Slowing the high rate of new infections in young girls in Zambia is being addressed with urgency by leadership on several levels across the country. The high rate of infections in young girls is a key element of the epidemic in Zambia. Girls are at risk for several reasons including the fact that hey are often economic
Washington, DC - The U.S. President s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, along with the Government of Uganda ; the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria; UNAIDS ; UNICEF; the World Bank; the World Health Organization ; and the Global Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS, is pleased to announce a call
Health experts from international agencies, non-governmental and research organisations and universities as well as industry agreed on a series of steps aimed at ensuring that HIV trials and interventions are designed and implemented to reflect more closely the needs of women, who are increasingly affected by AIDS. At
Human rights and its links to reaching the goal of universal access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support was central to the discussions of the eighth meeting of the UNAIDS Reference Group on HIV and Human Rights, an independent advisory body to UNAIDS, that took place on 3-5 December 2007 in Geneva. The
My name is Peter Piot and I am executive director of UNAIDS . Thank you for inviting me to testify today before the Senate Health, Labor and Pensions Committee about the HIV/AIDS epidemic, the work of UNAIDS to address this epidemic, and the critical difference that PEPFAR has made in the global fight against HIV/AIDS.
Women and adolescent girls are on the frontline in the AIDS epidemic but getting them the special treatments, HIV prevention strategies and protection they need will require a varied, multi-disciplined response -- medical, social and economic, health specialists agreed. Meeting at UNAIDS in Geneva, health experts f
Geneva, 10 December 2007 - Today, the world marks the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights with a focus on universality . UNAIDS welcomes this focus. The universality of human rights is a fundamental prerequisite to achieving universal access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support - agr
Specialists on AIDS and women s health are meeting in Geneva from December 10-11 to review the latest developments in research into preventing and treating HIV among women and adolescent girls from HIV infection, and to make recommendations on priorities and strategies. The conference, Making HIV Trials Work for Women
As part of a six-day visit to Mexico , the Executive Director of UNAIDS , Dr Peter Piot, met with Mexico s President, Felipe Calderon Hinojosa, to discuss ways of increasing collaboration to strengthen the response to AIDS in the country. Dr Piot commended the President on his commitment to making AIDS a priority and p
In the second of a three-part series on clinical trials and the search for effective HIV preventions and treatment, UNAIDS looks at why it is a scientific and ethical imperative that women and adolescent girls be adequately represented in testing and at the special issues that can surround their participation. Wome
Art and AIDS have been inextricably linked throughout the epidemic s quarter of a century history. Art has conveyed what words alone cannot. UNAIDS Executive Director, Peter Piot. World AIDS day 2007 marked the first anniversary of the UNAIDS Art for AIDS collection-an art collection created to recognize the role art
HIV was a major focus at this year s World Family Summit, which took place in Warsaw, Poland , from November 26-29. While AIDS had been discussed at previous Summits, for the first time, the impact of HIV on families was incorporated into the declaration that resulted from the conference.
In the first of a special three-part web series, www.unaids.org looks at the state of research into new HIV prevention technologies, the ethical debates around the issue, and the steps that have been taken to answer the concerns. The question of HIV trials, and in particular the involvement of women and adolescent girl
Today, millions of people around the globe are marking the 20th World AIDS Day. For some, this may be the only day in the year they think about AIDS. For many, however, AIDS is part of daily life. Since the first World AIDS Day in 1988, when the World Health Organization called on everyone to Join the Worldwide Effort
Mexico City, 30 November 2007-- On the occasion of World AIDS Day the global call for nominations for the Red Ribbon Award 2008 will be announced in Mexico City. The biennial award, which will be presented at next summer s International AIDS Conference in Mexico, will honour 25 community-based organisations for their c
Manila, 30 November 2007 - On the eve of World AIDS Day recognizing the theme of leadership, Parliamentarians from around the world have adopted bold recommendations to guide their response to HIV at the national level. They recognized that in spite of revised estimates, the scale of the epidemic remains a major challe
UNAIDS Executive Director Dr. Peter Piot spoke today at the Saddleback Church Global AIDS Summit in Lake Forest, California. Dr Piot noted the unique and important role in the global AIDS response of religious groups of all kinds, which provide HIV treatment, care and support in some of the remotest parts of the worl
MTV Networks International today (Thursday 29 November) announced the re-launch of www.staying-alive.org, the online portal for the company s Staying Alive campaign. With the site, Staying Alive-the world s biggest youth focused HIV prevention campaign-provides young people with a unique platform to exchange views on l
The First Global Parliamentary Meeting on AIDS was opened on Wednesday 28 November in Manila by Mr Manny Villar, President of the Senate of the Philippines . Around 200 participants from around the world are attending the three-day meeting which has been organized by the Inter-Parliamentary Union in cooperation with th
UNAIDS welcomes the involvement of Islamic religious leaders and scholars in the response to AIDS, said UNAIDS Director of Partnerships and External Relations Elhadj As Sy during the plenary address of the Islam and AIDS conference taking place in Johannesburg, South Africa , from 26 - 30 November
