WHAT         21st International AIDS conference

WHEN        18–22 July 2016

WHERE      Durban International Convention Centre, Durban, South Africa

DETAILS    AIDS 2016 aims to assess where the world is in the response to HIV, evaluate recent scientific developments and lessons learned and collectively chart a course forward. The AIDS 2016 programme will present new scientific knowledge and will offer many opportunities for structured dialogue on the major issues facing the global response to HIV. A variety of session types—from abstract-driven presentations to symposia, bridging and plenary sessions—will meet the needs of various participants. Other related activities, including the Global Village, satellite symposia, the exhibition and affiliated independent events, will contribute to an exceptional opportunity for professional development and networking. The programme and further information on the conference can be accessed at www.AIDS2016.org.

Press releases and web stories on the conference and side events will be updated as available at www.unaids.org.

Media accreditation

Media accreditation is closed, but media passes will be available for individual press conferences from the media centre, located on the lower level of the conference centre.

Media contacts

International AIDS Society | Mandy Sugrue | Tel: +41 79 539 08 83 | mandy.sugrue@iasociety.org

UNAIDS | Sophie Barton-Knott | +41 79 514 6896 | bartonknotts@unaids.org

Webcasting

Live coverage on Facebook, Twitter, Periscope and Instagram. Digital hub is at www.crowd360.org/aids2016.

Multimedia—videos will be posted on the AIDS 2016 YouTube channel within 24–48 hours of the session.

Photo galleries—a selection of photos from different events can be seen at http://www.unaids.org/en/resources/multimediacentre/photos/AIDS2016 and on http://aids2016.org.

Video—materials will be available on the UNAIDS YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/user/UNAIDS.

Social media—the main hashtag for the conference is #AIDS2016. UNAIDS suggested social media materials can be found at http://www.unaids.org/en/resources/campaigns/AIDS2016/socialmedia.

Web site—stories on different events can be accessed at www.unaids.org. 

UNAIDS Communications Focal Point | Alasdair Reid | +41 79 594 1923 | reida@unaids.org

Media interviews | Sophie Barton-Knott | +41 22 791 1697 / +41 79 514 6896 | bartonknotts@unaids.org

OPENING CEREMONY

Monday, 18 July

Venue: Durban ICC Session Room 1

19:30–21:00

The opening session welcomes delegates to the conference and to Durban and is held on Nelson Mandela Day, when South Africa and the world celebrates Madiba’s legacy on human rights and HIV.

Speakers and performers include: Kweku Mandela, Africa Rising; Charlize Theron, Charlize Theron Africa Outreach Project; Chris Beyrer, Johns Hopkins University; Olive Shisana, Evidence-Based Solutions; Nkhensani Mavasa, Treatment Action Campaign; Steve Letsike, South African National AIDS Council; Willies Mchunu, Premier of KwaZulu-Natal; Michel Sidibé, UNAIDS Executive Director; Cyril Ramaphosa, Deputy President of South Africa; Ndaba Mandela, Africa Rising; Caroline Rupert, Filmmaker; Strong Girls; Freshlyground.

SESSIONS AND SATELLITES

Tuesday, 19 July

07:00–08:30

A global partnership to end paediatric AIDS by 2020

Venue: Durban ICC, Session Room 7

 

07:00–08:30     

Political leadership—has this concept strengthened or hampered the AIDS response over the last two decades?

Venue: Durban ICC, Session Room 11

This session, jointly hosted by the South African Presidency and the Champions for an AIDS-Free Generation in Africa and supported by UNAIDS, will ask the question, “What role will political leadership play in ensuring sustainability with respect to resources, upholding the rights of key populations and securing robust accountability frameworks in Africa and across the globe?”

 

09:00–10:00

Launch of the Kenyan HIV situation room

Venue: Durban ICC, UNAIDS office space on the lower level, Meeting Rooms 2 and 3     

Luiz Loures, UNAIDS Deputy Executive Director, will join a demonstration of how real-time collection, analysis and use of national and subnational HIV epidemiological and response data can assist in identifying the locations and populations that are being left behind by the AIDS response.

