Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa launches a comprehensive plan to prevent and treat HIV among sex workers

GENEVA, 11 March 2016—UNAIDS welcomes the roll-out of South Africa’s National Sex Worker HIV Plan, 2016–2019. Launched by the Deputy President of South Africa, Cyril Ramaphosa, in his role as the Chairperson of the South African National AIDS Council (SANAC), this unique plan will ensure equitable access to health and legal services for sex workers in South Africa.

Sex workers experience a disproportionate burden of HIV, sexually transmitted infections, tuberculosis, violence, and stigma and discrimination. This progressive plan outlines a comprehensive and nationally coordinated response that is tailored to their specific needs and includes a core package of services for sex workers, their partners, their clients and their families.

As well as delivering access to health services to prevent and treat HIV, sexually transmitted infections and tuberculosis, the plan also aims to provide sex workers with access to justice and legal protection services. These services will be made available through a combination of peer educators, community-driven outreach and referrals, and specialized clinics, as well as through primary health-care clinics, with training for all health workers. 

The plan includes making HIV testing available and accessible for sex workers. Sex workers who test HIV-positive will be offered antiretroviral therapy. Sex workers who are HIV-negative will be offered antiretroviral medicines to prevent HIV infection—pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP)—in combination with other HIV prevention services.

“South Africa continues to lead and innovate,” said UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé. “By listening to sex workers and collaborating with the community, South Africa’s tailor-made national HIV plan offers real hope for sex workers, who are often left behind in the AIDS response.”

The results of the Integrated Biological and Behavioural Surveillance survey, launched alongside the report today, demonstrate that HIV prevalence among female sex workers can be as high as 72% in South Africa, but with marked variation in prevalence between different urban settings. Furthermore, the study shows that uptake of antiretroviral therapy by female sex workers already know to be living with HIV is lower than the national average. In 2013, a rapid size estimation study commissioned by SANAC estimated that there were approximately 153 000 sex workers (female, male and transgender) in South Africa; most live and work in the main cities. Studies indicate that HIV prevalence among female sex workers is three to four times higher than among adult women in the general population.

Comprehensive HIV combination prevention, treatment and care services need to reach people who are at higher risk. Ending the AIDS epidemic relies on leaving nobody behind.

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.

As part of the global effort to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), countries around the world reported major gains in the health and wellbeing of women and children between 1990 and 2015. The global rate of maternal mortality fell by 47 per cent and child mortality declined by 49 per cent. However, any celebration of progress is tempered by the reality that millions of women, children, newborns, and adolescents continue to die every year; mostly from preventable causes. As the world transitions from the MDGs to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), we must uphold our commitment to keep reproductive, maternal, newborn, child, and adolescent health (RMNCAH) at the heart of the global agenda. Fulfilling this promise is both a practical imperative and a moral obligation.

The UN Secretary-General's Global Strategy for Women's, Children's, and Adolescents' Health sets out a plan to give every woman, child, and adolescent the opportunity to not only survive, but to thrive and transform his or her community. Implementing the Global Strategy and achieving the SDG targets requires an unprecedented level of alignment and coordination amongst each and every one of us working in the field of RMNCAH.

On behalf of the six organizations responsible for promoting and implementing the global health agenda across the UN system, UNAIDS, UNFPA, UNICEF, UN Women, WHO, and the World Bank Group, we, the undersigned, stand united in our commitment to operationalize the Global Strategy.

Building on our tradition of working together to support countries in achieving the MDGs, we, as members of the H6 (previously known as the H4+), will provide coordinated technical support to country-led efforts to implement the Global Strategy and achieve the ambitious targets of the health-related SDGs. At the same time, we will continue to advocate for evidence-based RMNCAH programmes and policies at the global, regional, and national levels.

As the current H6 chair (2016-2018), UNAIDS will lead the partnership in fulfilling its mandate to leverage the strengths and capacities of each of the six member organizations in order to support high-burden countries in their efforts to improve the survival, health, and well-being of every woman, newborn, child, and adolescent.