The need to further engage young people in the AIDS response was a key element of discussion at the recent Commonwealth Heads of Governments Meeting (GHOGM), which took place in Kampala, Uganda . UNAIDS Deputy Executive Director Deborah Landey joined Uganda AIDS Commission Director General Dr David Kihumuro Apuuli and
In a special statement to mark International Day Against Violence Against Women and the start of the annual 16 days of Activism Against Gender Violence (November 25), the UN Secretary General s Special Envoy on AIDS for Africa, Elizabeth Mataka, asks when it comes to women, why are we so slow to act? I have been reflec
-- Improvements in surveillance increase understanding of the epidemic, resulting in substantial revisions to estimates Geneva, 20 November 2007 - New data show global HIV prevalence - the percentage of people living with HIV - has levelled off and that the number of new infections has fallen, in part as a result of th
Over the last eight years, estimates of HIV prevalence, incidence and mortality have been produced in close collaboration with countries, using methods developed by a reference group of internationally renowned scientists. In producing these estimates, the UNAIDS Secretariat and WHO use the best available data and late
With less than a month to go before this year s World AIDS Day, events to commemorate the day are being organized all over the world. The 20th annual World AIDS Day - that takes place on December 1 - will focus on leadership, the theme set by the World AIDS Campaign under the five-year slogan Stop AIDS, Keep the Promis
Managua, 8 November 2007--United Nations agencies and programs are committed to taking all the necessary measures to intensify Central America s response to the HIV epidemic. This announcement was made by the Regional Directors for Latin America and the Caribbean of UNAIDS and UNICEF, participating in the 5th Central A
The 5th Central American Congress on HIV (CONCASIDA) is being held in Managua, Nicaragua , from 4-9 November. The 1,500 participants attending the congress include Dr Peter Piot, Executive Director of UNAIDS , UNAIDS Special Representative HRH the Crown Princess of Norway , people li
Several countries have recently introduced laws to criminalise HIV transmission, or exposing another person to the virus. A number of jurisdictions have used general laws against serious bodily harm in cases where someone is accused of knowingly transmitting HIV or willingly exposing others to HIV transmission. Subject
Managua - One of the key meetings taking place in the framework of the V Central American Congress on AIDS (CONCASIDA) was the Second meeting of the Americas on AIDS, prisons and confinement which was held in Managua on 4th and 5th November. Under discussion were the poor conditions many inmates are facing in prisons a
Managua, 4 November 2007--Central America is preparing to host the V Central American Congress on STI, HIV and AIDS, to be held in Managua, Nicaragua from 4 to 9 November 2007 under the theme For Equality, Diversity and Non-Discrimination . The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (
AIDS has become the greatest leadership challenge to nations and regions in the 26 years since its discovery, the UNAIDS Deputy Executive Director UNAIDS Michel Sidibe said in his keynote speech at the 7th Annual General Meeting of the Pan Caribbean Partnership Against HIV/AIDS (PANCAP), held in
It has been proven that people understand and retain information better when it is written in their own language. So when it comes to reaching as many people as possible with knowledge and information about AIDS making content available in a variety of languages is imperative. For that reason, UNAIDS tr
Cairo, 30 October 2007 - At the Second Pan-African Forum on Children in Cairo, UNAIDS called for more work to be done in gathering strategic information on children and AIDS. The call came in efforts to increase the understanding of the AIDS epidemic in children and the impact it is having on their lives. One of o
President of India Pratibha Patil met representatives from UNAIDS , UNICEF, HIV positive networks and government officials in New Delhi. The Indian President, Pratibha Patil met representatives from UNAIDS, UNICEF, HIV positive networks and government officials in New Delhi to mark the second anniversary of the UNICEF/
The Coalition of First Ladies and Women Leaders of Latin America on HIV held its third meeting in San Pedro Sula, Honduras on Friday 26 October to discuss the growing rates of HIV infection among women in Latin America and the impact of AIDS on women in the region. Participants included the First Ladies of Honduras
The 11th European AIDS Conference runs from 24-27 October in Madrid, Spain . The conference, held every other year and attended by several thousand delegates, focuses on issues related to HIV clinical research and care in Europe. In a special session titled What s New in HIV Prevention ,
In a joint mission, UNICEF Executive Director Ann Veneman, UNAIDS Executive Director Peter Piot and Dr Tadatakai Yamada, President of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation s Global Health Programme visited Botswana to gain a shared perspective of the progress and challenges facing the country in its AIDS response.
UNAIDS Secretariat staff in Geneva joined the STAND UP and SPEAK OUT events taking place across the globe, calling for leaders to take action against poverty and inequality and to achieve and exceed the Millennium Development Goals. Expressing themselves through written messages on a billboard, UNAIDS staff underline
Johannesburg, 17 October 2007 - African media personality Gaetano Kagwa has been appointed as a Special Representative for the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS ( UNAIDS ). In this role, the popular host of the M-NET African lifestyle television program Studio 53 and former Big Brother Africa contestant will r
Migration, mobile populations and tuberculosis were priority focus areas at the meeting of EU national AIDS Coordinators, organized by the Portuguese Presidency of the European Union. UNAIDS Deputy Director Michel Sidibe stressed that increased action in these areas is vital in the goal of universal access to HIV preve
Rupert Everett, the film and theatre actor (My Best Friend s Wedding, Another Country), and Special Representative of UNAIDS visited Moscow and St Petersburg 23 - 26 September, to learn more about AIDS and tuberculosis in Russia and to help raise awareness about these two important, inter-linked diseases.