 

11:00–12:00

Leadership workshop—Common at its core: understanding the linkages for challenging the impact of criminal law across key populations

Venue: Durban ICC, Session Room 3

 

13:00–14:00

Red Ribbon Awards

Venue: Durban ICC, Session Room 2

Ten exceptional community-based organizations will be announced as recipients of the 2016 Red Ribbon Award for their inspiring work towards ending the AIDS epidemic. The Red Ribbon Award is the world’s leading award for innovative and outstanding community work in the response to the AIDS epidemic. Community-based organizations have shown the world how to effectively advance the HIV response and the Red Ribbon Award recognizes their transformative achievements.

 

15:45–17:00

Turning the tide for adolescent girls and young women: how realizing gender equality and securing women’s human rights are essential for reaching the end of AIDS

Venue: Durban ICC, Session Room 1

This session will commence with Jan Beagle, UNAIDS Deputy Executive Director, and Princess Tessy of Luxembourg presenting the Women and Girls Investigators Prize

 

16:30–18:00                             

Bridging session. The challenges of faith responses to the AIDS epidemic: data, diversity and dilemmas

Venue: Durban ICC, Session Room 11

                                               

18:30–20:30

Community innovations at the forefront of ending new HIV infections among children and enhancing women's health

Venue: Durban ICC, Session Room 11

 

18.30–20:30                             

High-level meeting—Implementation at the national and local level: revitalizing HIV combination prevention in the eastern and southern Africa region

Venue: Southern Sun Elangeni Maharani, 63 Snell Parade           

Co-hosted by the Governments of Zimbabwe and Kenya, UNAIDS, the United Nations Populations Fund and the Ford Foundation. This meeting provides an opportunity to obtain commitments on implementation to reach specific targets on HIV combination prevention and increased investment from ministers of health, education and gender.

 

Wednesday, 20 July

15:15–16:15

HPV, HIV and cervical cancer: leveraging synergies to save women’s lives

Venue: Durban ICC, Global Village Women’s Networking Zone

The World Health Organization, the United Nations Populations Fund and UNAIDS will launch a joint advocacy brief on HPV, HIV and cervical cancer.

 

Thursday, 21 July

15.30–17.30     

UNAIDS special session on key populations   

Venue: Durban ICC, UNAIDS office space on the lower level, Meeting Rooms 2 and 3     

 

Friday, 22 July

13:00–14:00     

UNAIDS special session—From commitments to actions: implications of the 2016 United Nations High-Level Meeting on Ending AIDS

Venue: Durban ICC, Session Room 1

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 world has exceeded the AIDS targets of Millennium Development Goal (MDG) 6 and is on track to end the AIDS epidemic by 2030 as part of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

ADDIS ABABA/GENEVA, 14 July 2015—The AIDS targets of MDG 6—halting and reversing the spread of HIV—have been achieved and exceeded, according to a new report released today by the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS). New HIV infections have fallen by 35% and AIDS-related deaths by 41%. The global response to HIV has averted 30 million new HIV infections and nearly 8 million (7.8 million) AIDS-related deaths since 2000, when the MDGs were set.

“The world has delivered on halting and reversing the AIDS epidemic,” said Ban Ki-moon, Secretary-General of the United Nations. “Now we must commit to ending the AIDS epidemic as part of the Sustainable Development Goals.”

Released in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on the sidelines of the Third International Conference on Financing for Development, the report demonstrates that the response to HIV has been one of the smartest investments in global health and development, generating measurable results for people and economies. It also shows that the world is on track to meet the investment target of US$ 22 billion for the AIDS response by 2015 and that concerted action over the next five years can end the AIDS epidemic by 2030.

“Fifteen years ago there was a conspiracy of silence. AIDS was a disease of the “others” and treatment was for the rich and not for the poor,” said Michel Sidibé, Executive Director of UNAIDS. “We proved them wrong, and today we have 15 million people on treatment—15 million success stories.”

