GENEVA, 30 October 2015—At its 37th meeting, the UNAIDS Programme Coordinating Board adopted a new strategy to end the AIDS epidemic as a public health threat by 2030. The UNAIDS 2016–2021 Strategy is one of the first in the United Nations system to be aligned to the Sustainable Development Goals, which set the framework for global development policy over the next 15 years, including ending the AIDS epidemic by 2030. 

With a universal agenda, firmly grounded in evidence and rights-based approaches, the strategy maps out the UNAIDS Fast-Track approach to accelerate the AIDS response over the next five years to reach critical HIV prevention and treatment targets and achieve zero discrimination. Members of the Board from across all regions called the strategy bold, ambitious, yet achievable, and praised the highly inclusive and consultative process to develop it.

In his opening address, the Executive Director of UNAIDS, Michel Sidibé, described the strategy as an urgent call to front-load investment, to close the testing gap, to increase focus and financing for HIV prevention and to protect the health of the 22 million people living with HIV who are not yet accessing treatment. He said that the strategy would be an instrument for social justice and dignity.

“Our transformative strategy pushes us to cover more ground than ever before,” said Mr Sidibé. “It obliges us to address the critical linkages between health, injustice, inequality, poverty and conflict.”   

The Board also approved UNAIDS’ operational framework and the Unified Budget, Results and Accountability Framework (UBRAF) for 2016–2021, which will translate the strategy into action at the national, regional and global levels. The strategy and UBRAF are powerful tools to accelerate the global AIDS response and guide the work of the Joint Programme.

The Board underlined the importance of innovation and partnership in tackling complex interconnected development and health challenges and stressed that the space the strategy and UNAIDS provides for discussion is unique.

During the dedicated thematic day, the Board discussed the importance of shared responsibility and global solidarity for an effective, equitable and sustainable HIV response. It was agreed that the most critical next step for achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals will be to have clarity on the means of implementation. Participants emphasized that multisectorality and equitable, transparent and inclusive governance are central bases for effective shared responsibility and global solidarity, and that the AIDS response—and in particular UNAIDS—provides an important model to be replicated for other health, development, gender and rights outcomes.

Representatives of Member States, international organizations, civil society and nongovernmental organizations attended the meeting, which was chaired by David Parirenyatwa, Minister of Health and Child Care of Zimbabwe. Switzerland served as Vice-Chair and Ukraine as Rapporteur. At the meeting, Switzerland was elected as the 2016 Chair, Ghana as Vice-Chair and Ecuador as Rapporteur.

The UNAIDS Executive Director’s report to the Board and the Board’s decisions can be found at unaids.org.

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.

The 37th meeting of the UNAIDS Programme Coordinating Board (PCB) is taking place in Geneva, Switzerland, from 26 to 28 October.

During the opening session, UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé addressed the Board, giving an update of the progress made in the AIDS response as well as outlining the challenges of and opportunities for Fast-Tracking a global movement to end the AIDS epidemic by 2030.

Mr Sidibé said that the PCB meeting was taking place at an important time, shortly after the General Assembly of the United Nations adopted the Sustainable Development Goals that will drive the development agenda for the next 15 years. He said it is critical to renew the global commitment to end the AIDS epidemic as a public health threat. “The countdown to 2030 has started and calls on us to work in different ways,” he said.

The PCB will be considering the UNAIDS 2016–2021 Strategy during its meeting. The thematic segment will take place on 28 October and will focus on shared responsibility and global solidarity for an effective, equitable and sustainable HIV response for the post-2015 agenda.

The 37th meeting of the UNAIDS PCB is being chaired by Zimbabwe, with Switzerland acting as Vice-Chair and Ukraine as Rapporteur.

AIDS strategies and efforts must give greater priority to humanitarian emergencies and the millions of people affected by them, members of the UNAIDS governing body agreed at the thematic segment of the 36th meeting of the UNAIDS Programme Coordinating Board (PCB), which took place in Geneva, Switzerland, on 2 July.

New data presented at the thematic session by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the World Food Programme (WFP) and UNAIDS Secretariat estimate that of the 314 million people affected by humanitarian emergencies in 2013, 1.6 million people--or 1 in 22-- are living with HIV, and many thousands more are at risk.

“We are talking about incredible numbers of people and multiple layers of vulnerability. This is too big a scale and impact to ignore. We have to ensure that HIV prevention and treatment services are systematically integrated into emergency responses,” said Mr Michel Sidibé, Executive Director of UNAIDS.

The thematic session contemplated the vast and complex issue of HIV in emergency contexts, including the delivery of health and HIV services in the context of conflict situations, natural disasters, public health emergencies, displacement and migration. On protection issues, vulnerability to HIV due to sexual violence, human rights violations, restrictions, punitive laws and policies were topics of discussion. On resilience, participants talked about the need for community building and preparedness.