With the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games less than a year away, sporting fever is gripping China and the surrounding countries. And as athletes prepare to run, jump, kick and throw themselves onto the winners podium, HIV prevention is also emerging as an Olympic champion. Sport and its impact, role and opportunity for HIV p
UNAIDS has released a new report on the estimated financial resources required for the AIDS response. The report, entitled Financial Resources required to Achieve Universal Access to HIV, Prevention, Treatment, Care and Support puts forward three different approaches to financing the AIDS response including: Scal
As world Leaders joined in Berlin, Germany on Thursday 27 September to announce their financial pledges to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria for the next three years, UNAIDS Executive Director Peter Piot underlined the United Nations commitment to make the money work - to help make Global Fund g
World Leaders joined in Berlin, Germany on Thursday 27 September to announce their financial pledges to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria for the next three years. Before the pledging began, German Chancellor Angela Merkel spoke in front of an audience of heads of country delegations from around
Understanding the magnitude of spending on AIDS programmes, the sources of such funding, and the activities supported by such expenditures is critically important to policymakers, programme planners, and international donors. Effective resource monitoring helps identify gaps in the response, improves the strategic abil
Delegates from donor countries and international organizations gathered in Berlin on Wednesday 26 September to begin the second of the Global Fund s biennial meetings to raise funds for its programmes to provide essential HIV, tuberculosis and malaria services in developing countries. The meeting, which runs through to
UNAIDS has released a new report on the estimated financial resources required for the AIDS response. The report, entitled Financial Resources required to Achieve Universal Access to HIV, Prevention, Treatment, Care and Support puts forward three different approaches to financing the AIDS response including: Scal
Moscow 23 September 2007, Rupert Everett, renowned film and theatre actor and Special Representative of UNAIDS , the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS, is travelling in Russia from 23-26 September. Everett, known from several acclaimed films including My Best Friend s Wedding and Another Country will visit
With increased funding and technical support resources available for AIDS, the need for coordinated, harmonized and aligned national AIDS responses has never been greater. To help countries ensure inclusive, participatory national responses to AIDS, UNAIDS with the World Bank has developed the ‘Country Harmonization an
One year on since its establishment, the international drug purchase facility - UNITAID - is celebrating a number of key achievements. In the year since it was established, UNITAID has managed to reduce the price of HIV treatments for children by almost 40%, and those for second-line antiretroviral (ARV) drugs by betwe
UNAIDS Executive Director Peter Piot today participated in a forum at the Woodrow Wilson Center for International Scholars in Washington, D.C., discussing the United States important role in the global AIDS response and the upcoming reauthorization of the U.S. President s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief. U.S. Represen
Experience and evidence show that for an effective response to AIDS, it is essential to involve people living with HIV at all levels. Networks of people living with HIV are uniquely well qualified to help unify the response and maximize efforts to reach out to communities as well as influence national policy. In order
Finding innovative solutions to key health challenges to ensure the long-term economic development and well being of nations worldwide was the focus for business leaders attending the three-day meeting of New Champions, which took place in Dalian in the People s Republic of China from 6 to 8 September 2007. The iss
Geneva, 7 September 2007 - UNAIDS mourns the death of former colleague Julia Cleves who lost her battle against cancer on Wednesday 5 September. Since starting in UNAIDS in October 1999, Julia worked with many of the staff in Geneva and others around the world. We were all inspired by her enthusiasm, her vision and her
Leaders from donor countries, funding organizations, developing nations, and international agencies came together in London on Wednesday 5 September to launch a new international partnership to help improve healthcare systems in the developing world. Led by the government of the United Kingdom , the International He
The cricket World Twenty20 will focus on children, young people and HIV. International cricketers will highlight the situation of children and young people living with HIV as part of a far-reaching AIDS awareness campaign during the 2007 World Twenty20 world cricket championship in South Africa . Players, parti
Over 150 leaders from all denominations of Christian and Islamic faith communities came together in Abuja, Nigeria to take stock of faith-based organizations achievements and good practices within the AIDS response in the country and to examine challenges faced for the future. Hosted by the National Faith-Based Advisor
Port Moresby, 30 August 2007 - Alarmed by recent reports that people living with HIV have been buried alive in the Southern Highlands of Papua New Guinea , the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS ( UNAIDS ) and the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) exp
For a comprehensive response to AIDS, developing additional HIV prevention methods and tools to prevent HIV - such as HIV vaccines and microbicides -- is a key component. The continuing research and development of such prevention technologies relies on adequate and efficient funding and spending - and supporting this,
