The World AIDS Campaign (WAC) has challenged governments of the G8 countries to help save millions of lives by honouring the commitment they made when they signed the global AIDS compact at the United Nations three years ago.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) today signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in which both organisations agreed to combine their efforts to raise awareness about HIV/AIDS, particularly among the sport community. The signing ceremony took place at the IOC Headquarters in Lausanne in the presence of IOC President Jacques Rogge and UNAIDS Executive Director Dr Peter Piot.

The Joint United Nations Programme (UNAIDS) welcomes the decision taken by women health ministers today to form an international network to address the growing inequalities women face in accessing basic health services, including HIV care and prevention services.

The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) sees the Team Joachim Franz initiative as an innovative project which combines the use of sport with AIDS education.

Concerned by the growing AIDS burden faced by women in developing countries, women health ministers from around the world agreed to form an international network to address the persistent inequalities women experience in accessing basic health services, particularly HIV prevention and care services. The ministers were gathered at an unprecedented meeting organized by the Council of Women World Leaders (CWWL) on the occasion of the 57th World Health Assembly.

The Mongolian Minister of Defence, H.E. Mr. J. Gurragchaa, and the Minister of Justice and Home Affairs, H.E. Mr. Ts. Nyamdorj signed a partnership agreement today with the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) to tackle HIV in uniformed services.

Chris Kirubi, leading African businessman and Chairman of Kenya’s HIV/AIDS Business Council, has been named Special Advisor to the UNAIDS Executive Director in an effort to strengthen the business response to AIDS in East Africa. Mr Kirubi has agreed to accept this honorary position on a voluntary basis for one year. He is also the corporate advisory board member of the Global Business Coalition on HIV/AIDS.

A major step was taken at a meeting today in Washington D.C., co-chaired by UNAIDS, the UK and the US, where donors and developing countries agreed to three core principles to better coordinate the scale-up of national AIDS responses. Known as the “Three Ones”, the principles are: one agreed HIV/AIDS action framework that provides the basis for coordinating the work of all partners; one national AIDS coordinating authority, with a broad based multi-sector mandate; and one agreed country-level monitoring and evaluation system.

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), the UN agency charged with coordinating United Nations efforts to combat the HIV/AIDS pandemic, jointly appointed today action star Jackie Chan as one of its Goodwill Ambassadors.

Despite the low HIV prevalence in South Asia, the epidemic continues to spread unabated, particularly among high-risk groups. In an effort to accelerate and strengthen the response to AIDS in the region, the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) has taken a significant step forward by signing a memorandum of understanding with UNAIDS today.