Amidst celebrations at the opening of the ICC Cricket World Cup in the Caribbean on Sunday 11 March, players and spectators around the world were asked to reflect on the lives of children and young people living with and affected by HIV in the region.

The message came as part of joint efforts between the International Cricket Council (ICC), UNAIDS, UNICEF and the Caribbean Broadcast Media Partnership on HIV/AIDS (CMBP) to draw attention to the issues facing children and young people affected by HIV and to highlight the need to step-up action on AIDS in the region.

The Cricket World Cup is the highlight of the cricketing year. More than two billion television viewers are expected to tune in over the next seven weeks to watch 16 teams battle it out for a place in the World Cup final, to be held in Barbados on 28 April.

 

AIDS-awareness activities

Through a number of activities to be held over the next seven weeks, the public, especially young people aged 15-24, will get information on stigma and discrimination around HIV and on how to protect themselves against the virus. The partnership is part of the ICC’s commitment to promoting the ‘Spirit of Cricket’ and its positive impact on society and its commitment to support the Unite for Children, Unite against AIDS campaign launched in 2005 by UNICEF, UNAIDS and other partners.

“The spirit of cricket is a special part of our game and is a concept that stretches beyond the boundaries of the outfield,” said ICC President Percy Sonn. “We hope the range of activities delivered at the ICC Cricket World Cup 2007 will make a difference to raising awareness and reducing stigma around HIV in the Caribbean and across the ever-growing cricket world,” he added.

A series of video messages supporting the Unite for Children. Unite against AIDS campaign by 28 of the world’s top cricketers, including Australian captain Ricky Ponting and Indian captain Rahul Dravid, will be broadcast on TV and at the matches.

Players and officials from each team will wear the red and blue campaign ribbon during their first games and during the final. Players will also visit programmes in the Caribbean supporting children and young people affected by HIV.

As part of the events around the World Cup, the Caribbean Broadcast Media Partnership on HIV/AIDS – a coalition of over 50 broadcasters in 23 Caribbean countries and territories – is also launching the region’s first media-led, multi-platform campaign on HIV/AIDS, known as LIVE UP! The campaign aims to inspire the people of the Caribbean, especially young people, to consider what they can do to stem the spread of HIV.

"The exceptional reach of broadcast media in the Caribbean gives us a unique opportunity to educate audiences about how to avoid HIV, and how to combat the stigma and discrimination that surround the disease," noted CBMP Steering Committee Chair Allyson Leacock. "By doing what we do best, communicating with our neighbours, members of the CBMP are helping our audience to remain healthy and well-informed, while we all work together to reduce the impact of HIV in our region."

 

Sport – a force for change

Cricket is popular in many of the countries that are most impacted by AIDS, including India and South Africa. Together, these two countries are home to around 11 million of the 40 million people living with HIV worldwide.

In the Caribbean, UNAIDS estimated that 250,000 people – 15,000 of whom were children under the age of 15 – were living with HIV in 2006.

“Young people today have never known a world without AIDS. Sports stars – such as top cricket players – can act as role models for today’s young generation and reach out to them on AIDS issues,” said UNAIDS Executive Director Dr. Peter Piot. “Sport is a force for change that can break down barriers, build self-esteem and teach life skills and social behaviour. By highlighting AIDS issues, the ICC Cricket World Cup and its cricketing stars are showing exactly the kind of exceptional response needed for the exceptional challenge of AIDS.”

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For more information on the AIDS activities around the Cricket World Cup and to access the public service announcements please visit the following links:

Special page on Cricket World Cup
International Cricket Council
Live Up Campaign
Caribbean Broadcast Media Partnership on HIV/AIDS

Like many young people, 19-year-old Rifal* never used to worry about AIDS. He saw it as a problem that only affected high-risk groups, such as intravenous drug users. His view changed in February 2006, when he learned he was HIV positive. Rifal hasn’t told his family or friends of his status. He fears being stigmatized. The only place he feels comfortable discussing his condition is at a clinic, where he receives medical and psychological care.While AIDS affects all of Indonesia, in Papua the proportion of people living with HIV relative to the total population is well over 10 times the national rate.