A new national initiative from UNAIDS in Pakistan aims to ensure that communities and the government listen to the experts - people living with HIV - when making decisions about treatment, care, support and prevention. Twenty-four year old Masood is the newest recruit to one of UNAIDS latest initiatives: the Associat
What will it take to reach universal access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support in Myanmar ? This was the central discussion of a satellite meeting held as part of the 8th International Congress on AIDS in Asia and the Pacific (ICAAP) on Monday 20 August. Over the past year the response to AIDS in Myanmar ac
Colombo, 20 August 2007 - Asia-Pacific nations will face a serious challenge in sustaining their response to AIDS unless they become less reliant on external donors and commit more national funds and human resources to AIDS programmes, UNAIDS Asia Pacific Regional Director Prasada Rao said today. Speaking at the op
As part of the international scout jamboree held in Britain over the summer, UNAIDS ran workshops on HIV prevention, personal responsibility in HIV transmission and respect for the human rights of positive people. This summer, residents of Chelmsford, a town in eastern England, woke up to an unusual array of sights and
For the latest news, views and reviews on HIV coverage in the scientific literature - log on to http://hivthisweek.unaids.org ! This newly launched UNAIDS blog offers up-to-date insight into scientific developments within the AIDS response as covered in specialist and general medicine journals. The blog includes accomp
Empowerment of women and promotion of gender equality were underlined as critical to reducing vulnerability to HIV in the Middle East and North Africa [MENA] at a recent gathering of experts from the region. Specialists working in the areas of HIV and gender joined at a think tank meeting on Gender and HIV in the Middl
As the flags were hoisted, national anthems sung and medals presented, HIV prevention emerged as a new champion at the 2007 All Africa games held in Algeria in July. While athletes from across the continent ran, jumped, threw and sprinted their way onto the medal winners podium, volunteers from Algerian NGO AIDS-Alger
The 4th IAS Conference on HIV Pathogenesis, Treatment and Prevention came to a close in Sydney, Australia today. More than 5,000 delegates from 133 countries came together for the four-day conference to examine the latest developments in HIV-related research. The science presented here in Sydney is not only about new a
It s an unfortunate reality that all too often, the people most at risk and most in need of HIV prevention, treatment and care programmes are those least likely to have access to these services. For example it is estimated that fewer than one in 20 men who have sex with men (MSM) around the world have access to HIV pre
The Australian Society for HIV Medicine and the International AIDS Society are hosting the 4th IAS Conference on HIV Pathogenesis, Treatment and Prevention in Sydney, Australia from 22-25 July 2007. Over 5000 delegates are expected to attend the conference which features the latest developments in HIV biology, pathogen
The Australian Society for HIV Medicine and the International AIDS Society are hosting the 4th IAS Conference on HIV Pathogenesis, Treatment and Prevention in Sydney, Australia from 22-25 July 2007. Over 5000 delegates are expected to attend the conference which features the latest developments in HIV biology, pathogen
Between March and June 2007, national epidemiologists, analysts and heads of AIDS programmes from 124 countries have taken part in specialist UNAIDS training to improve and refine country HIV estimates. Eleven regional training workshops have been conducted around the world to bring epidemiologists up to date with the
Geneva - The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS ( UNAIDS ) today announced the appointment of Kristan Schoultz as the new Director of the Global Coalition on Women and AIDS. The Global Coalition on Women and AIDS, initiated by UNAIDS in 2004, is a unique partnership of UN agencies, civil society groups and netw
Fourteen prominent church leaders in Lesotho have signed a statement of commitment on AIDS, pledging to confront the epidemic and to support people living with HIV in a united front. In the presence of His Majesty King Letsie III and the Rt. Honorable Prime Minister Bethuel Mosisili, the religious leaders underlined th
UNAIDS today acknowledged good progress that has been made in China s response to AIDS, presenting special awards to China s Vice Minister of Health, Dr Wang Longde and Professor Zhang Beichuan from Qingdao University, for their leadership on AIDS issues. At an awards ceremony held Beijing, UNAIDS Executive Director
During a nine day tour of five countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States, a group of HIV advocates met with policy makers and civil society organizations to raise awareness on women and AIDS in this part of the world. Women against AIDS tour was conceived in the midst of a growing concern that women are incre
1. How have results of population-based surveys been used in refining AIDS estimates? Since 2000 several countries have conducted nationally representative population-based surveys with HIV prevalence measurement. The first ones were conducted in Mali and Zambia in 2001-2002. By mid 2007 a total of 26 count
New Delhi, 06 July 2007 - The new 2006 estimates released today by the National AIDS Control Organization (NACO), supported by UNAIDS and WHO, indicate that national adult HIV prevalence in India is approximately 0.36%, which corresponds to an estimated 2 million to 3.1 million people living with HIV in the country.
Representatives from more than 20 countries gathered in Accra, Ghana on the occasion of the 5th General Assembly of the Organization of African First Ladies Against AIDS (OAFLA) held on the margins of the 9th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the African Union. During her opening speech, the First Lady of Ghana, Mrs.
