GENEVA, 18 December 2020— UNAIDS strongly welcomes the announcement by Sweden at the 47th meeting of UNAIDS Programme Coordinating Board to renew its annual funding commitment to UNAIDS of SEK300 million in core funding for 2021, equivalent to 36 million USD, demonstrating the country’s continued leadership in the global AIDS response. In making the announcement, Sweden underscored UNAIDS role in working for sexual and reproductive health and rights.
UNAIDS also welcomes Germany’s announcement, at the same meeting, of its decision to invest an additional €5 million in UNAIDS complementary responses to the HIV and COVID-19 epidemics next year. This builds on the country’s contribution of €20 million to UNAIDS’ HIV and COVID-19 response in June this year and is on top of Germany`s annual contribution to UNAIDS of €5 million. In making the announcement, Germany recognized UNAIDS’ outstanding work in responding to the colliding epidemics of HIV and COVID-19 and called on other donors to consider increasing their contributions.
“I want to thank Sweden and Germany for their strong leadership in the AIDS response as well as their confidence in and support for UNAIDS,” said UNAIDS Executive Director, Winnie Byanyima. “These contributions will allow UNAIDS to maintain our response to the HIV epidemic, while mitigating the effects of COVID-19 on vulnerable groups of people and mobilizing the AIDS response, its infrastructure and expertise against COVID-19.”
