GENEVA/LUSAKA, 18 June 2021—UNAIDS is deeply saddened by the death of the first President of Zambia, Kenneth Kaunda, and expresses its sincere condolences to his family, his friends and the country. Mr Kaunda was a strong supporter of the AIDS response and showed great leadership and courage in speaking out against HIV-related stigma and discrimination in the early days of the epidemic.

Mr Kaunda, who lost a son to AIDS in the 1980s, was one of the first members of the Champions for an AIDS-Free Generation in Africa, a distinguished group of former presidents and influential African leaders mobilizing political leadership to end AIDS as a public health threat on the continent by 2030. Mr Kaunda also dedicated time and effort to the AIDS response through his Kenneth Kaunda Children of Africa Foundation and through the Zambian Chapter of the Brothers for Life Campaign, which aimed to encourage healthier lifestyles among young men.

In 2018, UNAIDS conferred its Leadership Award on Mr Kaunda for his services to the global, regional and national AIDS response. Upon accepting the honour, he dedicated it to the people who had died of AIDS-related illnesses as well as those on the front line of fighting HIV. Mr Kaunda is also fondly remembered for performing at public events his song: We Shall Fight and Conquer AIDS.

“The sun has set on a great and good man, freedom fighter, pan-Africanist, founding parent of the Organisation of African Unity and giant of the HIV response,” said UNAIDS Executive Director, Winnie Byanyima. “He was brave, compassionate and tireless in confronting HIV-related stigma and discrimination from the early days of the epidemic and his contribution to Africa’s response will not be forgotten. We shall fight and conquer AIDS.”

GENEVA, 12 May 2021—UNAIDS strongly welcomes the report and recommendations of the Independent Panel on Pandemic Preparedness and Response. Amongst others, the panel calls for the establishment of a Global Health Threats Council with participation at the highest political level to coordinate global action against pandemics and secure agreement between governments in aligning efforts to tackle the health, social and economic challenges of major pandemics. 

“The Independent Panel's recommendations are a wake-up call for transforming health systems across the world,” said Winnie Byanyima, Executive Director of UNAIDS. “Health is a universal public good in this interconnected society—no one is safe, until everyone is safe so we must reimagine health to provide the same quality of care regardless of geography, income or social status.”

UNAIDS shares the panel’s concerns on the impact of COVID-19 in deepening inequalities within and across countries. There has been a particularly uneven burden that women have had to endure. Despite constituting almost 60% of the health workforce and front-line workers, the needs of women have not been included in most COVID-19 responses, increasing the inequality gap. 

“Like HIV, COVID-19 has exploited the fault lines of society and exposed the fragility of recent gains in public health, added Ms Byanyima. “Lessons from the AIDS response can help shape a new paradigm for global health in which people are placed at the centre, inequalities are erased and the right to health is enshrined in every part of the world. 

UNAIDS also commends the report in highlighting the urgency for vaccine equity in calling for the urgent redistribution of 1 billion vaccines from rich to limited-resource countries by September 2021 to be followed by another 1 billion doses to be redistributed during 2022. 

UNAIDS fully supports the call for G7 countries to commit to providing 60% of the US$ 19 billion required for ACT-A in 2021 for vaccines, diagnostics, therapeutics and strengthening health systems with the remainder being mobilized from others in the G20 and other higher income countries. A formula based on ability to pay should be adopted for predictable, sustainable, and equitable financing of such global public goods on an ongoing basis. 

UNAIDS stands ready to support efforts to build pandemic resilience and preparedness, specifically building on UNAIDS experience with community-led responses, activism and rights-based approaches, and in leveraging investments in the unique HIV infrastructure and networks to create resilient health systems. UNAIDS urges all partners to apply the lessons learned from the HIV response to ensure a community led, equitable and human rights-based approach to support stronger pandemic preparedness and responses to ensure health for all.

HIV and pandemic preparedness will be discussed at the UN General Assembly High-Level Meeting on HIV between 8-10 June.

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.

I applaud the announcement from United States Trade Representative Katherine Tai supporting the waiving of intellectual property protections for COVID-19 vaccines.  

This is the kind of global leadership the world desperately needs as we witness horrific scenes in countries like India, where only nine in 100 people have been vaccinated. To date, more than 1.1 billion doses of vaccine have been administered globally, but more than 80% of those have been administered in high- and upper-middle income countries, while just 0.3% have been administered in low-income countries.