As representatives of the H6, we renew our commitment to implement this mandate in support of the Global Strategy. We call on RMNCAH activists and advocates worldwide to join us in fulfilling this shared pledge to women, children, and adolescents everywhere.

Michel Sidibé, Executive Director, UNAIDS

Babatunde Osotimehin, Executive Director, UNFPA

Anthony Lake, Executive Director, UNICEF

Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, Executive Director, UN Women

Margaret Chan, Director General, WHO

Tim Evans, Senior Director, Health, Nutrition and Population Global Practice, The World Bank Group

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.

Message from UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé on International Women’s Day

GENEVA, 8 March 2016—On International Women’s Day, the world must reaffirm its commitment to achieving full respect for women’s human rights both as a moral obligation and as a keystone for a safer, fairer and healthier world. Empowering this generation of women and girls and closing the gender gap is a central component of the Sustainable Development Goals and is crucial to ending the AIDS epidemic by 2030.

Despite some progress in moving towards gender parity in certain areas, such as education and political representation, many challenges remain. The pace of change in reducing inequality is unacceptably slow. For example, women continue to earn far less than men and face problems in accessing essential health-care services, including sexual and reproductive health care.

Every day, more than 40 000 girls are married before their 18th birthday,[1] complications linked to pregnancy and childbirth remain the second leading cause of death among adolescent girls aged 15 to 19[2] and it is estimated that around 120 million girls worldwide have experienced rape or other forced sexual acts at some point in their lives.[3]

The vulnerabilities and risks associated with HIV are closely linked to the gender inequalities woven into the political, economic and social fabric of our societies. AIDS-related illnesses are the leading cause of death globally among women of reproductive age. In 2014, there were around 220 000 new HIV infections worldwide among adolescents aged 10 to 19, with adolescent girls accounting for 62% of new infections among this age group. In sub-Saharan Africa, adolescent girls aged 10 to 19 make up 72% of total new HIV infections among this age group. Gender-based violence and a lack of control over decisions affecting their own lives increase the risk of HIV infection among women and girls.

One week before the sixtieth session of the Commission on the Status of Women and three months ahead of the United Nations General Assembly High-Level Meeting on Ending AIDS, the world must recognize the undeniable link between achieving social justice and creating the foundations for an end to the AIDS epidemic. No one must be left behind.

The UNAIDS Fast-Track approach to ending the AIDS epidemic has a set of time-bound targets, including reducing the number of people newly infected with HIV from 2 million in 2014 to fewer than 500 000 in 2020, reducing the number of people dying from AIDS-related illnesses from 1.2 million in 2014 to fewer than 500 000 in 2020 and eliminating HIV-related discrimination. These targets will not be reached without much stronger progress on ensuring that women’s human rights are respected so they are free to take informed decisions about their health and well-being.

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.

Results from two recent studies of a monthly vaginal ring show modest protection from HIV infection for women

GENEVA, 23 February 2016—Results from two large-scale studies of a vaginal ring that releases the antiretroviral medicine dapivirine to prevent HIV among women have shown protection of around 30% against HIV. The results are encouraging and show the urgent need to expand investment in research and development for female-controlled methods of HIV prevention.

Although less effective than hoped for, the results are the first to show that a sustained release mechanism for antiretroviral medicine is feasible, safe and partially effective in preventing HIV infection among women. Follow-up studies are needed to build on these results and there is a need to better understand how to optimize the HIV prevention effect and support adherence.

“Women urgently need better options for HIV prevention, especially options that allow them greater control,” said Luiz Loures, Deputy Executive Director, UNAIDS. “The path to an effective microbicide has been a long one. The important results from these two studies take us one step closer towards an HIV prevention product that could protect millions of women worldwide.”

The two studies, presented on 22 February 2016 at the annual Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections, being held in Boston, United States of America, were carried out across four African countries and recruited more than 4500 women. Each participant was randomly assigned to use either an active ring that slowly released the antiretroviral medicine dapivirine over the course of one month or to receive an inactive placebo ring containing no medicine. The risk of HIV infection was compared between women using the active rings and women using the placebo rings after two to four years of follow-up.

