L to R: Mr Lov Verma, Secretary and Director General, National AIDS Control Organization, India and Chair of the 32nd UNAIDS Programme Coordinating Board, Marie-Francke Puruehnce, Executive Secretary, National Council for AIDS response, Republic of Congo and UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé. Credit: UNAIDS
The Republic of the Congo and the Republic of Senegal have become the first African countries to financially contribute to UNAIDS. These historic decisions are in line with the leadership demonstrated by Member States of the African Union in taking forward the Roadmap on Shared Responsibility and Global Solidarity.
It is also an illustration of the firm commitment by the Governments of the Congo and Senegal to play an active role in policy discussions on the UNAIDS Programme Coordinating Board.
“As Africa assumes its rightful place on the global stage, I believe that the decision by Congo and Senegal to contribute to UNAIDS demonstrates Africa’s leadership in the international AIDS response,” said UNAIDS Executive Director, Michel Sidibé. “We hope that African countries will continue to contribute and to play an increasingly prominent policy role in the UNAIDS Board,” he added.
As Africa assumes its rightful place on the global stage, I believe that the decision by Congo and Senegal to contribute to UNAIDS demonstrates Africa’s leadership in the international AIDS response.
UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé
The Roadmap, which was adopted in July 2012 during the 19th Summit of the African Union in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, offers a set of African-owned solutions to enhance sustainable responses to AIDS, TB and malaria. Structured around three strategic pillars—health governance, diversified financing and access to medicines—the Roadmap defines goals, expected results, roles and responsibilities to hold stakeholders accountable over a three-year time frame, through 2015.
The Roadmap also calls on African Governments and international partners to jointly finance the funding gap by investing their “fair share”, taking into account their capacities and prior commitments.
