UNAIDS Press Release - September 12, 2006

Mr. Dumont has been involved in AIDS issues in Asia for some time and has set up a scholarship programme at China's prestigious Tsinghua University focused among other things on AIDS and communication. He has also led several HIV prevention fundraising efforts.

"The involvement of the private sector is crucial in the response to AIDS," said Dr. Peter Piot, UNAIDS Executive Director. "We need leadership in this field and I am very proud to have Serge Dumont as a UNAIDS Special Representative. I know he will embark on this mission with creativity and efficiency and I am convinced that the mix of expertise, talent and global networks that Serge can bring to the AIDS work will be of great value."

Dr. Peter Piot will formally announce Serge Dumont's appointment on Monday 11 September in Beijing.

Serge Dumont said: "I accept with humility to serve as UNAIDS Special Representative - an immense honor and a tremendous responsibility I will do my best to fulfill. Over the past 25 years, more than 25 million people have died from AIDS related illnesses. Businesses have a significant stake in helping stop this epidemic."

Special Representatives are prominent individuals from the worlds of arts, sciences, literature, entertainment, sports, business or other fields of public life, who wish to contribute to UNAIDS and to help move the AIDS response forward.

Mr. Dumont will be joining a group of other prestigious UNAIDS Special Representatives including actor Jackie Chan, football player Michael Ballack, and Hong Kong pop singer Miriam Yeung Chin Wah.

According to UNAIDS roughly 8.3 million people are living with HIV in Asia. In 2005, approximately 930,000 became infected with HIV while 600,000 died from AIDS in Asia.

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For additional information on Serge Dumont kindly refer to www.sergedumontfund.org

Contact

Tina Bille | UNAIDS Geneva | tel. +41 22 791 4928 | billet@unaids.org

Beth Magne-Watts | UNAIDS Geneva | tel. +41 22 791 5074 | magnewattsb@unaids.org

Ole Schack Hansen | UNAIDS China | +86 10 8532 2226 | ole.hansen@public.un.org.cn

Sun Gang | UNAIDS Bangkok | +66 2 288 1272 | gangs@.un.org

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