To stem the tide of transmission, a programme supported by UNAIDS Cosponsor organization UNICEF is educating young people in Papua about HIV. The goal of this campaign is to promote awareness in the classroom and train young people to serve as peer educators. In addition to visiting older students, UNICEF is working to bring AIDS education to young people in junior high school – a critical time to reach out to young people on HIV and sexuality. The HIV education effort also aims to reach out to at least 10,000 young people who are no longer attending school. Peer educators visit local hangouts and areas on the beach that are frequented by young people who may no longer be in school and hand out booklets about AIDS awareness.As well as reaching out to young people, the programme also trains teachers to educate students about reproductive health and HIV.

Rifal believes this grassroots effort is needed to contain the spread of HIV. “Young people need to know more about using condoms and protecting themselves so that they don’t take risks,” he said. Sister Zita Kuswati, a Catholic nun in the regency of Sorong, has become one of the area’s most tireless and outspoken advocates in the fight against AIDS. As the leader of an HIV support group, Sister Kuswati believes information is power for young people.“We really needn’t be afraid of AIDS if we know how it is transmitted,” she said. “Students should be made aware of the method of transmission, the method of prevention and how people can be treated as early as possible.” “The epidemic in Papua is becoming more generalized, so raising awareness among young people is absolutely vital,” said Jane Wilson, UNAIDS Country Coordinator in Indonesia. “Greater education is helping young people make a difference within their communities and can help turn the tide on the epidemic.” 

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By Steve Nettleton, UNICEF. This story first appeared on the UNICEF web site www.unicef.org

*Name has been changed to protect identity
All photo credit : UNICEF Video

The guidebooks call it ‘remote’, ‘undiscovered’ – China’s south-western province of Guizhou is home to some examples of extreme natural beauty including China’s largest waterfall, the ‘Huangguoshu’ and the Zhijin Caves, famous for their massive-scale stalagmite stone pillars.

But despite its remote location and idyllic surroundings, the province, like every other in China, is increasingly affected by HIV. From a few individual reported cases in 1993, it is currently estimated that about 37,000 people in Guizhou are living with HIV. There are signs of the epidemic becoming progressively generalized and increasingly women are becoming infected.

A joint HIV prevention and care project, run by Guizhou provincial authorities, and UNAIDS` Cosponsor UNICEF is making some headway towards tackling the growing figures and at the same time involving people and groups from all sectors in the AIDS response. Established in 2001, the project focuses particularly on young people, tackling the often difficult issue of injecting drug use and its crossover with HIV, as well as providing care and support for people living with HIV.

“The initiative contains three key areas – development of a strategic plan on AIDS involving high-level advocacy and media mobilization; HIV prevention among children and young people in and out of school and within drug rehabilitation centres; and care and support to children living with HIV and their families,” said Christian Voumard, UNICEF Representative and chairman of the UN theme group on AIDS in China.

The project aims to build and involve all key officials and provincial groups in the AIDS response. Vice Provincial Governor of Guizhou Wu Jiafu underlines how the initiative has helped bring people together. “As government officials, we now know how we can work together with multiple sectors to confront AIDS and support people living with and affected by HIV. This network is now implementing the national policies and local policies to support young people, people living with HIV and their families to fight against the disease and its social impact,” he said. 

“Though the resources here are very limited, we’re confident that we can get ahead of the HIV epidemic with the participation of all these young people and people infected and affected,” he added.

Results so far have been extremely encouraging. Provincial policies on HIV have been put in place and training sessions with authorities and project managers are already underway. Since the project’s inception, 45 high schools have developed curriculum on HIV and drug use prevention in eight of the province’s prefectures, reaching more than 70,000 children and young people.

Voluntary testing and counselling services have been set up within seven drug rehabilitation centres across the province. 

“By knowing my HIV status and with all the knowledge of prevention of HIV, I will stop sharing needles with my friends and engaging in high risk sex,” said one young man at the Tongren prefecture drug rehabilitation centre.

Through the initiative, gradually people living with HIV are being brought to the forefront of the response in the province. A number of self-help groups of people living with HIV have been developed with the participation of 50 people living with HIV. More than 100 family members and 26 children and their families participated in care and support campaigns in the prefectures of Guiyang and Tongren, receiving community based care for family life and schooling.

