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GENEVA, 23 July 2022—UNAIDS today called on governments to respond urgently to the World Health Organization declaration of Monkeypox as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. WHO has received reports over 16 thousand cases in 75 countries. The outbreak is occurring particularly, but not exclusively, among gay men and other men who have sex with men. 

“The World Health Organization has issued an urgent call today based on clear evidence that Monkeypox represents a global threat to the health of communities and requires a global response,” said Dr. Matthew Kavanagh, UNAIDS Deputy Executive Director a.i. “This outbreak can be stopped if governments, healthcare providers, communities, and pharmaceutical companies act with urgency. Drawing on the hard-learnt lessons of the response to the AIDS pandemic, effective public health actions must be guided by the principles of solidarity, equality, nondiscrimination and inclusion. The virus, spread through close contact, can affect anyone. But it is currently most impacting gay men and other men who have sex with men, who in many communities face discrimination. Stigma and discrimination undermine epidemic response, sending people with symptoms underground and failing to address the underlying barriers that people face in attempting to protect their own health and that of their community. It can also cause public health authorities to act with insufficient urgency. We urge people to demonstrate compassion to those affected, not discrimination. UNAIDS is urging countries to partner and engage affected communities in the development, implementation, and monitoring of all stages of the response. 

“We are concerned that some low- and middle-income countries are struggling to get access to vaccines being deployed now in high income countries. Repeating vaccine nationalism and inequality will prolong the outbreak and unjustly deepen suffering from this virus.  We call on governments and vaccine manufacturers to work together to ensure that all those in need can access and benefit from vaccines, including people affected in endemic countries.

“UNAIDS would like to acknowledge the leadership of organizations led by communities of gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men that, in many countries, have been stepping forward in responding to the outbreak, raising awareness, challenging misinformation and supporting vaccination efforts.”

The Monkeypox outbreak illustrates that communities will continue to face threats from viruses, and that international coordination and solidarity is essential for public health as viruses can only be overcome globally.

UNAIDS urges all media covering Monkeypox to follow the regular updates being issued by WHO.

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.

The International Labour Organization (ILO) has announced that the initial phase of its VCT@WORK initiative has reached close to 5 million workers with face-to-face education on the benefits of HIV testing. During the outreach, which took place between July 2013 and December 2015, almost 3 million workers were tested for HIV, and more than 85 000 people who tested positive for HIV were referred to services for treatment. The ILO, UNAIDS and partners will present the results of the initiative at the 21st International AIDS Conference, taking place from 18 to 22 July in Durban, South Africa.

The need for a holistic approach to HIV prevention among young women and girls was the focus of the 15th Ordinary Assembly of the Organization of African First Ladies, (OAFLA). The meeting was held on the side lines of the 25th African Union Summit, held on 15 June in Johannesburg, South Africa. 

The African First Ladies stressed that addressing the needs of young women and adolescent girls must be a priority at all levels of society—from the highest political leadership to schools, families and community leaders. They called for an integrated approach to HIV prevention, treatment and care that addresses all socio-economic and structural drivers which place young women and adolescent girls at a higher risk of HIV infection, including poverty, gender inequality and harmful cultural practices.

Lordina Mahama, First Lady of Ghana and newly-elected President of OAFLA, encouraged all African First Ladies to ensure that the UNAIDS and UNICEF All In! campaign, which focuses on ending adolescent AIDS, is rolled out in their countries.

African Heads of State and Government reaffirmed their commitment to provide bold leadership for the AIDS response in Africa during the AIDS Watch Africa (AWA) meeting held on 14 June on the side lines of the 25th African Union Summit in Johannesburg, South Africa.

The need to invest in health, particularly for the sustainable financing of Africa’s massive HIV treatment programme, came under the spotlight. Participants stressed that, in order to end the AIDS epidemic as a public health threat by 2030 in Africa, it is critical to expand treatment coverage and ensure that the millions of people in Africa currently receiving antiretroviral treatment continue to have uninterrupted access for the rest of their lives. Furthermore, investing in local production of antiretroviral medicines, increasing domestic spending and continuing to implement the African Union Roadmap on shared responsibility and global solidarity for AIDS, Tuberculosis and malaria response in Africa were highlighted as key elements to achieve the 90-90-90 targets.

UNAIDS Executive Director, Michel Sidibé, urged African leaders, the AU Commission, representatives of regional economic communities, development partners and civil society present to ensure that the significant investment that has already been made is not lost.  

African ministers of social development, labour and employment meeting in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, have called for expanded social protection for all to ensure inclusive development in Africa. During an event held from 20 to 24 April, and organized by the African Union, ministers agreed that a prosperous Africa can only become a reality if Member States extend comprehensive social protection measures.

Access to affordable and quality education and health services are among the measures that should be expanded to all, in particular vulnerable people. These include people living with and affected by HIV, women, children, people living with disabilities and older people.