The ASPIRE/MTN-020 trial was carried out by the Microbicide Trials Network and the Ring Study/IPM 027 trial was carried out by the International Partnership for Microbicides. As the two trials were independent, it is encouraging that they achieved similar results (27% protection in ASPIRE and 31% protection in the Ring Study). Despite the high levels of adherence to the ring (82% in ASPIRE and 73% in the Ring Study), the results are lower than hoped for.

Another important finding from both studies was that there was little protection against HIV for women aged 21 years and below, with better protection for women 22 years and above. At least part of this difference was explained by better adherence in the older age group.

Young women in sub-Saharan Africa remain most affected by HIV. Around 79% of all women living with HIV (aged 15 years and older) live in the region. The results from this, and previous studies into female-controlled HIV prevention methods, reinforce the urgent need to find better HIV prevention methods that offer more choices for women.

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, 12 February 2016—Every day, more than one million people acquire a sexually transmitted infection (STI) and every year there are estimated to be around 80 million unintended pregnancies. Condoms are proven to be 98% effective in preventing STIs and HIV. In addition, male and female condoms prevent unintended pregnancies when used correctly and consistently.

Despite increased use of condoms over the past two decades, studies show that reported use of condoms during a person’s most recent sexual encounter with a non-regular partner ranged from 80% in some countries to less than 30% in others. There is an urgent need for countries to strengthen demand for and supply of condoms and water-based lubricant.

UNAIDS is calling for increased investments by donors and governments for the promotion and distribution of male and female condoms in order to ensure everyone has access to condoms to protect themselves and their partners from HIV, STIs and unintended pregnancies.

“Investing in condoms saves lives,” said UNAIDS Deputy Executive Director Luiz Loures. “It is unacceptable that so many people are becoming infected with HIV and sexually transmitted infections because they do not have access to something as easy to use, effective and low cost as condoms.”

Condoms are extremely cost-effective and have made a major contribution to preventing new HIV infections. An estimated 50 million HIV infections have been averted through condom use since the 1980s. Despite the low cost of condoms, international funding for condom procurement in sub-Saharan Africa has slowed in recent years. To achieve UNAIDS’ target of reducing new infections to fewer than 500 000 by 2020, more political commitment and increased investment in HIV prevention are needed.

Collaborative partnerships are needed to support national efforts to encourage the use of condoms. Action is also needed to increase domestic funding and private sector investment in condom distribution and promotion.

UNAIDS is working together with the United Nations Population Fund and other partners to support renewed investment in condom programming and to accelerate the scale-up of their  use in the countries where most new STIs are occurring. The new UNAIDS 2016–2021 Strategy has set an ambitious global target to increase the availability of condoms to 20 billion per year by 2020 in low- and middle-income countries and to achieve 90% condom use during the most recent sexual activity with a non-regular partner. 

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, 4 February 2016—On World Cancer Day, UNAIDS calls for greater investment in the prevention and treatment of cervical cancer and underlines the additional benefits to be achieved for women and adolescent girls from a coordinated response to HIV and cervical cancer.

Every year, more than 500 000 women develop cervical cancer, which is caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV), and more than 250 000 women die of the disease, most of whom live in low- and middle-income countries. Yet cervical cancer is a preventable disease that can also be successfully treated if detected early. Furthermore, the relationship between HPV and HIV offers significant opportunities to reduce the impact of both viruses, since existing HIV programmes could play an important role in expanding cervical cancer prevention and treatment services. For example, every woman who tests positive for HIV should be offered cervical cancer screening and follow-up treatment if necessary; HIV testing should also be offered during cervical cancer screening.

“Women are dying from cervical cancer unnecessarily,” said UNAIDS Executive Director, Michel Sidibé. “We must take advantage of the synergies that exist in responding to HIV and HPV to provide integrated and expanded quality prevention and treatment services and ensure that all women and adolescent girls have unrestricted access to quality health care, including to sexual and reproductive health-care services.”       

