The international community is in the midst of negotiating the next global development agenda. This new roadmap is to be put in place after 2015, when the Millennium Development Goals will have reached their target date.

In order to capture a diverse a range of voices and views on how AIDS and health should be reflected Post-2015, UNAIDS is hosting an online and open-to-all consultation. This online conversation will run for two weeks, between 21 January and 3 February, and will be hosted on the official UN and Civil Society joint platform on Post-2015 negotiations, the World We Want.

The consultation invites views around three interrelated themes including: How the HIV epidemic remains relevant to the Post-2015 Agenda; how principles and practices forged in the AIDS response may contribute to a more equitable and sustainable health and development agenda; and how to reform systems of decision-making, monitoring, evaluation and accountability to guide efforts towards the end of the HIV epidemic.

The e-Consultation is being moderated by nine international experts on HIV, human rights, health and development. Together with the UNAIDS, moderators will produce a synthesis report at the end of the consultation. This report will be used widely to influence on-going negotiations, including the High-Level Health Thematic meeting (5-6 March, Botswana) and the UNAIDS-Lancet Post-2015 Commission.  

The global HIV epidemic remains one of the world’s leading causes of death and is both a driver and consequence of inequality and social injustice. The AIDS response has always been a pioneer and a pathfinder on many fronts and can make critical contributions to doing health and development differently in the Post-2015 era.

To participate in the e-consultation please visit http://www.worldwewant2015.org/health

Kami, a muppet from Takalani Sesame (South Africa's Sesame Street), who is openly living with HIV, joined the United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon in promoting children’s health. During a public service announcement Kami and Mr Ban talk about what they do to stay healthy including washing their hands before they eat, drinking plenty of clean water and exercising.

The video was produced by the Sesame Workshop, the non-profit organization behind Sesame Street around the world, as part of its commitment to the United Nations Secretary-General’s Every Woman Every Child movement to mobilize and intensify global action to improve the health of women and children around the world.

“I am deeply grateful to Sesame Workshop for lending its creativity, passion and global popularity to Every Woman Every Child, which is working to save millions of lives,” said Ban Ki-moon. “I am proud to partner with Kami and her friends, who can advance the global health agenda around the world in ways I never could.  I hope others will join our global movement for the health of every woman and every child.”

Through this collaboration, Sesame Workshop aims to improve the lives of millions of women and children by uniquely harnessing the power of educational media and the Sesame Street Muppets to promote health awareness, knowledge and positive behavior change.

Every Woman Every Child is an unprecedented global movement, spearheaded by Mr Ban, to mobilize and intensify global action to improve the health of women and children around the world. Working with a wide range of partners, the initiative aims to save the lives of 16 million women and children and improve the lives of millions more.

At the end of the XIV Summit of La Francophonie, held from 12-14 October 2012 in Kinshasa, Heads of State and Government issued the Declaration of Kinshasa, a compilation of decisions taken by the International Organization of La Francophonie (IOF) that will serve as a roadmap in the coming years.

UNAIDS congratulates La Francophonie for including in the Declaration an article dedicated to the HIV response. Heads of State and Government of La Francophonie committed, in Article 30, to “redouble their efforts towards the elimination of mother-to-child transmission of HIV and reduce the number of deaths among mothers due to this pandemic.” They also affirmed their “will to promote more effective and equitable governance, develop models of sustainable funding and facilitate better access to medicines and care.”

By including these statements in the Declaration, IOF member states subscribed to key elements of the UNAIDS report: Decision Point La Francophonie: No New HIV Infections, No One Denied Treatment, launched in Kinshasa on 12 October by UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé. They committed to promote access to treatment, eliminate HIV transmission from mother to child, and adhere to the principle of shared responsibility, while supporting the development of innovative funding and good governance.