“I never imagined it could be possible that authorities and big organizations would care about us –people living with HIV—and our children,” said one man living with HIV from Tongren prefecture who has been involved in the programme. “I lost my hope because of the pain of disease, social discrimination and poverty, but this is helping to restore the hope by supporting me and my children.”

UNICEF was the first major donor on AIDS in Guizhou province and provided some of the ground work for other donors’ work in the area. Programmes supported by the US Center for Disease Control and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria (Round 4) have since benefited from this in their support to Guizhou.

UNICEF will continue to support the project in their new 2006-2010 programme and activities will be expanded to include prevention of mother to child transmission of HIV (PMTCT) and increasing care and support for children affected by AIDS.

“This programme has been an example of bringing together a variety of different groups within the AIDS response – and crucially invovles young people and people living with HIV,” said UNAIDS Country Coordinator for China, Joel Rehnstrom.

“We are seeing the project help reduce numbers of new infections, as well as break down the barriers and taboos of involving people living with HIV – which in turn is breaking down stigma and discrimination related to HIV.”

UNAIDS Executive Director Peter Piot is visiting China from 7 – 12 September to encourage continued leadership and commitment and to mobilize a truly multi-sectoral response to AIDS in China. As part of his visit, Dr Piot is participating in a three-day mission to Guizhou, visiting the Hui Long community and Zhijing County. Dr Piot will meet with representatives of provincial government and city leaders and visit various key sites that focusing on HIV and drug use.

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Related links
UNICEF China website
More on China

Caravanning in Morocco has taken a whole new meaning with a special summer caravan travelling around the country in a quest to raise awareness about HIV prevention among young people.

Parking at some of Morocco’s most popular resorts from the Atlantic and Mediterranean coasts to the remote Atlas Mountains sites, the caravan has visited 19 youth campsites where more than 7000 young men and women have stayed during their holidays.

The SIDAmobile initiative’s caravan is run by the Moroccan-based organization ‘Association de Lutte Contre le SIDA’ in Morocco (ALCS) and the Ministry of State for Youth.

“In Morocco, we are very sensitized to the importance of intensifying prevention efforts towards young people because they are particularly vulnerable to HIV infection and also because they represent the future,” said President of the ALCS, Hakima Himmich.

At each stopover, the facilitators –all doctors who have been specially trained to work with young people on the issue of HIV— initiated open and frank discussions about sex and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). In less than a month, the caravan distributed some 35 000 flyers on HIV and 15 000 condoms were given to young people at their request. Also more than 700 people asked for, and received, a confidential HIV test with counselling.

“It’s the first time I have done an HIV test”, said a participant of the summer camp Assilah Corniche. “There is nothing wrong about it but it’s not very common in my neighborhood to be open about sex, especially for girls.”

“It’s good to learn about HIV and how it spreads,” added another young woman in the same campsite. “Now I know how people become infected with HIV and I learned how to protect myself,” she added.

In Morocco, only an estimated 12% of women aged 15 to 24 are able to identify ways to prevent HIV. “We are trying to create an environment that enables people, especially the younger ones, overcome some of the taboo associated with sex and give them an opportunity to talk about their concerns and ask questions,” said My Ahmed Douraidi from ALCS and coordinator of the SIDAmobile initiative. “This is the first step for any HIV prevention work,” he added.

Praising this grass root prevention initiative and recognizing the importance of high level leadership and commitment, Kamal Alami from UNAIDS office in Morocco said that “HIV prevention on the ground is far more effective when programmes are tailored to audiences”.

“In Morocco, the high level support we receive creates many opportunities, such as music festivals, popular celebrations etc. that we can seize to disseminate prevention messages among young people,” he added.

The summer caravan stems from a collaborative effort between ALCS, the State Secretary for Youth and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)

Related links
United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) 
Association de Lutte Contre le SIDA (ALCS)

 

Wearing one of the T-shirts created in the “Designers against AIDS” project, Natalie Glebova, Miss Universe 2005, helped kick start Russia’s Fashion Week 2006/07 and to raise AIDS awareness.

This was Natalie’s first trip back to her birthplace since she moved to Canada at the age of 12. She felt AIDS was too important an issue to miss an opportunity to talk with Russia’s young people about HIV.