We are in a race to vaccinate the majority of the world’s population to curb death tolls and before more potent variants of COVID-19 emerge, rendering current vaccines ineffective. The faster we can scale up global vaccine supply, the faster we can contain the virus and the less chance we will face a day when variants prove resistant to existing vaccines. As the United Nations Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres has said “no one is safe until everyone is safe”.

The TRIPS waiver would enable the sharing of technologies, data, know-how, patents and other intellectual property rights across the world. The announcement of the US administration sends a powerful signal to the rest of the G7 and to the European Union to also support the World Trade Organization TRIPS Waiver and inspire other countries to take a powerful stand in favour of people before profits. This remarkable position from the US government is a fundamental step towards a People’s Vaccine.

To ensure everyone, everywhere has access to a lifesaving vaccine, we also need to see a pooling of technology through the World Health Organization’s COVID-19 Technology Access Pool, as well as financing to help build a network of vaccine manufacturing in developing countries. These three actions can together build a sustainable system to vaccinate the world, reach the needed herd immunity and open the paths to make the world best prepared for future pandemics. 

As we have learned from 40 years of fighting AIDS, equitable access to medical technologies is critical both for saving lives and for decreasing the impact of infectious diseases on people, communities and nations.

We are grateful to President Biden and his Administration for the generous humanitarian pledges made on COVID-19 and for the announcement.

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.

GENEVA, 6 May 2021—UNAIDS is deeply concerned by the Ugandan parliament’s decision earlier this week to adopt the Sexual Offences Bill 2019, which includes provisions that further criminalize entire groups of people, such as the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community, sex workers and people living with HIV. The bill criminalizes same-sex sexual relations, extends the criminalization of sex work and imposes mandatory testing for HIV and harsher sentences on people living with HIV than the general population accused of some similar crimes.

Although UNAIDS welcomes some aspects of the bill, such as the extension of protection from sexual harassment, violence and sexual exploitation to groups of people such as people in detention and migrant workers, it urges parliamentarians to reconsider the provisions that discriminate against some people.

“I am deeply troubled by the Ugandan parliament’s adoption of portions of this bill that further criminalize and marginalize vulnerable groups of fellow citizens and deny them their human rights, including their right to health,” said UNAIDS Executive Director, Winnie Byanyima. “Targeting people living with HIV, lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender communities and sex workers increases stigma and discrimination and undermines the HIV response by preventing people from receiving the HIV treatment, prevention and care services that they so urgently need.”

UNAIDS recognizes the good progress that Uganda has made in recent years in reducing the impact of HIV. The number of AIDS-related deaths has fallen by 60% since 2010, with 1.2 million people out of 1.5 million people living with HIV on medicines to keep them alive and well. In addition, the number of new HIV infections has fallen by 43% since 2010. However, many vulnerable groups of people, such as gay men and other men who have sex with men and sex workers, continue to be less likely than the general population to receive the HIV treatment, prevention and care services they need.

UNAIDS urges Uganda to join the growing number of countries in Africa and globally that are removing unjust laws from their penal codes. The Ugandan parliament’s adoption of the new law comes just weeks before the United Nations General Assembly High-Level Meeting on AIDS, which will take place from 8 to 10 June 2021.

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.

GENEVA, 29 April 2021—The government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (UK) has informed UNAIDS that funding for UNAIDS for 2021 is confirmed at GBP 2.5 million, compared to the GBP 15 million received by UNAIDS from the UK for 2020.

This cut of GBP 12.5 million (or more than 80%) is significant. It affects the provision of live-saving HIV prevention and treatment services around the world. It affects the empowerment of young women and adolescent girls and their access to sexual and reproductive health and rights across the world, and Africa in particular. It impacts on support to upholding the human rights of some of the most marginalized people, including lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, transgender, queer and intersex people in low- and middle-income countries. It reduces global health security.

UNAIDS recognizes the challenging situation facing many governments, yet deeply regrets this decision of our longstanding partner and advocate. We are assessing the full scope and impact of the cut and are actively formulating mitigation strategies.

The UK government has said the decision does not reflect a diminished commitment to UNAIDS or the HIV response. UNAIDS will continue working with the UK and partners to explore ways to ensure continuity and predictability of funding to sustain the hard-won gains in the fight against HIV and to end AIDS as a public health threat by 2030.

The UK has been a leader in the fight against AIDS. It has called for the G7 to be centred on beating pandemics and is rallying the world for girls’ education and empowerment. UNAIDS is determined to deliver breakthroughs on those together with the UK. We hope that the UK, which has rated UNAIDS ‘A’ for delivery, will decide to supplement its current allocation for 2021.

