by Members of Parliament, Ministers and representatives of women’s associations across the country.

According to government estimates, there were 1445 health facilities in Ethiopia in 2010-11 providing services that prevent new HIV infections in children, up from just 32 facilities in 2003-04. However, only about 9.3% of the estimated pregnant women in need of PMTCT services nationwide are currently receiving them. Globally, an estimated 390 000 children were born with HIV in 2010—mainly in sub-Saharan Africa.

Mr Sidibé’s meeting with the First Lady was held alongside the International Conference on AIDS and STIs in Africa (ICASA)—a gathering of 7000 AIDS experts focused on the HIV epidemic and response across the African continent.

African First Ladies at ICASA

Later in the day, several African First Ladies gathered at ICASA for a panel session entitled “Towards an HIV-Free Generation.”  The First Ladies were joined in the session by Ministers from Ethiopia, Rwanda and Chad, as well as Ambassador Eric Goosby and Bience Gawanas, the African Union Commissioner for Social Affairs.

Members of OAFLA who took part in the session called for greater male involvement in campaigns to end new HIV infections among children. “An HIV-free generation tomorrow needs both caring men and women today, and the work of OAFLA will reflect this,” said the newly elected Chair of OAFLA, H.E. Pohamba Penehupifo of Namibia.

The overarching message in the session was that the AIDS response requires concerted efforts from all stakeholders, including home-grown solutions to the current economic crisis. The First Lady of Namibia expressed the need for OAFLA to focus on raising resources beyond traditional funders.

UNAIDS Deputy Director, Programme Dr Paul De Lay and Ethiopian Minister of Health, H.E. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Credit: UNAIDS/J. Ose

“Health and Social Affairs: Making Health Systems Work to Effective HIV Response,” was the title of a ministerial panel held on the third day of the International Conference on AIDS and STIs in Africa (ICASA). The panel highlighted how the AIDS response has had additional benefits for the broader health and development agenda.

UNAIDS Deputy Director, Programme Dr Paul De Lay participated in the panel together with the Ethiopian Minister of Health, H.E. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director of the CDC Center for Global Health, Dr Kevin De Cock and the Executive Director of SAfAIDS Lois Chingandu. 

Responding to the critics who say that the AIDS response has created vertical programmes at the expense of the broader health system, Dr De Cock asserted that, “there is evidence that the scale up of AIDS services has had a positive impact on health systems strengthening in the [African] continent.”

For example, the push for HIV treatment has focused attention to the lack of human resources, poor infrastructure, insufficient supplies and other related issues.

“It is time to take stock of the many vertical health initiatives that have produced measurable results but also created parallel structures, high net transaction costs, and fragmentation,” said Dr De Lay. “We strongly advocate for integrated approaches that maximize efficiencies and achieve positive health beyond HIV, in the broader health system,” he added.

The Ethiopian Minster of Health H.E. Ghebreyesus in his address stressed the importance of integration of services within health systems. “Strong health systems mean better results for HIV but also better results in other health related issues such as maternal health or immunization programmes.

For health systems to deliver results, Dr De Lay added, there is a need to address the legal, policy and regulatory environment as well as the social and cultural context which may act as barriers for people to access services.  

Social change in the AIDS response has often been driven by civil society, and many lessons can be learned from this experience. There is still a need to put in place critical enablers for health systems, such strong advocacy to meet funding commitments, respect for human rights, and political commitment.

“Effective systems depend on effective governments and are based on the respect for human rights,” said civil society representative Ms Chingandu. “Health systems cannot be effective without a robust and accountable civil society,” she added.

Since the dawn of the AIDS epidemic, activist have not only generated investments in AIDS but have instilled more vigorous sense of accountability and urgency among in global and national leaders in delivering on the commitment of health for all.

The panel concluded that the AIDS response has had a far-reaching and unquestionable impact on health care globally: building infrastructure and systems, improving the quality of services, reaching socially marginalized and vulnerable groups, and engaging consumers.

