Egyptian actress and singer Yousra was appointed as a UNAIDS Regional Goodwill Ambassador for the Middle East and North Africa at an event held in Cairo, Egypt, on 31 January that brought together a wide range of key partners.
The Secretary-General of the League of Arab States, ministers, former ministers, ambassadors, policy-makers, people living with HIV, representatives of the private sector, civil society, United Nations agencies and academia, celebrities and the media came together for the event.
UNAIDS Deputy Executive Director Jan Beagle announced the regional goodwill ambassador appointment, underlining that Yousra, with her iconic status, will be a critical voice for UNAIDS and the AIDS response in the region, particularly in the lead-up to the High-Level Meeting on AIDS, to take place in June 2016 in New York, United States of America.
Ms Beagle stressed that Yousra will be a champion for the implementation and financing of the Arab AIDS Strategy. Her engagement will contribute significantly to ensuring a Fast-Track response to HIV in the region, towards the goal of ending AIDS by 2030.
Speaking at the event, Yousra emphasized her commitment to uniting people across sectors and to being a champion to advance the AIDS response in the region. She underlined the importance of eliminating stigma and discrimination against people living with and affected by HIV and of empowering women.
In 2014, an estimated 240 000 people were living with HIV in the Middle East and North Africa region, which faces growing inequalities, rising migration, escalating humanitarian emergencies and discriminatory laws. To end the AIDS epidemic in the region, there is a strong need to address the determinants of these vulnerabilities and deliver holistic services free from stigma and discrimination to people living with and at risk of HIV.
“We should all work together to end AIDS by 2030, in line with the Sustainable Development Goals. I call on all members of the Arab League to develop and implement national strategies and programmes aligned to the objectives and priorities of the Arab AIDS Strategy, endorsed by the Arab Council of Ministers of Health in 2014.”
Nabil El-Araby, Secretary-General of the League of Arab States
“Yousra is the right person at the right time—she will be a critical voice for UNAIDS and the AIDS response in the Middle East and North Africa, promoting the implementation and financing of the Arab AIDS Strategy.”
Jan Beagle, UNAIDS Deputy Executive Director
“It is indeed a historic moment for me. I consider it a blessing to be able to have this golden opportunity to give hope and love, along with other UNAIDS Goodwill Ambassadors around the world, to people excluded from their communities, faced with constant stigma and discriminated against in all aspects of their lives.”
Yousra, Egyptian actress and singer