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.

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.

GENEVA, 18 March 2021—UNAIDS warmly welcomes the passing of the US$ 1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan Act. The historic legislation will deliver much-needed relief in the light of COVID-19, both in the United States of America and around the world.

The bill’s inclusion of nearly US$ 11 billion for global investments in COVID-19 will help to save many lives. The allocation of US$ 250 million for the United States President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) and US$ 3.5 billion for the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (Global Fund) will help to prevent hard-won progress against HIV, tuberculosis and malaria from being reversed.

“The support of the United States for the global response to COVID-19 is highly commendable, particularly as it grapples with the devastating impact of COVID-19 at home,” said Winnie Byanyima, Executive Director of UNAIDS. “With the American Rescue Plan Act the United States proves again its steadfast commitment to the AIDS response and to fighting other global pandemics. We look forward to continuing our strong partnership with the United States in our shared commitment to end AIDS and to overcome COVID-19,” said Ms Byanyima.

Generous bipartisan support from the United States has allowed great strides to be made against the AIDS pandemic. Investments made by the United States over the past 18 years through PEPFAR and the Global Fund have proved transformational—they have prevented millions of HIV infections and saved the lives of millions of people. People living with HIV who are on antiretroviral therapy can now enjoy long, healthy lives and the number of new HIV infections and AIDS-related deaths are on the decline, although the rate of decline is still far too slow.

“Despite the tremendous successes, the work is unfinished. AIDS remains an urgent global health crisis,” said Ms Byanyima.

Global averages conceal the reality that too many people are still being left behind. The world did not reach the 2020 Fast-Track prevention and treatment targets committed to in the UNAIDS 2016–2021 Strategy and the United Nations Political Declaration on Ending AIDS. Many countries and communities are not currently on track to end AIDS by 2030.

While 26 million of the 38 million people living with HIV are accessing life-saving treatment, which doubles as prevention by stopping the spread of the virus, another 12 million remain without. The rate of new HIV infections, especially for adolescent girls and young women in sub-Saharan Africa and members of key populations, remains high. In 2019, a further 1.7 million people worldwide were newly infected with HIV and 690 000 people died of AIDS-related illnesses. The rate of new HIV infections and deaths, especially among the hardest to reach populations, means that continued success requires greater effort, focus and commitments. This is doubly true as COVID-19’s impact puts added pressure on the HIV response.

“The global response to AIDS was off track prior to COVID-19. Unchecked, COVID-19 threatens to reverse valuable progress made against HIV. This confluence of pandemics requires an acceleration of efforts to close the gaps in HIV testing, prevention and treatment while working to stop COVID-19’s spread,” said Ms Byanyima. “Identifying where, why and for whom the HIV response could be improved has illuminated the inequalities, within and between countries, that contribute to the spread of HIV. The stark contrast of success in some places and among some groups of people and the failure in others confirms that HIV remains a pandemic of inequalities. That is why the new global AIDS strategy 2021–2026 contains new targets to help us reach those who are being left behind.”

Fortunately, investments in accelerating the HIV response do not come at the expense of the COVID-19 response, but rather support many of its most critical requirements. Nations combatting COVID-19 are already applying lessons learned from the HIV response, using the systems, human resources, know-how and laboratories built over the past two decades.

Efforts to reinforce and leverage the infrastructure built to end AIDS can optimize the health impact and sustainability of the response to COVID-19. Leveraging the experience of the HIV response offers a unique opportunity to build back better from COVID-19.

“These new investments from the United States in COVID-19 will save many lives in low- and middle-income countries and help strengthen the health systems that deliver care for HIV, COVID-19 and other health emergencies,” added Ms Byanyima.

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.

GENEVA, 17 March 2021—As the situation in Myanmar continues to deteriorate and fatalities rise, UNAIDS is warning that the violence also threatens access to life-saving essential services, including services for people living with and affected by HIV.

Ensuring the safety and protection of health-care workers and outreach and community volunteers across the country is critical, as is ensuring continuity in the procurement and delivery of essential life-saving services. Of priority concern across the country is maintaining access to HIV services, including the supply and delivery of antiretroviral medicines and harm reduction services for people who inject drugs.

“I express solidarity with the people of Myanmar and recognize the exceptional leadership of young people, women and social activists in trying to uphold human rights,” said UNAIDS Executive Director, Winnie Byanyima. “I also salute community networks of people living with and affected by HIV, civil society and activists who have mobilized to support and protect the most vulnerable people.”