From left to right: UNICEF Regional Director for Africa As Sy, UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé, together with Gottfried Hirnschall, the Director of the HIV Department at WHO at the community dialogue space.
Credit: UNAIDS/J. Ose

Under the banner “Getting to zero,” UN leaders and community representatives engaged in a passionate exchange on sustainable funding for the AIDS response in Africa. The discussion was overshadowed by mounting concern over the recent cancellation of Round 11 by the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (Global Fund).

UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé, UNICEF Regional Director for Africa, As Sy together with Director of the HIV Department at WHO Gottfried Hirnschall, answered questions posed by the audience gathered at the community dialogue space at the 16^th International Conference on AIDS and STIs in Africa conference.

Mr Sidibé was asked to briefly introduce UNAIDS’ vision of zero new HIV infections, zero discriminations and zero AIDS-related deaths. “For me, this vision is a way to respond to social injustice. All people can have access to the HIV services they need, if we make it a political priority,” said Mr Sidibé.

From the health sector perspective, Dr Hirnschall said, “There is a need put systems in place for people to access treatment, provision of quality and comprehensive services and above all the need for equality to get to zero."

Given the current funding constraints faced by the AIDS response, Mr Sidibé stressed that new ways of doing business are needed: “Getting to zero requires new partnerships, a democratization of problem-solving and innovative solutions to lower the price of drugs. Ultimately, the ‘zero-vision’ is about responding to the AIDS epidemic in a faster, smarter, and better way.”

Jeanne Gappya, a civil society representative from Burundi challenged the UN leaders in the panel: “When I go back to my country, I will be asked if the three zeros will arrive,” she said. “In my view there is another zero and that is zero financing. How are we supposed to get to zero with no funding?” she asked.

Mr As Sy acknowledged that the cancellation of the Global Fund Round 11 was a potential setback, and recognized the anxiety this has created among people living with HIV who are currently accessing treatment as well as organizations and governments pushing for scale up of prevention, treatment, care and support services.

However, Mr As Sy asserted that countries receiving global fund resources should start a discussion on diversifying their funding sources: “Our hopes should not be placed on the Global Fund alone. We need to find alternative sources of financing,” Mr As Sy said.

Echoing these concerns, Mr Sidibé noted that a large percentage of people living with HIV on the African continent are receiving HIV treatment thanks to the Global Fund. He cautioned against stopping this funding, particularly at this make or break moment when Africa is leading the world in reducing HIV infections and AIDS-related deaths.

Reflecting on the discussion, Auxiria Mwanza from Zambia said the news of the Global Fund Round 11 cancellations was teaching grass-roots organizations a lesson: “We can no longer rely on external funding. It is up to us to work hard in our own capacity to reach the three zeros. The dependence syndrome can be broken down and communities should have the capacity to respond for themselves,” Ms Mwanza said.

Mr Sidibé agreed that there is a need for African countries to reduce their dependence on external funding sources and for countries to explore innovative sources of funding. This could for example include the establishment of a tax on financial transactions and the creation of an African treatment agency that could make HIV treatment available at a lower cost on the continent.

Professor Patrice Debre presenting the Legion d’Honneur award to the UNAIDS regional director for west and central Africa Dr Meskerem Grunitzky-Bekele.
Credit: UNAIDS/P.Wiggers

The UNAIDS regional director for west and central Africa Dr Meskerem Grunitzky-Bekele was awarded with the Legion d’Honneur for lifetime achievement in the AIDS response on 6 December in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

This prestigious award, is the highest French decoration,  and was presented to her by Professor Patrice Debre—an expert in immunology and Ambassador for the Fight Against HIV and Communicable Diseases, French Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs.

As UNAIDS Regional Director for West and Central Africa, Dr Grunitzky-Bekele has mobilized leaders at the highest level to maintain AIDS on the political agenda. Furthermore, she has been a driving force in promoting the work of the civil society and in particular that of the people living with HIV.  She has also worked on the establishment of valuable key partnerships with African regional institutions such as the African Union, the Regional Economic Commissions, the Organization of African First Ladies and the Society for AIDS in Africa as well as other international development partners.

Dr Meskerem Grunitzky-Bekele completed her medical studies at the Université d’Aix Marseille, in France and specialized in Tropical Diseases. Widely experienced as a researcher, educator and administrator, Dr Grunitzky-Bekele was responsible for the establishment of UNAIDS at regional level for the first time in Africa.  