UNAIDS is a founding member of Pink Ribbon Red Ribbon, a global partnership dedicated to helping women access preventive care and treatment for cervical and breast cancers where the need is greatest and is also part of the Cervical Cancer Action coalition’s five-year initiative to build momentum for action on global cervical cancer prevention.

HPV infection increases women’s vulnerability to HIV transmission, while women living with HIV are four to five times more likely to develop cervical cancer than their HIV-negative peers. HPV infections are common in the general population and most people with strong immune systems will be free of them over time. However, women with weakened immune systems are less likely to clear the HPV virus and become more susceptible to developing pre-invasive lesions that can, if left untreated, quickly progress to invasive, life-threatening cancer.

Reducing preventable deaths from cervical cancer requires a comprehensive approach that delivers effective and age-appropriate programmes that include the vaccination of young adolescent girls against HPV, the screening of women at risk of developing cervical cancer, treatment of pre-cancerous cervical lesions and treatment for invasive and advanced cervical cancer, including chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy.

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, 5 January 2016—UNAIDS welcomes Filippo Grandi as the new United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. Mr Grandi took over as head of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) on 1 January 2016, succeeding António Guterres, who left last week after more than 10 years in office.

Mr Grandi is from Italy and has worked in international affairs for the United Nations for close to 30 years. He is a former Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East and was Deputy Special Representative for the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan. He began his career in the nongovernmental organization sector and later worked with UNHCR in Africa, Asia and the Middle East and at the organization's Geneva headquarters.

“High Commissioner Grandi is taking up the helm at UNHCR at a particularly challenging time,” said Michel Sidibé, Executive Director of UNAIDS. “The global refugee crisis remains front page news due to long-term conflicts and ongoing persecution. The number of forcibly displaced persons has reached the highest level, 59.5 million people, since the Second World War. Mr Grandi brings a wealth of experience to this position. We look forward to close collaboration with him to promote the rights of refugees around the world and ensure equitable access to HIV and other essential health services.”

UNHCR works worldwide to protect, assist and find solutions for refugees, internally displaced people and stateless populations. Its primary purpose is to safeguard the rights and well-being of refugees. It strives to ensure that everyone can exercise the right to seek asylum and find safe refuge in another state, with the option to return home voluntarily, integrate locally or to resettle in a third country. It also has a mandate to help stateless people. Since 1950, the agency has helped tens of millions of people restart their lives.

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 December 2015—UNAIDS strongly supports calls made by the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (Global Fund) for additional resources for its next funding cycle. These resources will support country efforts in reaching the Fast-Track Targets to end the AIDS epidemic by 2030 as part of the Sustainable Development Goals.

The Global Fund is asking governments, the private sector and other organizations for a total of US$ 13 billion for the period between 2017 and 2019, which would save millions of lives and avert hundreds of millions of infections and new cases of HIV, tuberculosis (TB) and malaria. The call was made at the Preparatory Meeting of the Global Fund Fifth Replenishment, held in Tokyo, Japan, on 16 and 17 December. A follow-up conference will take place in mid-2016 to finalize the Global Fund’s level of funding for the upcoming three-year period.

“We have to invest additional resources today to end these epidemics, otherwise the deadly trio will claim millions more lives, as well as costing us more in the long run,” said UNAIDS Executive Director, Michel Sidibé.

As a partnership between governments, civil society, the private sector and people affected by the diseases, the Global Fund currently mobilizes and invests almost US$ 4 billion annually to support programmes managed locally in more than 100 countries. UNAIDS supports countries at all stages of the Global Fund grant cycle—from the collection and analysis of epidemiologic data and strategic information, to the development of strong HIV investment cases, national strategic plans and funding requests, to grant negotiations and signing, programme implementation and monitoring and evaluation.

Although much progress has been made in responding to the epidemics, the dual impact of HIV and TB continues to be devastating for millions of people and their families. Of the 1.5 million people killed by TB in 2014, 400 000 were HIV-positive. AIDS-related illnesses claimed 1.2 million lives in 2014, which included the 400 000 TB deaths among HIV-positive people. Malaria causes hundreds of thousands of deaths every year, predominantly among young children.  