How AIDS changed everything—MDG 6: 15 years, 15 lesson of hope from the AIDS response celebrates the milestone achievement of 15 million people on antiretroviral treatment—an accomplishment deemed impossible when the MDGs were established 15 years ago. It also looks at the incredible impact the AIDS response has had on people’s lives and livelihoods, on families, communities and economies, as well as the remarkable influence the AIDS response has had on many of the other MDGs. The report includes specific lessons to take forward into the SDGs, as well as the urgent need to front-load investments and streamline programmes for a five-year sprint to set the world on an irreversible path to end the AIDS epidemic by 2030.

Achieving MDG 6: halting and reversing the spread of HIV

In 2000, the world was witnessing an extraordinary number of new HIV infections. Every day, 8500 people were becoming newly infected with the virus and 4300 people were dying of AIDS-related illnesses. How AIDS changed everything describes how, against all odds, huge rises in new HIV infections and AIDS-related deaths were halted and reversed.

New HIV infections

In 2000, AIDS began to be taken seriously. Far-sighted global leadership rallied, and the response that ensued made history. Between 2000 and 2014, new HIV infections dropped from 3.1 million to 2 million, a reduction of 35%. Had the world stood back to watch the epidemic unfold, the annual number of new HIV infections is likely to have risen to around 6 million by 2014.

In 2014, the report shows that 83 countries, which account for 83% of all people living with HIV, have halted or reversed their epidemics, including countries with major epidemics, such as India, Kenya, Mozambique, South Africa and Zimbabwe.

“As a mother living with HIV I did everything in my capacity to ensure my children were born HIV-free, said Abiyot Godana, Case Manager at the Entoto Health Center. “My husband has grabbed my vision of ending AIDS and together we won’t let go of this hope. Our two children are a part of an AIDS-free generation and will continue our legacy.” Ethiopia has made significant progress in preventing new HIV infections among children. In 2000, around 36 000 children became infected with HIV. However, by 2014 that number had dropped by 87%, to 4800, as coverage of antiretroviral therapy to prevent new HIV infections among children increased to 73%.

Stopping new HIV infections among children has been one of the most remarkable successes in the AIDS response. In 2000, around 520 000 children became newly infected with HIV. In the absence of antiretroviral therapy, children were dying in large numbers. This injustice prompted the world to act—ensuring that pregnant women living with HIV had access to medicines to prevent their children from becoming infected with the virus became a top global priority.

The unprecedented action that followed achieved results. Between 2000 and 2014, the percentage of pregnant women living with HIV with access to antiretroviral therapy rose to 73% and new HIV infections among children dropped by 58%.

By 2014, UNAIDS estimates that 85 countries had less than 50 new HIV infections among children per year, and in 2015 Cuba became the first country to be certified by the World Health Organization as having eliminated new HIV infections among children.

AIDS-related deaths

The second, critical measure for determining the success of MDG 6 is progress in halting and reversing the number of AIDS-related deaths. In 2000, AIDS was a death sentence. People who became infected with HIV had just a few years to live and the vast majority of children born with the virus died before they reached their fifth birthday.

Against incredible odds, the pace of antiretroviral therapy scale-up increased, ensuring more people remained alive and well. By 2005, AIDS-related deaths began to reverse, falling by 41% from 2005 to 2014.

Making the impossible, possible—15 million people on HIV treatment

Ensuring access to antiretroviral therapy for 15 million people is an achievement deemed impossible 15 years ago. In 2000, fewer than 1% of people living with HIV in low- and middle-income countries had access to treatment, as the sky-high prices of medicines—around US$ 10 000 per person per year—put them out of reach. The inequity of access and injustice sparked global moral outrage, which created one of the most defining achievements of the response to HIV—massive reductions in the price of life-saving antiretroviral medicines.

By 2014, advocacy, activism, science, political will and a willingness by the pharmaceutical companies has brought the price of medicines for HIV down by 99%, to around US$ 100 per person per year for first-line formulations.

In 2014, 40% of all people living with HIV had access to antiretroviral therapy, a 22-fold increase over the past 14 years. In sub-Saharan Africa, 10.7 million people had access, 6.5 million (61%) of whom were women. Ensuring treatment for 15 million people around the world proves beyond a doubt that treatment can be scaled up even in resource-poor settings.

As access to treatment increased, the world raised the bar and has repeatedly set ambitious targets, culminating in today’s call of ensuring access to treatment for all 36.9 million people living with HIV.