At the opening of the XIV Francophonie Summit, held from 12 to 14 October 2012 in Kinshasa, the Democratic Republic of Congo, French President François Hollande confirmed the commitment of France to continue the development of innovative financing through taxes, like the tax on airline tickets, and those on financial transactions which are already in place. The President of France aims to increase the financial potential of these tools, and encouraged European countries to join these mechanisms, whose revenues are "directly allocated to the fight against AIDS," he said. This strong commitment to finance the AIDS response by President Hollande reflects the policy of "shared responsibility" advocated by UNAIDS, which calls on international donors, including members of the Francophonie, to honour their commitments.

The opening of the Summit also featured the establishment of a "Forum of Francophone Women", uniting more than 500 women in 2013. With this initiative, France emphasizes its commitment to the fight for violence against women, who are "the first victims of violence and war," according to President Hollande, and echoed the position of UNAIDS that ending violence against women is essential to reduce HIV transmission. Underscoring the unchangeable status of the Congolese borders and the need for peace in North and South Kivu, President Hollande stressed that any conflict is an obstacle to development and the advancement of health.

This view was also emphasized by Macky Sall, the President of Senegal, who highlighted the importance of peace and democracy in achieving the Millennium Development Goals 4, 5 and 6. Abdou Diouf, Secretary General of the International Organization of the Francophonie, also made a call to respect the choices made by citizens.

The speeches delivered by Heads of States at the opening echoed the key messages delivered on the eve of the Summit by Michel Sidibé, Executive Director of UNAIDS, when he launched the report "Decision Point La Francophonie: No New HIV Infections, No One Denied Treatment." Sidibé highlighted that Francophonie member states have made progress towards the goals of the UN 2011 Political Declaration on HIV/AIDS, but that "the access to HIV treatment in the Francophonie countries of sub-Saharan Africa (43%) is lower than among non-Francophonie countries in the same region (59%). "Innovation in the most advanced countries of the Francophonie should benefit the poor," he said, stressing that "Francophonie countries in sub-Saharan Africa should also increase the proportion of their investments in AIDS as a proportion of their economic growth and the burden of disease."

The concept of shared responsibility advanced in this report was reflected by President Hollande's commitment to innovative financing and by other initiatives highlighted by Michel Sidibé. Equatorial Guinea is now providing 100% of the funding to cover the cost of HIV treatment, Congo has committed to increase its domestic funding by 50%, and Burkina Faso has committed to double its investments in AIDS. During Michel Sidibé's meeting with Prime Minister Matata Poyo and Health Minister Felix Kabange Numbi of the Democratic Republic of Congo, they confirmed the commitment of President Kabila to reach an AIDS-free generation, and increase the government’s share of the national AIDS response from 3% to 6% in 2013.

Minister Yamina Benguigui, France's Minister for la Francophonie, who also participated in the launch of the report, noted that France's contribution to international AIDS response will not diminish. Minister Benguigui also highlighted the importance of collaboration with UNAIDS to develop programmes that will preserve the rights and dignity of women in the Global Forum of Francophone Women.

At the summit, UNAIDS opened its booth in the Francophonie Village, which featured information and documentation for Summit participants. The booth was visited by Abdou Diouf, Secretary General of the OIF, and Youssou N'Dour, Senegal's Minister of Culture, both accompanied by Michel Sidibé.

As host of the Summit, the city of Kinshasa launched a public campaign reflecting the theme "The Francophonie and an AIDS-free generation", which featured three messages: "One million people waiting for access to HIV treatment," "Elimination of HIV transmission from mother to child is possible," and "Shared Responsibility and Global Solidarity. " These key UNAIDS messages were on display during the opening ceremony of the Francophone Summit.

The World Leaders Forum and the International Center for AIDS Care and Treatment Programs (ICAP) co-hosted a special event at Columbia University entitled “A Future without HIV/AIDS: Dream or Reality?” on 28 September.

Moderated by PBS Senior Correspondent Ray Suarez, the debate brought together global health leaders, including the Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease, Anthony Fauci, the United States Global AIDS Coordinator, Ambassador Eric Goosby, the UNAIDS Executive Director, Michel Sidibé, and the Director of ICAP and the Global Health Initiative at the Mailman School of Public Health, Wafaa El-Sadr.