The ministers further agreed that social protection policies and programmes in the continent should include social and cash transfers, as well as food and health security.

The 2014 UNAIDS Gap report highlights that cash transfers are a powerful tool for HIV prevention and treatment among young women and people living with HIV. In South Africa, a national study found that a publicly funded cash transfer programme had managed to reduce transactional sex by 53% and age-disparate sex by 71% among adolescent girls in families between 2009 and 2012. This is important in order to reduce their risk of exposure to unsafe sexual behaviour and the low condom use linked to relationships with large age differences.

JOHANNESBURG, 13 April 2015—The Champions for an AIDS-Free Generation gathered together today to announce new efforts to ensure that all children in Africa are born free from HIV and that children living with HIV have access to life-saving treatment. Since young people continue to be deeply affected by the epidemic, the Champions also announced that they will add adolescents and HIV to their portfolio of work. 

“The Champions are determined to keep HIV high on the continental agenda,” said Festus Mogae, Chairperson of the Champions. “We will leave no one behind and we will not rest until Africa has reached the goal of an AIDS-free generation.”

During their three-day meeting, the Champions are scheduled to hold high-level discussions with the President of South Africa, Jacob Zuma, the Deputy President of South Africa, Cyril Ramaphosa, and leading figures from the private sector.

The Champions for an AIDS-Free Generation was launched in 2008 by Mr Mogae, the former President of Botswana. The Champions transcend political partisanship to speak freely and independently about the issues that need solutions, both publically and behind the scenes. Since November, five new leaders have joined their distinguished ranks: Kgalema Motlanthe, former President of South Africa; Joyce Banda, former President of Malawi; Alpha Oumar Konaré, former President of Mali; Olusegun Obasanjo, former President of Nigeria; and Hifikepunye Pohamba, former President of Namibia.

“Today, we come together as a strengthened group of Champions to reaffirm our commitment to ending mother-to-child transmission of HIV and to ensuring that mothers and children already living with HIV stay healthy,” said Ms Banda. “I am proud to be involved in the Champions for an AIDS-Free Generation.”

As the Champions reaffirmed their commitment to an AIDS-free generation, they were joined by partners that include UNAIDS, the United States President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) and private sector representatives.

“The Champions have been steadfast in calling for improved HIV prevention and treatment options, and there has been progress,” said UNAIDS Executive Director, Michel Sidibé. “Now, with their ranks strengthened, the Champions will be even stronger advocates to fast-track the AIDS response in Africa to ensure that every baby is born free from HIV and that their mothers stay healthy.”     

“An AIDS-free generation is within our grasp if we use the scientific knowledge, data and tools at our disposal,” said Ambassador Deborah Birx, United States Global AIDS Coordinator and United States Special Representative for Global Health Diplomacy. “I am inspired today by this committed group of leaders, who are using their wisdom and influence to move towards an AIDS-free generation in Africa.”  

“We need leaders like the Champions who are unafraid to speak out and put AIDS at the very top of Africa’s health agenda,” said Mark Dybul, Executive Director of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.

Other partners of the Champions for an AIDS-Free Generation include UNICEF, the World Bank, the South African Development Community (SADC), the SADC Parliamentary Forum, the Economic Community of West African States and the South African Broadcasting Corporation.    

The risk of a mother living with HIV passing the virus to her child can be reduced to 5% or less if she has access to antiretroviral medicines during pregnancy, delivery and breastfeeding. 

“Women need strong partners like the Champions so they receive access to proper HIV counselling, treatment and prevention services,” said Lorraine Mashishi, a mother living with HIV. “Women living with HIV can avoid passing the virus on to their children if they get the support they need.”

Currently 21 of the 22 countries that are part of the Global Plan to eliminate new HIV infections among children by 2015 and keeping their mothers alive are in Africa. Since 2009, there has been a 43% decline in new HIV infections among children in these countries, but there were still 210 000 (180 000–250 000) new HIV infections among children in sub-Saharan Africa in 2013. Only 42% of children exposed to HIV were tested for the virus within the recommended two months. Without treatment, half of all children living with HIV will die by the age of two and the majority will die by the age of five.

Sub-Saharan Africa remains the region most affected by the AIDS epidemic—in 2013, there were 24.7 million (23.5 million—26.1 million) people living with HIV in the region.

The Champions are:

• Festus Mogae, former President of Botswana and Chairperson of the Champions.
• Joyce Banda, former President of Malawi.
• Joaquim Chissano, former President of Mozambique.
• Kenneth Kaunda, former President of Zambia.
• Alpha Oumar Konaré, former President of Mali. 
• Benjamin William Mkapa, former President of the United Republic of Tanzania.
• Kgalema Motlanthe, former President of South Africa.
• Olusegun Obasanjo, former President of Nigeria.
• Hifikepunye Pohamba, former President of Namibia.
• Desmond Tutu, Archbishop Emeritus of Cape Town and Nobel Peace Prize Laureate.
• Speciosa Wandira-Kazibwe, former Vice-President of Uganda. 
• Edwin Cameron, Justice of the Constitutional Court of South Africa.
• Miriam Were, former Chairperson of the Kenya National AIDS Control Council.