Progress in ensuring access to HIV treatment has, however, been slower for children than for adults. As of 2014, only 32% of the 2.6 million children living with HIV had been diagnosed and only 32% of children living with HIV had access to antiretroviral therapy.

While the price of first-line medicines has reduced significantly, the prices of second and new generation medicines are still much too high and need to be urgently negotiated down.

Knowledge ensures access

How AIDS changed everything includes exciting new information about access to treatment once people know their HIV status. Some 75% of people who know they have the virus are accessing antiretroviral therapy, showing that the majority of people do come forward for treatment and have access once they are diagnosed with HIV.

This emphasizes the urgent need to scale up HIV testing. In 2014, only 54% (19.8 million) of the 36.9 million people who are living with HIV knew that they are living with the virus.

An investment, not a cost

How AIDS changed everything shows how the economic impact is one of the greatest achievements of the response to HIV and one that will continue to yield results in years to come.

“The world went from millions to billions and each dollar invested today is producing a US$ 17 return,” said Mr Sidibé. “If we frontload investments and Fast-Track our efforts over the next five years, we will end the AIDS epidemic by 2030.”

Since 2000, an estimated US$ 187 billion has been invested in the AIDS response, US$ 90 billion of which came from domestic sources. By 2014, around 57% of AIDS investments came from domestic sources and 50 countries invested more than 75% of their responses from their own budgets—a big success for country ownership.

The United States of America has invested more than US$ 59 billion in the AIDS response and is the largest international contributor. The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria invests nearly US$ 4 billion each year towards AIDS programmes and has disbursed more than US$ 15.7 billion since its creation in 2002.

The report also shows that the next five years will be critical. Front-loading investments in the fragile five-year window up to 2020 could reduce new HIV infections by 89% and AIDS-related deaths by 81% by 2030.

Current investments in the AIDS response are around US$ 22 billion a year. That would need to be increased by US$ 8–12 billion a year in order to meet the Fast-Track Target of US$ 31.9 billion in 2020. By meeting the 2020 target, the need for resources would begin to permanently decline, reducing to US$ 29.3 billion in 2030 and far less in the future. This would produce benefits of more than US$ 3.2 trillion that extend well beyond 2030.

The report underscores that international assistance, especially for low-income and low-middle-income countries, will be necessary in the short term before sustainable financing can be secured in the long term. Sub-Saharan Africa will require the largest share of global AIDS financing: US$ 15.8 billion in 2020.

Countries that took charge have produced results

Countries that rapidly mounted robust responses to their epidemics saw impressive results. In 1980, life expectancy in Zimbabwe was around 60 years of age. In 2000, when the MDGs were set, life expectancy had dropped to just 44 years of age, largely owing to the impact of the AIDS epidemic. By 2013, however, life expectancy had risen again to 60 years of age as new HIV infections were reduced and access to antiretroviral treatment expanded.

Ethiopia has been particularly affected by the AIDS response, with 73 000 people dying of AIDS-related illnesses in 2000. Concerted efforts by the Ethiopian government have secured a drop of 71% in AIDS-related deaths between the peak in 2005 and 2014.

In Senegal, one of the earliest success stories of the global AIDS response, new HIV infections have declined by more than 87% since 2000. Similarly, Thailand, another success story, has reduced new HIV infections by 71% and AIDS-related deaths by 64%.

South Africa turned around its decline in life expectancy within 10 years, rising from 51 years in 2005 to 61 by the end of 2014, on the back a massive increase in access to antiretroviral therapy. South Africa has the largest HIV treatment programme in the world, with more than 3.1 million people on antiretroviral therapy, funded almost entirely from domestic sources. In the last five years alone, AIDS-related deaths have declined by 58% in South Africa.

Leaving no one behind

Much progress has been made in expanding HIV prevention services for key populations, even though significant gaps remain. Although more than 100 countries criminalize some form of sex work, sex workers continue to report the highest levels of condom use in the world—more than 80% in most regions.

Drug use remains criminalized in most countries, yet many do allow access to needle–syringe programmes and opioid substitution therapy. In 2014, HIV prevalence appears to have declined among people who inject drugs in almost all regions.