“I urge young Russians, who are disproportionately affected by the epidemic, to help prevent the spread of HIV” Natalie said. “By getting tested, learning more about HIV and how to prevent transmission, and being tolerant towards people living with HIV, everyone can make a contribution in the AIDS response.”

Natalie’s recent three-day visit to Moscow included a round table discussion with experts on HIV testing, meetings with policy makers at the State Duma of the Russian Federation, discussions with representatives of the community of people living with HIV, as well as meetings with Russian celebrities and opinion leaders in business and media.
 
“Misinformation about AIDS, along with stigma and discrimination, is one of the greatest challenges that we must overcome to prevent further spread of the epidemic and improve the lives of people living with HIV,” she said.

Increasing awareness about AIDS has been the official cause of the Miss Universe competition since 1998. In 2005 Natalie Glebova began her reign with a trip to South Africa where she publicly took an HIV test, highlighting the importance of knowing one’s HIV status. Since then she has continued raising awareness and urging young people – especially young women– to know their HIV status. 

“According to the latest UNAIDS estimates, up to 1.4 million people in the Russian Federation are living with HIV. “A striking fact is their young age. 80% of people living with HIV in Russia are under 30, and the proportion of women among new HIV cases is growing fast” said Bertil Lindblad, UNAIDS Representative in the Russian Federation. By contrast, in North America and Western Europe, only 30% of all people infected are under 30.

During her stay in Moscow, Natalie met with people living with HIV to discuss challenges they face and means for improving the situation. She took a public HIV test and attended a confidential consultation at a Moscow clinic, to raise awareness about the importance of access to voluntary and confidential testing and counseling services. She also held meetings with policy makers to discuss how to improve access for Russians to these crucial services.

“Today, information is the only vaccine against HIV. Natalie’s visit to Russia makes a very tangible contribution to raising awareness, reducing stigma and, ultimately, saving lives,” said Avet Khachatrian, Director of Programs in Russia for Transatlantic Partners against AIDS. “Her dedication to the global AIDS response encourages public dialogue about HIV and strengthens the cross-sectoral cooperation that is essential to effectively respond to the epidemic,”

“The fight against AIDS in Russia is a fight to save a generation of young people at risk of getting infected” said Mikhail Rukavishnikov, Director of Community of People Living with HIV. “Natalie is a role model for young people in Russia who may be not aware of the need of getting tested. She is an inspiration and a critical voice for AIDS awareness, tolerance towards people living with HIV and prevention in Russia and worldwide.”

Natalie Glebova also reached out to mobilize the creative community and business circles in Russia to actively join the AIDS response, and raised awareness through media interviews as a spokesperson for the cause.

The visit to Russia was organized by UNAIDS, Transatlantic Partners Against AIDS, The Global Health Council and The Miss Universe Organization.

Related links
Transatlantic Partners Against AIDS
The Global Health Council
Miss Universe Organization

UNAIDS leverages the power of football ahead of FIFA 2014 World Cup

GENEVA, 16 April 2014—In the lead-up to the FIFA World Cup in Brazil starting in June, UNAIDS has teamed up with Brazilian football champion and vice-captain of the national Brazilian football team David Luiz, appointing him as UNAIDS International Goodwill Ambassador. 

David Luiz, who is playing in the Premier League, will support UNAIDS by promoting the organization’s key advocacy and outreach initiatives. He will help mobilize football fans around the world, particularly young people, with important messages calling for an end to discrimination, advocating for HIV prevention and access to HIV treatment for people living with HIV.

“I am convinced that David with his heart and compassion will make a big difference reaching out to millions of young people,” said UNAIDS Executive Director, Michel Sidibé. “In football, players come together to produce results. In the same way we must unite and as a team get to zero new HIV infections. During the World Cup, everyone’s eyes will be on Brazil and David will be an inspiration both on and off the pitch.”

“It is a massive honour to be a global ambassador for UNAIDS and I want to use this position to spread the word about how to overcome AIDS around the world,” said David Luiz. ”People will be looking to my country Brazil to see great football at the World Cup and this is a great opportunity for UNAIDS and I to speak out—and I want to help make UNAIDS the winning team.”