The participants engaged in a meaningful exchange of experiences around local and global responses to AIDS. The leaders were optimistic but reminded the audience of the work that still needs to be done, including improved HIV treatment and increased funding.

“The speed with which we have been able to increase the number of people on HIV treatment in just a few years has never been seen before in the history of public health,” said Mr Sidibé. “Today, 56 countries in the world have been able to stabilize the epidemic or significantly decrease the number of new HIV infections. We have broken the trajectory of new HIV infections and created a momentum which allows us to say that we are turning the tide on AIDS. But we must continue to invest in AIDS if we want to see further returns on our investments,” he added.

Speakers reflected on future obstacles and opportunities in the global AIDS response, and the need to find the balance between realistic expectations and global aspirations. The panel looked at scientific and programmatic advances in confronting the epidemic and considered the impact of the global financial crisis, as well as other health and development priorities, on the AIDS response.

Dr El-Sadr highlighted how people are taking control of the response to AIDS at the local level: “In multiple countries in sub-Saharan Africa, alongside the scale-up of treatment we are also seeing a decrease in risky behaviour at the population level and a decrease in new HIV infections. In addition to scientific discoveries and developments in health systems, people are much more engaged in trying to control the epidemic in their own communities.”

Ambassador Goosby underscored the progress made in scaling up HIV treatment: “We are approaching a moment where the number of people who are going on to treatment will exceed the number of new infections that are occurring on the planet, but it is important to look for every possible opportunity to expand capacity.” Ambassador Goosby also noted that while some funding was reduced for the President's Emergency Program for AIDS Research (PEPFAR), enhancing the efficiencies in the delivery of HIV programmes has enabled the US government to support an unprecedented number of people on HIV prevention, treatment and care in low-income countries for fewer resources.

The recently proven efficacy of using HIV treatment as prevention was highlighted as an important breakthroughs in the AIDS response. Participants agreed on the need to use it in combination with the other prevention methods available. “The combination of HIV prevention tools we have today have the capability to turn-around the trajectory of the pandemic,” said Dr Fauci. “If you also superimpose the powerful tool of treatment as prevention, we see the light at the end of the tunnel.”

While not too long ago talking about the end of AIDS would have seemed premature, participants agreed that significant progress has been made in virtually all aspects of the global AIDS response. “Now we know we can put an end to AIDS”, said Dr Fauci. “The question is – will we?”

Participants noted that the world is on track to achieve many of the ambitious goals that were set for 2015, including 15 million people accessing HIV treatment and the elimination of new HIV infections among children and keeping their mothers alive. According to the panel, the advances in science, political support and community responses have transformed the vision of zero new HIV infections, zero discrimination and zero AIDS-related deaths into a realistic objective to end the AIDS epidemic.

“If we come together, bring the knowledge together, bring the resources together, bring the partnerships together and work together we can turn the tide and transform this epidemic. This is a transformative moment,” concluded Dr El-Sadr.

First Ladies of several African countries, government officials and representatives from international and civil society organizations working on development and women’s issues gathered in New York on the side-lines of the United Nations General Assembly meeting to discuss ways to empower women and youth especially through digital technologies.

Executive Director of UNAIDS, Michel Sidibé participated in the session entitled Partnership in action: Ensuring children everywhere are born HIV-free. Calling on women to lead the way for social justice, Mr Sidibé introduced two UNAIDS Goodwill Ambassadors Naomi Watts and Aishwarya Rai Bachan. “These two women have the power to change the world—nothing could be nobler than a generation free from HIV,” he said.

Speaking about her experiences in the field Ms Watts focused on the importance of partnerships in the incredible progress made in getting to zero new HIV infections among children. “But we are not there yet. One baby is born with HIV almost every minute and currently only one of every four children in need of treatment is actually receiving it. To me, these are not facts and figures but faces with families,” she said. “Surely we can keep moving until we get to zero.”

