Press release issued by the World YWCA on the occasion of the opening of the International Women's Summit in Nairobi, Kenya.

Board calls for greater accountability and coherence, urges the UN to deliver as one and stresses importance of country led responses to the AIDS epidemic

UNAIDS commends the First Lady of Ethiopia, Mrs Azeb

The 2007 HIV/AIDS Implementers’ Meeting opens today in Kigali, and is expected to draw over 1,500 delegates from around the world. Rwanda was chosen to host the meeting in recognition of the country’s leadership in the fight against HIV/AIDS and the impressive results it has achieved.

The newly published book ‘The Invisible Cure’ by Helen Epstein reminds us of the complex and multi-disciplinary challenges posed by the AIDS epidemic, as well as the critical role of communities in the response, but it also makes numerous inaccurate statements which require correction regarding the work of the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS).

New estimates produced from improved data collection methods give better understanding of AIDS epidemic in India

UNAIDS wishes to correct multiple mischaracterizations that appear in a book published by Radcliffe Publishing, entitled The AIDS Pandemic: the collision of epidemiology with political correctness by James Chin. These errors deal with the process and results of the estimations of the AIDS pandemic, made with technical assistance from the UNAIDS Secretariat and WHO.

The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) welcomes the release of the latest antenatal clinic survey by South Africa’s Department of Health. South Africa has produced one of the world’s most comprehensive antenatal clinic surveys. In 2006 over 33 000 pregnant women participating in government antenatal clinics were surveyed, compared to over 16 500 women in 2005.

The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) welcomes G8 leaders reaffirmation of their commitment to work towards the goal of universal access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support by 2010. UNAIDS also applauds the G8 announcement of a projected $US60 billion investment in AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria and the strengthening of health systems in Africa, as part of their work towards realizing the Millennium Development Goals. Current estimates show that for AIDS alone, around US$70 billion will be needed from 2008 – 2010 to enable universal access to be achieved globally.

Dr Peter Piot, Executive Director of UNAIDS and United Nations Under Secretary General, today welcomed South Africa’s new National Strategic Plan for AIDS and expressed optimism that the country stood on the brink of turning the tide against its AIDS epidemic. He congratulated South Africa on establishing the world’s largest antiretroviral treatment programme, and on having put together an ambitious and credible five-year plan.