Ending AIDS by 2030 is a smart investment and will avert an estimated 21 million AIDS-related deaths and 28 million new HIV infections, including 5.9 million new HIV infections among children.  

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.

10 December 2015

The AIDS movement, led by people living with and affected by HIV, continues to inspire the world and offer a model for a people-centred, rights-based approach to global health and social transformation. And yet, today, amid a swirl of competing and complex global concerns, we confront a serious new obstacle: the oppressive weight of complacency. This is happening when we know that if we focus on the places and people most affected by HIV, the world can end the AIDS epidemic as a public health threat.

This moment is, however, fleeting. We have a fragile window of opportunity in which to scale up. Efforts need to intensify in the locations and among the populations at higher risk of HIV, including women, young people, prisoners, sex workers, gay men and other men who have sex with men, transgender people and people who inject drugs.

Too often, laws, policies and practices undermine equitable access to life-changing HIV services for people most affected by HIV. Punitive laws that hinder effective responses to HIV remain widespread. Some 75 countries criminalize consensual same-sex sexual relations, and the vast majority of countries and territories criminalize drug use and sex work.

Ending AIDS by 2030 as part of the Sustainable Development Goals means breaking down prejudice, exclusion, criminalization and discrimination. This will require progress across the entire spectrum of rights: civil, cultural, economic, political, social, sexual and reproductive.

UNAIDS has launched a bold call to action to leave no one behind through the new UNAIDS 2016–2021 Strategy. It is a call to defend the rights of all people. Through the realization of their rights, people being left behind will move ahead, to the very forefront of the journey to end the AIDS epidemic—informed and empowered, mobilized and engaged.

On International Human Rights Day 2015, let us stand together to ensure that all people, living with or without HIV, are able to live their lives to the fullest, from birth to adulthood and into old age, free from discrimination and with dignity and equality.

Michel Sidibé

Executive Director of UNAIDS

Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations

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, 25 November 2015—On the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, UNAIDS is urging countries to put women and girls at the centre of efforts to end the AIDS epidemic by 2030.

AIDS is the leading cause of death of women of reproductive age (15–49 years) and adolescent girls and young women are most affected by HIV. Every year around 380 000 adolescent girls and young women become newly infected with HIV and in sub-Saharan Africa adolescent girls and young women aged 15–24 years account for one in every four new HIV infections.

“AIDS-related deaths are increasing among adolescents and we are seeing increased violence against young women,” said UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé. “Our call is to address the root cause—gender inequality, which can result in violence, lack of esteem, growing vulnerability and difficulty for young women and girls to make empowered and informed decisions about their health and well-being.”

In some regions, women who have experienced physical or sexual partner violence are 1.5 times more likely to acquire HIV compared to women who have not. While the experiences of violence faced by women living with HIV mirror those of women generally, living with HIV exposes women and girls to other forms of violence, including forced and coerced sterilization, because of their HIV-positive status.

The heightened vulnerability of women and girls to HIV is intricately linked to the sociocultural, economic and political inequalities they experience. Ending the AIDS epidemic will depend on a social justice agenda that demands equity in education, employment, political representation and access to justice and health, free from violence.  

At the start of the annual 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence, which is being held under the 2015 theme of “From peace in the home to peace in the world: make education safe for all,” UNAIDS is urging all countries to ensure the engagement and empowerment of women as a top priority to enable women and girls to live in a world free of inequalities and violence.

The newly adopted Sustainable Development Goals, as well as the UNAIDS 2016–2021 Strategy, reflect a collective global commitment to achieve gender equality, eliminate gender-based violence and advance the rights of women and girls, including sexual and reproductive health and rights, and their empowerment. Significantly, they provide a bold blueprint for action. These goals and targets call for true collaboration across sectors and generations to scale up efforts to ensure the safety and empowerment of women and girls everywhere. 

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.