David Luiz is featured in Protect the Goal which is a UNAIDS campaign using the popularity and convening power of sport to raise awareness of HIV and drive young people to commit to HIV prevention. In addition, David Luiz is promoting UNAIDS’  #zerodiscrimination campaign, which calls on people to celebrate everyone’s right to live a full life with dignity – no matter what they look like, where they come from or whom they love.

Of the total estimated 35.3 million people living with HIV around the world, an estimated 5.4 million are young people aged 10-24. Many are unaware of their status. There are some       900 000 adolescents (10-14) living with HIV. In addition, an estimated 780 000 of the total 2.3 million new HIV infections worldwide are among adolescents and young people aged 15–24 with 97% of the new infections occurring in low and middle-income countries. 

On the eve of the first International AIDS Conference in the United States in two decades, Michel Sidibé, Executive Director of the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), joined US Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius and others to launch Youth Score—a series of events to mobilize young people to lead the way to an AIDS-free generation.

The events will use sports, music and art to connect young people to the information they need to protect themselves and others from HIV. According to a UNAIDS report released on 18 July, youth remain particularly vulnerable to HIV infection. Nearly 5 million people aged 15-24 were living with AIDS in 2011 and, that same year, almost 900,000 young people became newly infected with HIV. The report shows that young people overall lack key information on HIV prevention and transmission. It calls for broad social mobilization of young people to reach the vision of “three zeros.”

“Young people are among the most vulnerable to new HIV infections, but their calls for support are too often not heard," said Michel Sidibé. “This must change as this is the generation that will help bring us to our vision of zero new HIV infections, zero discrimination and zero AIDS-related deaths.”

The Youth Score launch event brought together young people from Washington DC and across the world to share their experiences in stopping AIDS. It attracted more than 200 young people who came out to participate in workshops and clinics with Lorrie Fair of the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team, Steve Zakuani of the Major League Soccer team Seattle Sounders and former National Basketball Association player Michael Adams. Entertainment was provided by graffiti artists and musicians, including DJ Money and Niqé.

Much of the focus of the event was on equality and human rights, and the broader initiative will push these themes in an effort to reverse AIDS-related stigma. According to the new UNAIDS report, minority youth and gay men are particularly at risk of infection:

• There are nearly 5 million young people living with HIV in the  world. About 2400 young people become infected with HIV each day.
• Awareness about HIV is low among young people—only 24% of young women and 36% of young men have adequeate basic information about HIV.
• Young women 15-24 old are most vulnerable to HIV infection, with infection rates twice as high as among men of the same age.

“The International AIDS Conference is a big deal because HIV in DC is a big deal,” said Leonard, 16 years, a participant in the event from Northwest DC. “Hopefully since people from all over the world will be involved, people will recognize how bad it is in DC and the rest of the world and pay attention to our epidemic.”

NBA legend Magic Johnson, who has lived with the disease since the early 1990s, echoed the sentiment. “In the fight against AIDS in America, young people from minority communities need to be on the front lines, “he said. “YouthScore and other programs that are raising awareness in economically challenged areas are vital.”

In addition to highlighting equality, Youth Score focuses on expanding access to HIV education, male and female condoms and resources for youth organizations that focus on the disease. As evidenced by the participation of Secretary Sebelius, the initiative will also seek out partnerships and collaboration with diverse sectors to ensure that young people’s voices are heard in discussions over policy and programs.

“The Obama Administration’s goal of an AIDS-free generation will only be reached if young people play a central role,” said Kathleen Sebelius. “That’s why UNAIDS’ efforts to give them a voice and the tools they need to be effective leaders in their communities is so important.”

Youth Score will eventually visit a range of countries around the world before culminating in Salvador de Bahia at the opening of World Cup 2014 in Brazil.

"No sport is more popular with global youth than soccer," said world-famous Brazilian soccer star Ronaldinho. "Whether in Washington, Rio, or Johannesburg, soccer has the ability to act as an attractive platform to bring together young people and educate them about AIDS.”

Partners in the Washington DC event included the DC Department of Health, The Grassroot Project, Metro TeenAIDS, Soccer for Good, The Magic Johnson Foundation, Advocates for Youth, The World Bank, Ragball International, Youth Force, Monumental Sports and Youth Core.