AIDS experts estimate expanded HIV prevention could avert 30 million HIV infections by 2015. In a new report released on HIV prevention, a panel of leading AIDS experts calls for a major increase in global HIV prevention programs, citing new projections that expanded access to prevention could avert approximately 30 mi
Hosted by the World YWCA, the International Women s Summit on Women s Leadership on HIV, brings together over 1500 people, including global leaders, high level policy makers, celebrities, community health workers and AIDS activists from 4 to 7 July to develop strategies, skills and partnerships in response to the impac
In the run-up to the International Women s Summit on Women s Leadership on AIDS, the Global Coalition of Women and AIDS s (GCWA) leadership council convenes its third meeting in Nairobi on 3rd July 2007 to examine evidence of what is happening at country level for women and AIDS. The GCWA leadership council is made up
Two issues of global importance, AIDS and the environment, were highlighted during a symbolic tree planting event led by organisations of people living with HIV in China . The event, organized by the Beijing Health Bureau in collaboration with local HIV advocacy groups, the Mangrove Support Group and Ark of Love organi
India has a prime opportunity to drive its AIDS response forward and get ahead of its epidemic, said UNAIDS Deputy Director, Michel Sidibe, commenting on the successful development of the country s National AIDS Control Plan III. Currently waiting final sign off from the Indian Ministry of Health, the plan is widely
In middle-and lower-income countries there is a push to improve patient management and the monitoring and evaluation of HIV services. To do this, all information systems, either paper-based or electronic, need to allow for relatively easy access to information. To ensure that patient confidentially is not compromised i
Donors, AIDS experts and implementers from around the world are gathering in Kigali, Rwanda to attend the 2007 HIV/AIDS Implementers Meeting. The meeting, hosted by the government of Rwanda and cosponsored by PEPFAR, the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria; the UNAIDS
Geneva, 13 June 2007 - 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
Geneva, 12 June 2007 - As part of its continuous efforts to know its epidemic better, India s National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO), supported by the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS ( UNAIDS ), is using data from the expanded surveillance system and a new population-based survey to produce more accurate
Geneva, 11 June 2007 - 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 pandemi
In many countries, communities were the first to mobilize in response to AIDS, and their initiatives often laid the foundations for the development of the national response. Building on this, experience has shown that action on AIDS requires greater coordination among partners to ensure that actions are not duplicated
The decade long brutal civil war in Sierra Leone was officially declared over in 2002. But in a country which is ranked 176 out of 177 in the Human Development Index*, the government is confronted with many different priorities all equally important (energy, infrastructure, health, education, water and sanitation) and
Geneva, 8 June 2007 – As part of its continuous efforts to know its epidemic better, the National AIDS Control Organization (NACO) leads an annual process, together with national and international expert groups, including UNAIDS and WHO to estimate the number of adults living with HIV in
Geneva - 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, tubercul
If South Africa can achieve its aims, the country will be well on the way to leading Africa into a new phase in the AIDS response, said UNAIDS Executive Director Peter Piot, at the opening of the third South African Aids conference in Durban yesterday. Congratulating South Africa for its new ambitious and credibl
-- Commitments on universal access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support will not be met at the current rate of progress. Increased action and resources are urgently needed. Geneva, 5 June 2007 - In 2005, G8 leaders made unprecedented commitments on AIDS that led the international community to work towards the
Geneva, 4 June 07 - As the world s leaders prepare to meet this week for the annual G8 Summit, which will take place in Heiligendamm, Germany June 6-8, 2007, the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS ( UNAIDS ) and the Kaiser Family Foundation are releasing a new report analyzing funding for AIDS in low- and middl
To demonstrate commitments and progress made by countries in the Caribbean to addressing AIDS, and to highlight programming challenges, the CARICOM based Pan-Caribbean Partnership Against HIV/AIDS (PANCAP) and the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS ( UNAIDS ) have launched a comprehensive report on national AID
1. INTRODUCTION This document responds to growing need at country level for basic operational guidance on provider-initiated HIV testing and counselling in health facilities. It is intended for a wide audience including policy-makers, HIV/AIDS programme planners and coordinators, health-care providers, non-governmental
--New recommendations aim for wider knowledge of HIV status and greatly increased access to HIV treatment and prevention-- London, 30 May 2007 -- WHO and UNAIDS today issued new guidance on informed, voluntary HIV testing and counselling in the world s health facilities, with a view to significantly increasing access t
Top Asian broadcasters, producers, journalists and media executives have pledged to step up their response to AIDS and form the Asia Pacific Media AIDS initiative to ensure increased and improved media coverage of AIDS issues in the region. Agreement to drive forward the media response to AIDS in Asia came at the one-d
In 2006, UNAIDS came together with civil society, treatment activists, the private sector and governments -- to call for the global community mobilize an alliance for intensifying HIV prevention efforts, under the banner Uniting for HIV Prevention . A key partner from the outset, the Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) con
As part of the 61 st session of the General Assembly, UNPlus- the UN system-wide group of staff living with HIV- met with the United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to brief him on the key achievements of the group since its inception in March 2005 and to discuss the opportunities and challenges that UN positive
New York, 21 May 2007 - Welcoming the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon s commitment and personal pledge that the United Nations will continue to prioritize the response to AIDS, the Executive Director of the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS ( UNAIDS ) emphasized the critical need to build leadership in all se
Ten years ago today, President Bill Clinton evoked President Kennedy s national goal of landing on the moon to set a new goal: develop an AIDS vaccine within the decade. Those ten years have come and gone, and instead of a vaccine, we are faced with 39 million people living with HIV, four million individuals newly infe
Homophobia is one of the key drivers of HIV epidemics and poses a critical challenge to moving forward with an effective AIDS response. The International Day Against Homophobia (May 17) underlines the need for everyone s contribution to reduce and end discrimination, violence and crimilization based on sexual orientati
During a high-level mission to Haiti in May, the UNAIDS delegation headed by Deputy Executive Director Michel Sidibe underlined its support to Fondation SOGEBANK, the Global Fund s Principal Recipient in Haiti, in helping ensure greater coordination of resources for AIDS and developing a culture of multi-sectoral partn
Warsaw, Poland , 14 May 2007 - Despite increased political commitment and funding for the AIDS response, most people who inject drugs are still being denied access to basic HIV prevention and treatment services, said UNAIDS at the 18th Conference on Drug Related Harm in Poland.