Champions for an AIDS-Free Generation

The Champions for an AIDS-Free Generation is a distinguished group of former presidents and influential African leaders committed to an AIDS-free generation. Individually and collectively, the Champions rally and support regional leaders towards ending the AIDS epidemic as a public health threat. The Champions transcend political partisanship to speak freely and independently about the issues that need solutions, both publically and behind the scenes. www.aidsfreechampions.org

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. Learn more at unaids.org and connect with us on Facebook and Twitter.

African ministers of finance and key partners in the AIDS response meeting in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, have called for increased national investment to end the AIDS epidemic as a public health threat by 2030.

The international community has committed to meeting the 90–90–90 treatment targets, under which 90% of all people living with HIV will know their HIV status, 90% of all people with diagnosed HIV infection will receive sustained antiretroviral therapy and 90% of all people receiving antiretroviral therapy will have viral suppression. If the 90–90–90 targets are met by 2020, ending the AIDS epidemic a decade later is achievable.

The ministers were joined at the meeting, held on 29 March, by representatives of international and regional organizations, United Nations Member States and civil society, as well as other stakeholders. Participants at the high-level event, entitled Ending AIDS by 2030: the 90–90–90 Target as a Platform for Sound Investments, Social Entrepreneurship and Economic Development, stressed that increased domestic investments will bring economic returns. Benefits will include strengthened health systems, long-term cost savings and the encouragement of African pharmaceutical industries.

The event took place on the sidelines of a joint conference of the African Union and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa entitled Implementing Agenda 2063—Planning, Mobilizing and Financing for Development.

The 24th Summit of the African Union and related events reaffirmed that Africa is committed and will remain committed to women’s empowerment and to ending the AIDS epidemic by 2030. The Summit took place in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, from 23 to 31 January 2015 under 2015 annual African Union theme of “Women empowerment and development towards Africa’s Agenda 2063”.

The importance of ending AIDS was particularly articulated during the gender pre-summit meeting, at which the participants noted that member states should ensure that ending the AIDS epidemic by 2030 is part of Agenda 2063 and that it has an inclusive human rights approach that leaves no one behind, including children, adolescents, women of child-bearing age and women and girls in conflict and post-conflict settings.

The participants at the pre-summit meeting also noted that member states should ensure that the sexual and reproductive health and rights of African women are implemented without renegotiation of their content.

The Summit adopted Agenda 2063, the African Union vision of the next 50 years, and endorsed the formation of the African Group of Negotiators on the Post-2015 Development Agenda, the single negotiating body acting on behalf of the continent. 

In the 14th General Assembly of the Organization of Africa First Ladies Against HIV/AIDS (OAFLA), held on 31 January on the sidelines of the 24th African Union Summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, African First Ladies reaffirmed their commitment to the elimination of mother-to-child transmission of HIV and to ending the AIDS epidemic by 2030. The First Ladies also highlighted the importance of paediatric care, strengthening of partnerships and ensuring that AIDS is a strong component in the post-2015 development agenda.

The OAFLA General Assembly was addressed by Yoo (Ban) Soon-taek, who emphasized that women, including young women, adolescent girls, women of child-bearing age, sex workers and transgender women, are a key population in the continental AIDS response and require focused and strategic interventions if we are to end the AIDS epidemic by 2030. She also called for a reinvigorated campaign against new infections among children.

Since the establishment of OAFLA in 2002, African First Ladies have advocated for and raised awareness on AIDS, championing many campaigns on eliminating mother-to-child transmission of HIV, underlining the burden of HIV on women and strengthening networks of people living with HIV. 

Leaders of key continental, regional and national institutions concluded that the AIDS epidemic remains a key priority for Africa and must be ended by 2030 in the continent during a High-level Dialogue on Ending AIDS, held on 24 November in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The dialogue was hosted by the African Union Commission, the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa and UNAIDS as part of activities to commemorate World AIDS Day 2014.  

During the meeting, participants discussed the recommendations in the new UNAIDS report Fast-Track: ending the AIDS epidemic by 2030 and encouraged countries to embrace the targets set to end the AIDS epidemic by 2030. To achieve this goal, participants made several recommendations, which include ensuring the effective use of existing continental accountability mechanisms, such as AIDS Watch Africa and the African Peer Review Mechanism; focusing on innovative ways of increasing domestic financing for health; ensuring sustained access to medicines through local production of drugs; integrating AIDS as part of broader health and development; and ensuring national HIV programmes tailored for young people and populations at higher risk of HIV infection.

Participants of the meeting included ambassadors of African Union Member States, representatives of the African Union Commission, regional economic communities, the African Peer Review Mechanism, AIDS Watch Africa, civil society organizations and development partners, and key opinion leaders, academics and young people.