However, new HIV infections are rising among men who have sex with men, notably in western Europe and North America, where major declines were previously experienced. This indicates that HIV prevention efforts need to be adapted to respond to the new realities and needs of men who have sex with men.

The number of adult men who have opted for voluntary medical male circumcision to prevent HIV transmission continues to increase. From 2008 to December 2014, about 9.1 million men in 14 priority countries opted to be circumcised. In 2014 alone, 3.2 million men in 14 priority countries were circumcised. Ethiopia and Kenya have both already exceeded their target of 80% coverage.

Tuberculosis (TB) remains a leading cause of death among people living with HIV, accounting for one in five AIDS-related deaths globally. However, between 2004 and 2014, TB deaths declined by 33% thanks to the rapid increase in antiretroviral treatment, which reduces the risk that a person living with HIV will develop TB by 65%.

Some 74 countries reported having laws in place prohibiting discrimination against people living with HIV. However, at present, 61 countries have legislation that allows for the criminalization of HIV non-disclosure, exposure or transmission. In 76 countries, same-sex sexual practices are criminalized. In seven countries they are punishable by death.

Transgender people are not recognized as a separate gender in most countries and are generally absent from public policy formulation and social protection programmes. The world remains far short of achieving its goal of eliminating gender inequalities and gender-based violence and abuse.

Better data

Countries have invested heavily in monitoring and evaluating their responses to HIV. In 2014, 92% of United Nations Member States reported HIV data to UNAIDS. State-of-the-art epidemic monitoring, data collection and reporting have made HIV data the most robust in the world, far more complete than data for any other disease. This has not only enabled the world to have a clear picture of HIV trends, it has also enabled HIV programming to be tailored to the specific dynamics of each country’s epidemic.

Together with How AIDS changed everything, UNAIDS is launching its new data visualization feature AIDSinfo. This innovative visualization tool allows users to view global, regional and national data on HIV through easy-to-use maps, graphs and tables adapted for all devices.

How AIDS changed everything

The UNAIDS book gives a vivid and insightful description of the impact the AIDS response has had on global health and development over the past 15 years and of the incredible importance of the lessons learned for ensuring the success of the SDGs.

How AIDS changed everything—MDG 6: 15 years, 15 lesson of hope from the AIDS response is both a look back on the journey of the last 15 years and a look forward to the future of the AIDS response and the path to ending the AIDS epidemic by 2030.

The flagship publication from UNAIDS was released at a community event at Zewditu Hospital in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on 14 July 2015 by United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, Minister of Health, Kesetebirhan Admassu of the  Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, Executive Director of UNAIDS Michel Sidibé and Abiyot Godana, Case Manager at the Entoto Health Center.

2014/2015* GLOBAL STATISTICS

15 million* people accessing antiretroviral therapy (March 2015)             36.9 million [34.3 million–41.4 million] people globally were living with HIV             2 million [1.9 million–2.2 million] people became newly infected with HIV             1.2 million [980 000–1.6 million] people died from AIDS-related illnesses

THE STORY CONTINUES AT THE WHITETABLEGALLERY.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 as part of the Sustainable Development Goals. Learn more at unaids.org and connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

Increase mainly due to U.K. however, funding from half of fourteen donor governments declined

As world leaders meet to discuss global financing for development, a new report from the Kaiser Family Foundation and the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) finds that although there was a slight increase in funding to respond to HIV in low- and middle-income countries in 2014, seven of 14 donor governments actually decreased funding, two remained flat and funding from five governments increased.

Overall donor government funding for the AIDS response increased slightly, by less than 2 percent in 2014 to US$8.6 billion. After adjusting for inflation and exchange rates, the 2014 increase was 1%.

Still, 2014 funding levels are the highest to date. Funding began to rise again recently following a dip after the global economic crisis.

Most of the increase in HIV funding in 2014 can be attributed to the United Kingdom, without which overall funding would have dropped. In addition, contributions to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, an increasing channel of HIV support for some donors over time, went up overall, while bilateral funding went down.