Injecting drug use is estimated to account for nearly one-third of new infections outside sub-Saharan Africa, but fewer than 8% of injecting drug users receive HIV prevention services. Drug users not only face physical risks of HIV infection, they are also vulnerable to HIV because of their social and legal status. Ill
AIDS is forcing us to adopt new approaches, look at things differently, and transform the way we do things, said UNAIDS Executive Director Peter Piot as he gave the 2007 Payne Lecture at Stanford University on May 9. In remarks punctuated with statistics, Piot reflected on how the epidemic and its response have evolve
The President of Cote d Ivoire , His Excellency Laurent Gbagbo, is leading the drive to mobilize resources for the implementation of the county s national AIDS plan. At a roundtable meeting held in Abidjan at the beginning of May, President Laurent Gbagbo and Prime Minister Guillaume Soro welcomed members of the Govern
The AIDS response in South Africa has been given a boost with the successful endorsement of two key processes: the restructured South African National AIDS Council (SANAC) and a new national AIDS plan which will guide South Africa s response to AIDS over the next five years. The revamped Council is a high-level multi-s
The first global consultation on HIV and internally displaced people took place in Geneva from 24 to 25 April, bringing together some 45 experts from governments, United Nations agencies, non-governmental organizations and the academic world. The global consultation, convened by one of UNAIDS Cosponsoring organisations
Although a small number of countries around the world have seen HIV prevalence decline due to sound HIV prevention efforts, in 2006, there were still 4.3 million new HIV infections with over 40% of new adult infections occurring among young people aged 15-24. These figures underline a clear and urgent need to intensify
China is a country of expanding wealth, deep-rooted tradition, and honour, and is home to some of the world s most famous landmarks. It is also a country which over the past few years has become increasingly affected by the AIDS epidemic. In 2005 UNAIDS estimated that there were close to 650,000 people living wit
Despite many challenges in the country, Rwanda is demonstrating exceptional commitment to bring together a successful 2007 HIV/AIDS Implementer s Meeting in Kigali. During a recent three day visit to the capital, UNAIDS director of country and regional support, Michel Sidibe remarked on the country s efforts to provide
The most important thing, we can do for children is to protect them and help provide them with the life skills and knowledge they need, to have healthy lives and a better future, said Her Royal Highness the Grand Duchess Maria Teresa of Luxembourg during the ceremony to commemorate her appointment by UNICEF as a
London - Access to antiretroviral therapy for advanced HIV infection in low- and middle-income countries continued to grow throughout 2006, with more than two million people living with HIV/AIDS receiving treatment in December 2006, a 54% increase over the 1.3 million people on treatment one year earlier in these count
WHO, UNAIDS and UNICEF have launched a new report on scaling up priority AIDS interventions in the health sector. The report, launched in London, Geneva, New Delhi and Buenos Aires on 17 April, highlights that by the end of 2006 more than 2 million people in low- and middle-income countries had access to antiretroviral
Across the world, a small but growing number of countries have reduced HIV prevalence through sound prevention efforts. However, in 2006, there were still 4.3 million new HIV infections with over 40% of new adult infections occurring among young people aged 15-24. According to latest estimates, HIV prevention services
Across the world, significant progress is being made in the response to AIDS - political and financial commitment is higher than ever before and in more and more countries effective HIV prevention and treatment programmes are being made more widely available. But all too often, children are still missing out. Despite t
Natalia, a young Ukrainian woman, has been injecting drugs for the last five years. Injecting drug use is a serious problem in Ukraine and is further compounded by high HIV prevalence among people who inject drugs. In Kiev for example the Ukrainian Ministry of Health estimated that in 2006, 49% of people who were injec
During armed conflict, people are often subjected to mass displacement and human rights abuses, including sexual violence, and left in conditions of poverty and powerlessness that might force some individuals to sell sex to survive. In addition, infrastructure may be destroyed, and prevention and curative health servic
AIDS and global insecurity co-exit in a vicious cycle. Civil and international conflicts can expand the spread of HIV as populations are destabilized, and armies move across new territories. At the same time, the epidemic contributes to national and international insecurity through high levels of HIV infection among mi
I cannot get infected, because I don t live in Africa, says Mihai, a 35-year-old man living in the capital of the Republic of Moldova , Chisinau . Also, I don t do drugs, I don t practice sex for money, and I m not gay. So, I cannot get infected , he adds. Alexandru, 23 years old, remembers: One of my schoolmates
Every wicket counts in cricket, and it s the same with the fight against AIDS - everybody s contribution makes a difference. These were the words of the UNAIDS Country Coordinator for Guyana and Suriname , Dr. Ruben del Prado, speaking during a visit by members of the South African cricket team to the D
Supporting the active engagement of people living with HIV in the AIDS response is one of UNAIDS most important goals. Building on its work in this area, UNAIDS has developed a policy brief with recommendations for governments, civil society and international donors on how to increase and improve the involvement of peo
Paris - In response to the urgent need to reduce the number of new HIV infections globally, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the UNAIDS Secretariat convened an international expert consultation to determine whether male circumcision should be recommended for the prevention of HIV infection. Based on the evid
At the 6 th annual session of Burkina Faso s National AIDS Commission, President Blaise Compaore underlined his personal commitment to fighting AIDS as he chaired the one-day session and called for a scaling-up of the AIDS response towards universal access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support in the country.
Ahead of World TB Day, UNAIDS asks the UN Secretary General s Special Envoy to Stop TB and former President of Portugal , Dr Jorge Sampaio about his involvement in the fight against TB, its links with HIV and what he sees are the top priorities for HIV/TB collaboration in the future.