Donor representatives interacting with civil society members at the community dialogue space.
Credit: UNAIDS/J.Ose

On Monday 5 December, discussions in the community dialogue space at the 16th International Conference on AIDS and STIs in Africa (ICASA) focused on financing the AIDS response. On this theme, UNAIDS and UNDP co-hosted the event ‘Donor dialogue session: Funding the grassroots and sustainable financing of the HIV response in Africa.’ The major part of the discussion revolved around the current economic situation and the fact that donors are decreasing their funding for AIDS.  The session allowed for direct interaction between donors and civil society representatives, and participants seized this opportunity to call for sustained funding for community organizations.

Set up as a panel of donor representatives, the audience asked panellists questions from the floor. Civil society participants were concerned about the cancellation of the Round 11 by the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (Global Fund). As one member of the audience highlighted “we fear the consequences of discontinuing HIV treatment as a result of this cancellation.” The Global Fund representative Mark Edington, Director of Country Programmes, assured participants that the Global Fund is fully operational and committed to continue working with civil society organizations. Mr Edington also affirmed that “people already on ARVs are our top priority, and there is no question that we will maintain funding available for those already on treatment.”

Civil society representatives also asked how grassroots organizations could access funding given the current financial situation. Sheri Nouane Duncan Jones, HIV/AIDS Team Leader with USAID Ethiopia explained the ongoing change to their funding mechanisms. The organization is moving away from traditional umbrella funding—where international donor funds are transferred to grassroots organizations through bigger non-governmental organizations—to a direct funding through grant application to small local organizations. This approach is expected to cut intermediary fees as well as to increase effectiveness of the programmes funded.

Other issues addressed during the dialogue were related to strengthening accountability and transparency of civil society, its capacity to implement programmes and transform itself in a rapidly changing funding environment. Community members emphasized their need for capacity building on proposal writing to access funding. The lack of technical support available could jeopardize their future access to funding, participants said.

The session was moderated by Cheikh Tidian Tall, Executive Director of the African Council of AIDS Service Organizations. Representatives from the donor community that participated in the dialogue included Sheri Nouane Duncan Jones, HIV/AIDS Team Leader, USAID Ethiopia, Mary ODUKA, Senior HIV/AIDS Advisor, Irish AID, Kristina Kloss, German Back-Up Initiative, GIZ, Miriam Vuckovich, Technical Adviser on HIV/AIDS, GIZ and Mark Edington, Director of Country Programmes, the Global Fund to Fight AIDS TB and Malaria.

The community dialogue space at ICASA 2011 is dedicated to highlighting the successes and challenges faced by grassroots organizations and civil society in Africa. All the sessions open and dialogue based allowing for much more interaction with the panel members and the audience. The overall goal of the space is to provide a venue for civil society and people living with HIV to meet and interact with prominent leaders from governments, international organizations, UN agencies, the private sector and other groups from within the region and around the world.

Dr. Meskerem Grunitzky-Bekele, Director of the UNAIDS Regional Support Team for West and Central Africa accepts the Society for AIDS in Africa’s award for her extraordinary commitment to the AIDS response in Africa.
Credit: UNAIDS/P.Wiggers

The Society for AIDS in Africa (SAA) launched its Strategic Plan for 2011 - 2015 at the side-lines of the 16^th International Conference on AIDS and STIs in Africa (ICASA). The SAA presented its strategy, together with the long-term vision of an African continent free of HIV, TB and Malaria.

Writing the foreword for the strategic plan, UNAIDS Executive Director Mr Michel Sidibé said that the recent progress seen in the AIDS response, such as the 20% drop in new HIV infections over the past 10 years, could never have been possible without the dynamic drive of the scientific community.

“The Society for AIDS in Africa [as the] custodian of the International Conference of AIDS and STIs in Africa offers researches, policy-makers and communities a platform for exchange, mobilization and promotion of scientific innovation,” said Mr Sidibé. 

UNAIDS Deputy Executive Director Programme, Dr Paul De Lay, who spoke on behalf of Mr Sidibé at the launch of the strategy, outlined that, in addition to adopting the UNAIDS vision Zero new HIV infections, Zero discrimination, Zero AIDS-related deaths, the SAA strategy also calls for zero malaria and zero tuberculosis, while advocating for the promotion of social justice and equity in treatment access. “We fully support this comprehensive vision,” said Dr De Lay.  