"International assistance for AIDS has been instrumental in expanding access to HIV treatment and in funding HIV prevention programmes for people most affected by HIV,” said Luiz Loures, Deputy Executive Director of UNAIDS. "The donor community must now build on current funding levels to help close the resource gap to end the AIDS epidemic by 2030."

"Funding for HIV continued to be a priority for donor governments in 2014, but how funding for HIV will fare in the post-2015 era, with its much more crowded development agenda and competing demands on donors remains to be seen," said Kaiser Family Foundation Vice President Jen Kates, Director of Global Health and HIV Policy.

The U.S. government remained the largest donor government to HIV in the world but funding remained essentially flat, totaling US$5.6 billion in 2014, as it did in 2013. The next largest funder was the U.K., at US$1.1 billion.

In addition to the U.K. increase, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, and Norway also increased total assistance for HIV in 2014, while Germany and the U.S. remained essentially flat. Australia, Canada, Denmark, France, Ireland, Sweden, and the European Commission decreased assistance for HIV in 2014.

The U.S. accounted for nearly two-thirds (64.5%) of total funding (bilateral and multilateral) from donor governments, followed by the U.K. (12.9%), France (3.7%), Germany (3.2%), and the Netherlands (2.5%).

The new report, produced as a partnership between the Kaiser Family Foundation and UNAIDS, provides the latest data available on donor funding disbursements based on data provided by governments. It includes their bilateral assistance to low- and middle-income countries and contributions to the Global Fund as well as UNITAID.

The full analysis is available online.

Kaiser Family Foundation

Filling the need for trusted information on national health issues, the Kaiser Family Foundation is a nonprofit organization based in Menlo Park, California.

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.

UNAIDS opens first exhibition on new digital gallery as UNAIDS launches its new book, How AIDS changed everything—MDG 6: 15 years, 15 lessons of hope from the AIDS response.

GENEVA, 14 July 2015—UNAIDS launched today the White Table Gallery, a new digital platform that will host exhibitions relating to the AIDS response. The first exhibition, entitled Everyday Objects and a Cat, shows how “things” can hold special meanings in the AIDS response and represent bigger ideas around health and development.

The new gallery is an extension of the new UNAIDS book, How AIDS changed everything—MDG 6: 15 years, 15 lessons of hope from the AIDS response. The book includes lessons learned from reaching the AIDS targets of Millennium Development Goal 6 that can inform and transform the work towards achieving the sustainable development goals.

“Innovation and inspiration have been key to the success of the AIDS response. By continually pushing ourselves to ask “what’s new and what’s next” we have remained at the cutting edge of global health,” said Michel Sidibé, Executive Director of UNAIDS. “Platforms like the White Table Gallery will enable us to engage with new creative partners.”

As in every exhibition, individual pieces tell their own story, but also contribute to explain and give meaning to the bigger picture of which they form a part. The White Table Gallery intends to explain the AIDS epidemic using digital media in order to raise awareness and engage young people. The digital platform uses photos, videos, images and audio files to capture stories and moments in time. Everyday Objects and a Cat will run through to October 2015.

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 November 2014—UNAIDS welcomes Namibia’s Supreme Court decision to uphold the Namibian High Court finding that three women living with HIV were subjected to coercive sterilization in public hospitals without their informed consent.

“This is a great victory for all women in Namibia and the world. This decision reinforces the right to sexual and reproductive health for all women, irrespective of their HIV status,” said UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé.

The Supreme Court’s dismissal of the appeal follows the 30 July 2012 ruling of the High Court of Namibia—in the first formal court case of its kind in Africa—that medical practitioners have a “legal duty to obtain informed consent from a patient” and that the health service provider could not forcibly obtain consent during labour.  

UNAIDS worked closely with civil society and other key partners in the AIDS response in Namibia to ensure that the voices of the women affected were heard. UNAIDS calls on countries to investigate and address all reported cases of forced sterilization as well as other legal and social practices violating the basic rights of all people in health-care systems.

Women and girls, irrespective of their HIV status, should have access to information and be empowered to exercise their sexual and reproductive health rights. UNAIDS will continue to mobilize governments and communities to ensure that everyone has access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support services. 

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.