Young people are at the heart of the AIDS epidemic and should be at the heart of the AIDS response. Every day an estimated 2 500 people aged 15-24 are infected with HIV and this accounts for more than 40% of new infections of all people aged 15 and over. The situation is especially stark for girls and young women who make up 60% of the five million young people living with HIV worldwide; this figure reaches more than 70% in sub-Saharan Africa.

A side-event at the High Level Meeting on AIDS in New York explored the need to ensure that the global AIDS response better serves the needs of young people, showing them greater commitment and opportunities for engagement.   

The event, which took place on 9 June, was co-organized by UNAIDS, UNICEF, UNFPA, UNESCO, ILO and WHO on behalf of the UNAIDS Interagency Task Team on HIV and Young People. It was moderated by James Chau, National UNAIDS Goodwill Ambassador for China, and attracted top level participation. Those attending included HRH Crown Princess of Norway, Mette-Marit, UNAIDS International Goodwill Ambassador; Michel Sidibé, UNAIDS Executive Director; UNFPA Executive Director Babatunde Osotimehin; Martin Mogwanja, Deputy Executive Director of UNICEF and Remmy Shawa, Global Youth Campaigns Coordinator for the World AIDS Campaign.

In his opening remarks UNFPA Executive Director Babatunde Osotimehin noted, “UNFPA has experienced first-hand the leadership of young people in HIV prevention programmes around the world. We have learnt that we can reverse the AIDS epidemic if we work in partnership with young people”. 

Also calling for the need for AIDS responses that meet the needs of young people, was HRH Crown Princess of Norway, Mette-Marit. She said: “Despite the immense progress on scaling up the global AIDS response, great challenges remain. Young people are particularly vulnerable to HIV infection and they must have access to information and services to help them protect themselves against HIV.”

The event was intended to examine transformative and practical ways of mobilizing young people to take the lead in the AIDS response. It also built on the Call to Action from April’s Global Youth Summit in Mali in which some 150 young HIV activists came together to spearhead a youth-led response to the epidemic. 

Young people were out in force at Thursday’s event and said they were ready to take the lead and become fully involved in the challenge to HIV as agents of change with their own ideas, voices and demands. 

Pablo Torres Aguilera, a young man living with HIV from Mexico, attended the High Level Meeting as a youth delegate. He explained his hopes for the meeting. “I would really like to see a change in how governments make new policies and laws. The High Level Meeting is really important because it affects everyone in the world, especially youth. The [meeting] is going to affect us because we are talking about sexuality education in schools; we are talking about youth friendly services in hospitals; and for a young person, it is really important to have health care services, especially if you want to talk to your doctor about something that affects you.”

The gathering also presented an opportunity to show the most recent evidence on the HIV prevention response for young people as contained in the new Opportunity in Crisis, 2011 report.

UNICEF Deputy Executive Director Martin Mogwanja presented some of the findings of the publication which highlights the need for family members, teachers, communities, leaders and young people themselves to play a role in changing behaviours which place young people at risk of HIV and establish set norms leading to a safer environment. This should take place in a multi-faceted continuum of HIV prevention which provides information, support and services.

Recognizing the need to maintain momentum participants committed to key actions to help prevent HIV among young people and involve them in the response: A clear consensus emerged from the event: the global AIDS response cannot succeed without the greater centrality of young people.

UN General Assembly High Level Meeting on AIDS

Thirty years into the AIDS epidemic, and 10 years since the landmark UN General Assembly Special Session on HIV/AIDS, the world has come together to review progress and chart the future course of the global AIDS response at the 2011 UN General Assembly High Level Meeting on AIDS from 8–10 June 2011 in New York. Member States are expected to adopt a new Declaration that will reaffirm current commitments and commit to actions to guide and sustain the global AIDS response.

Significant progress towards reducing child and maternal mortality is being made but to meet the Millennium Development Goals 4,5,6, strategies aimed at reaching the world’s most inaccessible, marginalized and vulnerable populations will be required, health leaders said today.

The UN, Beijing Youth League, China Red Cross and MSI join forces with people living with HIV to train Olympic volunteers on HIV prevention and anti-discrimination