UNAIDS further adds its voice to the urgent calls made by the United Nations Secretary-General, António Guterres, for all violence against civilians in Myanmar to cease.

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.

GENEVA, 17 March 2021—UNAIDS is saddened by the news that His Majesty King Goodwill Zwelithini has died and conveys its sincerest condolences to the Zulu royal family and to the wider Zulu nation.

“King Zwelithini was a change agent in South Africa’s AIDS response and encouraged his people to become actively engaged in reducing the impact of HIV in KwaZulu-Natal,” said UNAIDS Executive Director, Winnie Byanyima. “The King will be sorely missed both as a visionary leader and as a powerful and tireless advocate for people living with and affected by HIV.”

In 2009, King Zwelithini revived the practice of voluntary medical male circumcision (VMMC) among young Zulu men to help reduce the transmission of HIV. As a result of his leadership, KwaZulu-Natal, which has the highest prevalence of HIV in South Africa, has become a flagship for the effectiveness of VMMC as part of a combination of HIV prevention tools. The King was also a renowned advocate for people living with and affected by tuberculosis and stressed the need for community engagement to tackle difficult health issues, including HIV and tuberculosis.

In 2012, King Zwelithini spoke of the need for honesty between parents and their children in confronting the issues surrounding HIV prevention. “It is not easy, but we should speak the truth, because the love of truth is the spirit of men.”

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.

8 March 2021

Winnie Byanyima

Executive Director of UNAIDS
Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations

Women leaders have provided a guiding light for the world in responding to the COVID-19 crisis, from heads of government to coordinators of grass-roots social movements. They have reminded the world how crucial it is to have critical numbers of women, in all their diversity, in positions of leadership.

But the COVID-19 crisis has seen progress towards equality pushed back. It has widened the gap between women and men in wealth, in income, in access to services, in the burden of unpaid care, in status and in power.

Up to 20 million more secondary school-aged girls could end up out of school following the crisis. Many may never go back to school or have access to skills and economic opportunities, and will be at greater risk of violence, poor health, poverty and more.

Two and a half million more girls are now at risk of child marriage in the next five years. There has been a dramatic increase in violence against women.

Pandemics such as COVID-19 and HIV magnify the fissures in society and exacerbate vulnerabilities. Gender-based and intersecting inequalities and violence hold back the lives of women and girls all over the world.

The pandemic has brought into sharp and painful focus that even before COVID-19 an estimated 34 million girls between the ages of 12 and 14 years were out of school, one in three women globally reported having experienced physical or sexual violence and women the world over worked longer hours for less or no pay.

Women who were already stigmatized are among those who are being hardest hit by the impacts of the pandemic. The sudden loss of the livelihoods of sex workers and their lack of access to health care and social protection have intensified their vulnerabilities, especially for those living with HIV. Many female migrants and precarious workers adversely affected by the pandemic are excluded from government relief and protection programmes, as well as health services. Stigma, discrimination and criminalization put transgender women, and women who use drugs, at heightened risk of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections, and hold them back from accessing HIV prevention, treatment and care services.

Recovery strategies cannot be gender-blind or gender-neutral: they must overturn the inequalities that hold women back.

Together, UNAIDS, UN Women, the United Nations Children’s Fund, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization and the United Nations Population Fund have convened a broad movement, Education Plus, to work with governments to secure the transformative changes that will enable all of Africa’s adolescent girls to be in school, safe and strong. That includes all the girls who have been pushed out of school during the COVID-19 crisis and those who were excluded from school even before the crisis hit.

Overcoming the COVID-19 crisis, and ending new HIV infections and AIDS-related deaths, both require that we close in on the inequalities that drive vulnerabilities. The new global AIDS strategy 2021–2026 puts the rights and multiple and diverse needs of women and girls across their life cycle at the centre of the response: from preventing vertical transmission to providing access to quality education in safe and supportive environments to ensuring comprehensive sexuality education and holistic sexual and reproductive health services.

Gender inequality is not only wrong. It is dangerous. It weakens us all. A more equal world will be better able to respond to pandemics and other shocks; it will leave us healthier and safer and more prosperous.

Progress on gender equality has never been automatic. It has never been given, it has always been won.

We are inspired by the women’s movements leading the struggle for equality. The United Nations stands alongside you to advance a world where women and girls in all their diversity will thrive and take their rightful places as equals.

This International Women’s Day let’s support and celebrate women taking the lead.

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.