Mrs Rai Bachchan, who was appointed a new Goodwill Ambassador earlier in the day, shared her passion to learn and to make a real difference in the lives of women and families. She also called on the media to do its part. “We need to draw attention to something that needs attention,” she said. “Women need to find their voice, anywhere a baby is born we need to work there.”

The event also focused on the advances in technology and health. The provision of health services and information via mobile technologies such as mobile phones, also known as mobile health or mHealth, has been proven effective in providing greater access to healthcare to populations in low income countries. Using such technology has also shown cost efficiencies and an improvement in the capacity of health systems to provide quality healthcare.

Recent evidence from randomized scientific trials and studies has demonstrated that SMS messaging in particular can positively impact treatment outcomes. For example, results from a study conducted in Kenya on November 2010, showed that patients who received SMS support had significantly higher adherence to antiretroviral treatment.

With 5.3 billion mobile subscribers across the globe and almost 90% of the world’s population covered by a wireless signal, the mobile phone has become the most widely spread communica­tions technology platform. Participants at the meeting brought ideas on how mobile technologies could help scale up access to health for women and youth in low and middle-income countries.

A multitude of mHealth solutions have emerged over the years in countries such as Ethiopia, Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa, according to the Global Observatory for eHealth at the World Health Organization. However, a recent report commissioned by the Advance Development for Africa Foundation, highlights that despite the strong promise demonstrated by mHealth tools and applications, the current land­scape is characterized by a proliferation of unsustainable pilot projects that often expire once initial funding is exhausted.

The event was co-hosted by Advance Development for Africa Foundation, Digital He@lth Initiative and the Global Partnerships Forum in cooperation with UNAIDS, UNDP, UN Office for Partnerships, the Partnership for Maternal, Newborn & Child Health, and UN Habitat.

 

 

The humanitarian crisis in the Sahel is affecting the lives of millions of people across the region. In eight countries stretching from Chad in the East to Senegal in the West, countries, communities and families are faced with a combination of political instability, drought, poverty, high grain prices, environmental degradation and chronic underdevelopment which has resulted in high levels of malnutrition and insecurity.

“The crisis is devastating the region I grew up in,” said the Executive Director of UNAIDS Michel Sidibé, originally from Mali. “Across the Sahel, I have family and friends whose lives, and communities and countries are directly affected. I will do everything I can to bring attention and resources to help end the crisis.”

There are many complex issues surrounding the crisis and similarities can be drawn with that of the impact and spread of HIV. Like AIDS, it is a humanitarian crisis with political and social origins, and people living with HIV and in need of treatment are particularly vulnerable.

The Grand Duchy of Luxembourg is one of the many countries working hard to further its relief efforts in the region. As part of its annual ‘Assises’, it held a special session on food insecurity in the Sahel. The Assises is a two day session held once a year which brings together politicians, members of the Commission of Foreign affairs, leaders from the departments of Development and Cooperation, representatives from partner countries and around 90 non-governmental organisations in Luxembourg to discuss current pressing issues in the humanitarian agenda.

This year’s discussions focused on three main topics; food insecurity in the Sahel; physical and political insecurity and judicial insecurity. The Executive Director of UNAIDS Michel Sidibé was invited to open the session on food insecurity.

“I am here to support Luxembourg’s efforts to give attention and support to the crisis in the Sahel. Luxembourg is a strong supporter of UNAIDS, but I am even bigger supporter of Luxembourg’s leadership on this particular issue,” said Mr Sidibé.

The United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon has called for all United Nations Agencies to coordinate, advocate and advance the UN’s response to the crisis. The Secretary-General has called for a special meeting during the United Nations General Assembly to further advance the UN’s work in alleviating the human suffering caused by the disaster.

During his visit to Luxembourg Mr Sidibé had a chance to discuss both developments in the response to HIV and the issues surrounding the Sahel crisis with the Minister of health, Mars Di Bartolomeo and the Minister of Cooperation and Humanitarian action Marie-Josée Jacobs who officially opened the Assises.