It s an unfortunate reality that all too often, the people most at risk and most in need of HIV prevention, treatment and care programmes are those least likely to have access to these services. According to latest estimates, only one in ten people most at risk has access to prevention services. In many cases, for inje
Tuberculosis (TB) remains a global emergency despite the fact that it is a preventable and curable disease. Chronic lack of investment in TB programmes and research into new ways to diagnose, treat and prevent TB have left us extremely vulnerable to the new, emerging threats to TB control. The discovery of TB that is r
Leadership has been chosen by the World AIDS Campaign as the theme for World AIDS Day 2007 and 2008. This theme will continue to be promoted with the slogan Stop AIDS. Keep the Promise. -the World AIDS Campaign (WAC) emphasis from 2005-2010. On December 1 every year, the world comes together to commemorate World AIDS
Geneva, 16 March 2007 - The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS ( UNAIDS ) and the World Health Organization (WHO) reiterate the importance of evidence based approaches to AIDS treatment as part of a comprehensive response to the epidemic. Following the recent claim of a new treatment which can cure AIDS in the
Tatiana Semikop s story begins in 1994 when she was working as a criminal police officer in Odessa. That was the year Tatiana met an 11-year-old boy living with HIV who did not know who or where to turn to for help and support. At the time Tatiana knew very little about AIDS but wanted to help the boy, so she set out t
The small northern town of Bremen is the setting chosen by the German Federal Government to host the conference of the German Presidency of the Council of the European Union: Responsibility and Partnership - Together Against HIV/AIDS . Germany has convened the conference as part of efforts to fulfil its pledge of makin
Amidst celebrations at the opening of the ICC Cricket World Cup in the Caribbean on Sunday 11 March, players and spectators around the world were asked to reflect on the lives of children and young people living with and affected by HIV in the region. The message came as part of joint efforts between the International
Statement by Peter Piot, UNAIDS Executive Director It is International Women s Day, the day when we celebrate women, as well as reflect on the challenges they face. In all too many places, women face inequality with men, but in one area they are fast approaching equality where no one wants it. Worldwide, the number
Purnima is a renowned social scientist and an expert in gender issues in international health, especially in AIDS. Purnima worked for over 12 years as an Associate Professor at the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai, India before she joined the Global Programme on AIDS at the World H
UNAIDS has released Practical Guidelines for Intensifying HIV Prevention:Towards Universal Access to assist policy makers and planners in countries to strengthen their national HIV prevention response. The development of the Guidelines recognises that universal access is not only about sustaining and increasing acces
DUBAI/GENEVA/NEW YORK/ KINGSTON/BRIDGETOWN - The International Cricket Council (ICC) will team up with UNAIDS , UNICEF and the Caribbean Broadcast Media Partnership on HIV/AIDS at the ICC Cricket World Cup 2007 to highlight the situation of children and young people living with and affected by HIV. More than two bi
United Nations, New York - UNIFEM, UNAIDS and Johnson & Johnson today announced that they are providing grants to organizations in five countries to address links between gender-based violence and the spread of HIV/AIDS. The grants will be provided by Johnson & Johnson through the UN Trust Fund to End Violence
He is clapping from wherever he is, Maria Lucia Araujo said emotionally of what her son, Cazuza s reaction would be to the children s home Viva Cazuza which was founded in his name. Cazuza, one of Brazil s best-known solo artists, died in 1990 of an AIDS-related illness in Rio de Janeiro at the age of 32. Today, 65 ch
In the second of a special three-part series on the issue of male circumcision and its links to the reduction of HIV acquisition, unaids.org considers current research findings. It s a subject that hits headlines, fuels discussions, sparks debate and causes some of the men in the room to wince and cross their legs. Mal
With male circumcision and its links to HIV acquisition hitting the headlines and sparking debates around the world, in the first of a special three-part series on the issue, www.unaids.org takes a closer look at the historical, traditional and increasingly social reasons behind the practice of male circumcision across
Male circumcision is one of the world s oldest surgical practices; carvings depicting circumcisions have been found in ancient Egyptian temples dating as far back as 2300 BC. In recent months, the issue of male circumcision and its links to the transmission of HIV has hit the headlines and sparked debates across the wo
According to the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees, A refugee is a person who, owing to a well-founded fear of persecution for reasons of race, religion, nationality or political opinion, is outside the country of his nationality and is unable or, owing to such fear, unwilling to avail himself of the p
Geneva - The World Health Organization (WHO) and the UNAIDS Secretariat welcome the publication today in The Lancet of the detailed findings of two trials undertaken in Kenya and Uganda to determine whether male circumcision has a protective effect against acquiring HIV infe
In 2005 and early 2006, the landscape of the AIDS response shifted dramatically. Global pessimism over the unchecked spread of the disease in the developing world receded in the face of impressive efforts to expand access to treatment. Signs that prevention efforts were bearing fruit were seen in a growing number of co
Geneva - The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS ( UNAIDS ) welcomes a new collaborative initiative between the Government of Canada and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to accelerate HIV vaccine research and development. The partnership entitled the Canadian HIV Vaccine Initiative (CHVI) will contribut
40 million people live with HIV and 4.3 million new infections occurred last year alone. Nobody can ignore the rights to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support, or the equal rights of women, or the right to non-discrimination for people living with HIV or vulnerable to it. These human rights are critical in the li