Panelists from a wide range of countries including Burundi, Central African Republic, Djibouti, Haiti, Lebanon, Liberia, Nepal, Nigeria, Sierra Leone and Ukraine told of the realities on the ground. They spoke of barriers and opportunities and gave examples of successful government and civil society efforts to address HIV in the wide variety of humanitarian emergency contexts.

In his keynote speech, former refugee Mr Noé Seisaba from Burundi, who founded the Stop SIDA organization that brings key HIV initiatives to refugee camps and settings, called for the community of people living with HIV to be involved in all aspects of planning and implementation. “I faced a lot of discrimination, but I broke my silence on HIV to try to make working on HIV a community issue and to show that we can intervene as refugees because we have a true understanding of the challenges and realities,” he said. “I am happy to see we are all talking about this issue, but I want to see concrete action.”

Many participants echoed that community involvement and empowerment of people living with and most affected by HIV are critical to achieve results for people in such difficult contexts. “If we are going to end the AIDS epidemic by 2030, we have to shine light on root causes of vulnerability in humanitarian settings and increase action to promote respect for rights and basic humanitarian dignity,” said Mr George Okoth-Obbo, Assistant High Commissioner for Operations at UNHCR.

Cross-regional strategies were encouraged to enable maximum impact and coverage of people. The challenge of sexual violence in emergency settings and gender inequalities was highlighted as a fundamental issue to be given greater focus, action and investment. 

GENEVA, 6 July 2015—The 36th meeting of the UNAIDS Programme Coordinating Board has concluded its three-day meeting in Geneva. The Board’s discussions focused on strengthening the AIDS response in the post-2015 development agenda and advancing the development of the updated and extended UNAIDS Strategy 2016–2021.

The Board stressed the value of lessons learned from the global AIDS response, including those learned from the approach of UNAIDS as the only joint cosponsored programme of the Unites Nations system, for the transition from the Millennium Development Goals to the post-2015 development agenda and the sustainable development goals. The Board also welcomed the advances made towards updating and extending the current UNAIDS Strategy to accelerate investment and results in the next five years with a view to ending the AIDS epidemic by 2030.

During the meeting, held from 30 June to 2 July, Board members recognized the need for stronger action to address transmission of HIV among people who inject drugs. In preparation for the 2016 United Nations General Assembly Special Session on the World Drug Problem, the Board adopted bold decisions and called on states to develop and implement comprehensive drug policies that respect human rights, promote public health outcomes and are informed by harm reduction programmes related to HIV and people who inject drugs.

In his opening address, the Executive Director of UNAIDS, Michel Sidibé, emphasized the opportunities ahead to build on progress made in the AIDS response and by implementing the ambitious Fast-Track approach. If the Fast-Track Targets are achieved by 2020, ending the AIDS epidemic will be possible by 2030.

“The Fast-Track approach will be a key instrument in breaking the backbone of AIDS and ending the epidemic as a public health threat,” Mr Sidibé said. “It is time to redouble our efforts.”

Member States, international organizations, civil society and nongovernmental organizations attended the meeting, which was chaired by Zimbabwe.

The meeting concluded with a thematic day on HIV in emergency contexts. The aim of the thematic session was to illustrate the importance that populations affected by humanitarian emergencies be given much higher priority within AIDS strategies, plans and activities. New data presented at the thematic session estimated that of the 314 million people affected by humanitarian emergencies in 2013, 1.6 million people—or 1 in 22—are living with HIV.

The UNAIDS Executive Director’s report to the Board and the Board’s decisions from the meeting can be found at unaids.org.

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.

The 36th meeting of the UNAIDS Programme Coordinating Board is taking place in Geneva, Switzerland, from 30 June to 2 July.

During the opening session, UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé addressed the Board giving an update of the progress made in the AIDS response as well as outlining the challenges and opportunities ahead to Fast-Track a global movement to end the AIDS epidemic by 2030.

Mr Sidibé said the response to HIV over the next five years would determine what happens over the next 15 years. “The next five years provide a fragile window of opportunity to Fast-Track our response and end the AIDS epidemic as a public health threat by 2030,” he said.

The thematic segment of the meeting will take place on the last day of the meeting and will focus on HIV in emergency contexts.

The 36th meeting of the UNAIDS Board is being chaired by Zimbabwe, with Switzerland acting as Vice-Chair and Ukraine as rapporteur.

A delegation of the UNAIDS Programme Coordinating Board (PCB) conducted a field visit to Zimbabwe from 2 to 4 June to get a first-hand look at how the country is fast-tracking its national AIDS response to end the epidemic as a public health threat by 2030.