For a number of years Luxembourg has been one of UNAIDS’ most important donors––providing funding for activities essential to an effective response to HIV. Earlier this year UNAIDS signed a memorandum of understanding with Luxembourg to further consolidate the partnership and strengthen efforts to end the disease.

At the plenary session titled What will it take to turn the tide? UNAIDS Director, Evidence, Innovation and Policy, Dr Bernhard Schwartländer, highlighted the many new possibilities for collaboration, activism and financing for the AIDS response as economic growth is rapidly changing the global order.

According to Dr Schwartländer, if we continue with the same investment level as we have thus far and doing business usual, over the coming ten years it will lead to stagnation and there will be no positive change in the number of new HIV infections. However, if we focus on successful programs and bring down costs substantial progress can be made. It requires a certain boost in investments for a while—peaking at an additional $7 billion in 2015. This will result in driving down new HIV infections by well over half in less than a decade.

“We should abandon the concepts of dependency and charity, as well as habitual ways of thinking and acting. We should explore new possibilities for collaboration, activism and financing,” said Dr Schwartländer.

Calling on countries to end their dependency on international resources, Dr Schwartländer highlighted the efforts made by low and middle-income countries to increase their domestic funding for HIV. However, there will be a number of low and lower middle-income countries that will continue to need significant amounts of outside assistance for the next decade and beyond.

During the plenary session, Dr Schwartländer provided an overview of the current financial situation but also outlined a number of innovative financing methods to increase reliable sources of predictable government revenue such as the financial transaction tax; front-loading investments for health through bonds; or utilizing fines paid by pharmaceutical companies for anti-competitive practices for health assistance.

“Let me be clear, let us not take the pressure off the world’s richest countries to meet their commitments and obligations,” said Dr Schwartländer. “Let us not forget that despite the global financial crisis, there is still economic growth in OECD countries. If we did nothing else but applied this increasing wealth to current levels of ODA, there could be another 50 billion dollars annually by 2020, in addition to the 133 billion today,” he added.

“It would be exactly the wrong moment for international donors to cut back funding, now that the dynamic is going the right way. When we are finally on a path towards sustainability and equity - a truly shared responsibility and true global solidarity,” he concluded.

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A new report and supplement from UNAIDS shows that as international funding flattens, more countries are increasing their own share of investments for HIV and that a record 8 million people are now receiving antiretroviral therapy

The United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, also known as Rio+20 will take place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil from 20-22 June. The high-level meeting brings together more than 100 Heads of State and government, along with UN officials and representatives of the private sector and civil society to shape new policies to promote prosperity, reduce poverty and advance social equity and environmental protection.

This year’s event marks the 20^th anniversary of the historic 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) that was held in the same city and the 10th anniversary of the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) in Johannesburg. The conference is organized by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs.

“Rio+20 is about building a future we want, it’s about shared aspirations,” said United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon speaking ahead of the conference. Rio+20 is a “once-in-a-generation opportunity to make real progress,” he added.

The Conference will focus on two themes: a green economy in the context of sustainable development and poverty eradication; and the institutional framework for sustainable development. It will also focus on seven priority areas: decent jobs, energy, sustainable cities, food security and sustainable agriculture, water, oceans and disaster readiness.

Ahead of the conference, Member States announced that they have reached an agreement on the outcome document of the Conference. “We now have a text which will be adopted at the Conference,” said Rio+20’s Secretary-General, Sha Zukang . “We think the text contains a lot of action, and if this action is implemented, and if follow-up measures are taken, it will indeed make a tremendous difference in generating positive global change.”

Sustainable Development and AIDS

The Rio+20 outcome document states Member States’ commitment to redoubling efforts to achieve universal access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support, and to eliminate mother-to-child transmission of HIV.

“The global AIDS response has served as a pathfinder and an entry point for inclusive growth, social justice and the restoration of human dignity,” said UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé. “The AIDS movement demonstrates that through strategic partnerships, even complex and enduring barriers to development can be effectively surmounted,” he added.

According to UNAIDS, there can be no sustainable development without health, human rights and gender equality.