Geneva - It is with great sadness that UNAIDS has learnt of the death of Arnaud Marty-Lavauzelle. Arnaud died on 13 February in Paris at the age of 61. For more than two decades Arnaud was a tireless advocate for AIDS, earning the respect and admiration of colleagues worldwide. Not only fighting for a better and more e
Geneva - UNAIDS commends Merck s decision to register ATRIPLA in developing countries. The registration of ATRIPLA, a once-daily single tablet regimen for treatment of HIV infection in adults, exemplifies the joint efforts of two research and development leaders, Merck Co. and Gilead Sciences
Michael Ballack is known and admired across the world for his footballing skills but now Michael is going for a new goal and reaching out to young people around the globe by speaking about HIV prevention in a new UNAIDS public service announcement (PSA). The PSA was filmed at Chelsea Football Club s famous football gro
Geneva - The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS ( UNAIDS ) welcomes a new US$ 10 million public-private partnership between leading players in the mobile phone industry and the US government who have joined forces to tackle AIDS and other health crisis in ten African countries. The partnership entitled Pho
In recent years Spain has shown strong commitment to the AIDS response and has been working with UNAIDS on a broad range of AIDS and social development issues. Spain has shown particular commitment in several areas of the AIDS response including; reducing stigma and discrimination, promoting gender equality, improvemen
Geneva - The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS ( UNAIDS ) welcomes the appointment of Professor Michel Kazatchkine to the position of Executive Director of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. Professor Kazatchkine joins the Global Fund after serving as a physician for more than 20 years an
African traditional medicine is often the primary, and frequently the only, accessible health-care option for many people living in sub-Saharan Africa. Attempts to bring biomedical and traditional health care together for people living with HIV began in the early 1990s when the World Health Organisation recommended tha
Geneva - One of Kenya s leading scholars and renowned AIDS advocate and researcher, Professor Job Bwayo was killed during a shooting in the outskirts of Nairobi on Sunday 4 February. Professor Bwayo, a distinguished and accomplished scientist, was co-founder and director of the Kenya AIDS Vaccine Initiative (KAVI) in N
Latest styles, smartest colours and trendiest cuts will be central to an AIDS initiative in Algeria designed to help people living with HIV get back into the workplace. The Algerian association of people living with HIV, El Hayet, has launched a pilot project for people living with HIV where participants will be traine
Geneva - A Phase III study of the candidate microbicide* cellulose sulfate to prevent HIV transmission in women has been stopped prematurely because of a higher number of HIV infections in the active compared with the placebo group. The study was sponsored by CONRAD and conducted in Benin ,
Conor Lenihan TD, Minister of State for Irish Aid, today signed a new €30 million, five year partnership with the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS ( UNAIDS ). UN Under-Secretary and Executive Director of UNAIDS, Dr Peter Piot, was in Dublin to sign the agreement. Under the partnership, Irish Aid will provide
Some 2,400 people have made their way to Davos in Switzerland for the opening of the World Economic Forum Annual meeting 2007. Global leaders this year come from the top-most levels, with more than 800 CEOs, Chairmen and Chairwomen taking part and 24 heads of state and government. The overarching theme of this year s m
ROME - The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) warned today that beginning next month more than 700,000 hungry Cambodians - mostly young children and HIV/AIDS and TB patients - will not receive essential food. The situation is likely to worsen unless new donations are received soon. We are very grateful to donors
There are literally thousands of AIDS-related programmes around the world. With such a wide variety of approaches and methodologies, sharing information about initiatives that have been successful is crucial to the ongoing development and improvement of AIDS programming. To help drive the knowledge-sharing process, in
A couple kiss on the stairs - the caption to embrace slides across the TV screen. An expectant mother tenderly touches her stomach - the text to love appears over the image. Women, men, boys, girls, friends, lovers, families - all depicted in a 30-second TV spot to underline messages on AIDS to encourage viewers to al
NEW YORK, USA - A global campaign to put children at the heart of the fight against AIDS is gathering momentum but much, much more needs to be done, according to a stocktaking report on the initiative s first year. The campaign, UNITE FOR CHILDREN UNITE AGAINST AIDS, was launched by UNICEF, UNAIDS and many
NEW YORK/GENEVA - A year ago, UNICEF and its partners launched Unite for Children, Unite against AIDS to highlight the missing face of the child in the AIDS pandemic. Some countries have achieved breakthroughs in preventing HIV transmission from mothers to children and providing treatment for children living with HIV/A
Dawn has just broken in Cairo, Egypt , but Ahmed is already out on the street. But unlike other children Ahmed is not on his way to school. Ahmed is 12 years old and left home when he was just six because his father in law didn t want him in the house. After wandering from one house to another, he found that it was eas
Asia has the second largest number of people living with HIV in the world and its share of the global epidemic is increasing. Faced with such challenges, countries across the region are stepping up commitment to fight AIDS and putting AIDS and its effects at the centre of many political and socio-economic discussions.
Words such as HIV positive and People living with HIV are gradually replacing other terms, such as AIDS sufferers and victims of the disease , which used to flourish in the literature about HIV. Why are we witnessing such a transformation? How does it come about? And most important, what does it mean? HIV is no longer
This information is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between you and your doctor.