The SAA’s five year strategic plan recognizes the need for increased evidence-informed programmes to respond to HIV in Africa. It capitalizes on SAA’s strength of ICASA as the leading forum for sharing AIDS research to drive policy on the continent as well as to advocate for an enabling environment to prevent HIV.

“Bringing science, politics and communities together—as AIDS conferences do—can shape the agenda, set benchmarks and re-energize people to strive towards common goals,” said Dr De Lay.

Other speakers at the event were the President of SAA, Prof. Robert Soudré, IAS President, Elly Katabira and the Executive Director of SAfAIDS Louis Chingandu who revealed that Durban, South Africa will host the next ICASA, scheduled to take place in 2013.

Leadership awards

An award ceremony also took place at the event to recognize people who have demonstrated extraordinary commitment to the Society for AIDS in Africa’s AIDS response in Africa over the past few years. Dr. Meskerem Grunitzky-Bekele, Director of the UNAIDS Regional Support Team for West and Central Africa, was among the recipients. She received the award from the Director of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and former UNAIDS Executive Director Prof. Peter Piot.

“I’ve always believed in partnerships and team work,” said Dr Grunitzky-Bekele. “This award is truly a recognition of the leadership of those working on the AIDS response in Africa.” Other recipients of the award included Professor Femi Soyinka, a former SAA President, and Mr. Bernard Kadasia, Director of Policy and Communications at the International AIDS Society.

The Society for AIDS in Africa is a not-for-profit, non-governmental organization founded in 1989 which has as its vision an African continent free of HIV, TB and Malaria. It aims to achieve this goal by promoting policies and research that support government responses to these diseases.

From left to right: President of the World Council of Churches, Abune Paulos I. Ambassador Eric Goosby, United States Global AIDS Coordinator, UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé, African Union Social Affairs Commissioner Ms Bience Gawanas, Minister of Health of Mali, Ms Madeleine Ba Diallo, former president of Botswana, Mr Festus Gontebanye Mogae, Minister of Health of Algeria, Mr Oueld Zbel Yastahel Kadad, and the Minister of Health of Rwanda, Dr Agnes Binagwaho. 5 December, 2011.
Credit: UNAIDS/J. Ose.

African leaders met on Monday 5 December at a special roundtable session during the International Conference of AIDS and STIs in Africa (ICASA 2011) to take stock of the efforts and promises made towards the AIDS response, the challenges and the way forward to fulfill these commitments.

Participants at the roundtable session were UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé, former president of Botswana, Mr Festus Gontebanye Mogae, Ambassador Eric Goosby, United States Global AIDS Coordinator, Minister of Health of Algeria, Mr Oueld Zbel Yastahel Kadad, Minister of Health of Rwanda, Dr Agnes Binagwaho, Minister of Health of Mali, Ms Madeleine Ba Diallo, African Union Social Affairs Commissioner Ms Bience Gawanas and the President of the World Council of Churches, Abune Paulos I.

Initial discussions evolved around the role of African leaders in the HIV response and the efforts devoted to mobilize resources locally. In his opening remarks, Mr Sidibé called upon African leaders to find ways to sustain and scale up progress made in the region while trying to be more independent from external resources. “If we don’t have political leadership the transformation of the AIDS response in the region will not happen,” said Mr Sidibé.

Participants articulated the efforts and promises made toward the AIDS response, in particular with respect to the Millennium Development Goals and the Abuja and Maputo declarations. “We have created a political platform but we must keep AIDS high in the political agenda,” said Ms Gawanes. “Now is the time when these declarations need to be translated into better life for people,” she added.

Ambassador Goosby reiterated the commitment from the United States towards an HIV-free generation as well as his government’s decision to scale up efforts to put more people on HIV treatment.

The speakers highlighted the progress made in the AIDS response, both in Africa and globally, but were quick to stress that challenges still exist and continue to arise. All participants agreed that if HIV prevention programmes are to be fully implemented communities must be engaged and adequately funded.