Zimbabwe has one of the largest HIV epidemics in the world, with an estimated adult HIV prevalence of 15% and 1.4 million people living with HIV. However, the country is accelerating action and increasing investment in its HIV prevention and treatment programmes to reverse this situation.

Zimbabwe laid the foundations for accelerating its response when, in 2000, it introduced an innovative levy on taxable income, where 3% would be dedicated to funding AIDS programmes. Thanks to the tax levy, the country increased its domestic financing for HIV by 40% between 2011 and 2014 and together with international investment—which currently accounts for 85% of the total funding— the country is achieving positive results. Zimbabwe has seen a 60% reduction of HIV-related deaths since the peak of the epidemic in 1997 and a 75% reduction in new HIV infections among children in the past 10 years, according to national estimates.

“Zimbabwe is pioneering programmes that are reaching out to an increasing number of people in need. Things that seemed impossible, like stopping new HIV infections among children, are now a tangible reality for the country,” said UNAIDS Deputy Executive Director Jan Beagle, who led the visit. “Zimbabwe’s decision to invest scarce resources in the national AIDS response demonstrates that cost-effective programmes, with significant use of public–private partnerships and community delivery systems, are smart investments providing positive results.”

At a gathering with government health and finance representatives, the private sector, development partners and international and regional nongovernmental organizations, PCB members discussed opportunities and challenges in meeting ambitious Fast-Track targets to ending the AIDS epidemic by 2030. All partners highlighted the need to put the AIDS response on a sustainable footing. They agreed that despite progress and increased commitment to investment from Zimbabwe’s government, including its ambition to reach 30% of HIV expenditures from domestic resources by 2018, there will still be need for global solidarity in support of the response over a number of years.

The increasingly important role played by the private sector in reaching people was recognized, as well as the opportunities that the sector offers to contribute even further to the AIDS response.

“In Zimbabwe, there is strong engagement in the response across political leadership, ministries, parliamentarians, civil society and the private sector,” said Tapuwa Magure, Chief Executive Officer of the National AIDS Council. “This multisectoral cooperation is key to Fast-Track the AIDS response, which Zimbabwe is committed to do, including action to achieving the 90–90–90 treatment targets.”

Young people and HIV

The issue of young people and HIV was high on the agenda during the field visit. Two thirds of the population in Zimbabwe is under 25 years and HIV prevalence is almost three times higher among women aged 15 to 24 than among men of the same age. 

The PCB delegation discussed accelerating the AIDS response with adolescents and young adults at a school visit, at meetings with youth networks and in a meeting with young sex workers. Central issues that emerged included the importance of assisting all children to go to school and ensuring that they receive age appropriate, evidence informed sexuality education. How to better use mobile phone and social media technologies in HIV prevention were also high on the agenda. Young people were particularly concerned about improving access to HIV services in rural settings.

The PCB delegation included representatives from Zimbabwe, Switzerland, Ukraine, Morocco, Poland and United Kingdom, as well as from the non-governmental organizations represented on the PCB, and from UNAIDS Cosponsors. During the visit, the delegation met with national partners involved in the AIDS response, including representatives of government, the National AIDS Council, development partners, community and civil society organizations, the private sector and the United Nations country team. The delegation also visited several sites in and around Harare as well as Hwange District to see examples of provision of HIV and wider health services and community empowerment. Visits included clinics and community-based treatment delivery and HIV workplace programmes.

The Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) passed a resolution on UNAIDS encouraging accelerated action and investment in the next five years to be on track to end AIDS as a public health threat by 2030.

Adopted by consensus on 8 April 2015 during ECOSOC’s coordination and management meeting in New York, the resolution welcomes significant gains made in the AIDS response, while underlying that AIDS is not over and that challenges remain.

The ECOSOC resolution welcomes new UNAIDS data and analysis made available over the last two years, which provide compelling evidence for a fast track response to the AIDS epidemic.  It also recognizes that responses and resources should focus on evidence-based interventions and specific locations and populations in order to have the greatest impact. Acknowledging the urgent need to close the AIDS resource gap, the resolution encourages countries to scale up domestic and international funding for the response.

Through the resolution, ECOSOC stresses the value of lessons learned from the AIDS response for the post-2015 development agenda. It cites UNAIDS—the only co-sponsored joint programme of the UN system— as a useful example to be considered by the UN system to enhance strategic coherence, coordination, results-based focus, inclusive governance and country-level impact.

Zimbabwe and Switzerland, the Chair and Vice-Chair of the UNAIDS Programme Coordinating Board, co-facilitated Member State consultations on the resolution and introduced it to the Council, following the consideration of the 2015 Report of the Executive Director of UNAIDS.

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