UNAIDS is holding its first round of virtual consultations to develop its 2016–2021 Strategy. From 23 March to 2 April, the consultation process will be open to everyone to share information, ideas and experiences on how to accelerate rights-based, evidence-informed action to Fast-Track the AIDS response.

Three overarching topics will guide the moderated discussions. Participants are encouraged to provide comments focused on reinforcing the achievements made so far, closing the gaps and seizing the “game-changers”. A specific discussion forum, with support from the network of youth organizations, PACT, will be devoted to the participation and priorities of young people in the AIDS response.

The new UNAIDS Strategy is expected to guide progress towards achieving the ambitious Fast-Track Targets through front-loading investment and accelerating rights-based action to enable countries to end the AIDS epidemic as a public health threat by 2030. 

www.unaidsstrategy2021.org

Quotes

GENEVA, 20 December 2013—The governing body of UNAIDS––the Programme Coordinating Board—has concluded its three-day meeting in Geneva. The Board called on UNAIDS to support on-going country and international processes to set revised national targets for universal access to HIV treatment.

The Board called on Member States to expand access to antiretroviral therapy by implementing the 2013 World Health Organization guidelines on access to treatment. They also stressed the importance of ensuring that acceleration of access to HIV treatment, including addressing the barriers to treatment access, is factored into all stages of HIV and health planning. In addition to support with national treatment target setting, the Board requested support from UNAIDS in reducing the price of medicines, technical support and capacity development.

During the meeting, which took place from 17-19 December, Board members highlighted the importance of intensifying efforts in the AIDS response beyond 2015 and emphasised that ending AIDS must have a prime position in the post-2015 agenda.

In his opening address, the Executive Director of UNAIDS Michel Sidibé echoed the importance of keeping focused on ending AIDS. “Ending AIDS will be a global achievement of historic dimensions,” said Mr Sidibé. “Not only will millions of lives be saved, but ending AIDS will drive better health, poverty and equity outcomes for the entire human family.”

UNAIDS was also requested to intensify coordinated technical support to governments, civil society, and key populations, and to further support countries in the roll-out of the New Funding Model of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria.

The meeting concluded with a full-day thematic segment on HIV, adolescents and youth where young people led sessions on prevention, testing and treatment and explored ideas, experiences and solutions with the Board members about the shape and scope of meaningful HIV programmes for young people.

Participants and observers from UN Member States, international organizations, civil society and non-governmental organizations attended the meeting, which was chaired by India. The Board elected Australia as Chair and Zimbabwe as Vice Chair for 2014.

UNAIDS Executive Director’s report to the Board, decisions, recommendations and conclusions from the meeting can be found at unaids.org.

The second in a series of regional dialogues organized by the UNAIDS and Lancet Commission: Defeating AIDS - Advancing global health was held on 19 November in Bangkok. The need for a new approach to leadership on AIDS in the post-2015 era was the main message emerging from the dialogue.

The aim of the dialogue, which took place during the 11th International Congress on AIDS in Asia and the Pacific, was to gather regional perspectives on AIDS in the post-2015 agenda for inclusion in the work of the Commission.

Participants

UNAIDS Deputy Executive Director, Jan Beagle;  James Chau, National UNAIDS Goodwill Ambassador for China;  Hon Justice Michael Kirby, Chair of the UN Commission of Inquiry on North Korea and Commissioner UNAIDS-Lancet Commission;  Dr Prasada Rao, United Nations Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for AIDS in Asia and the Pacific;  Lyn Kok, President and CEO of Standard Charter Bank (Thailand) as well as parliamentarians, activists, people living with HIV, young people, corporate leaders, academia, and representatives of the UN system and other international organizations.

Key messages

• The need for a new approach to leadership on AIDS in the post-2015 era
• The importance of mobilizing broader partnerships, including with the private sector, to build on the momentum of the AIDS response.
• The need to build on lessons learnt in the response to HIV to strengthen the broader sustainable development agenda.
• Dignity, social justice and equity––essential to the post-2015 framework.

Outcomes

The outcomes of these dialogues will help inform the recommendations of the UNAIDS and Lancet Commission to be presented in 2014. 

Additional regional, think tank and civil society dialogues are planned over the coming weeks: Civil society organizations in Eastern and Southern Africa (25 November); Europe (27 November), as part of the European Development Days; a think tank dialogue at the Institute of Global Governance, University College London (2 December); Caribbean (4 December); Latin America (4 December); Africa (7 December) and Eastern Europe-Central Asia (13 December). The first regional dialogue was held in Addis Ababa on 3 November.

Quotes

More innovation, story-telling and new products for UNAIDS website.

Ahead of World AIDS Day, UNAIDS has released a newly designed website for a more visual and streamlined user experience. The new design features all the latest information about UNAIDS––available through a range of multi-media options.

“We have seen phenomenal progress in the AIDS response,” said Annemarie Hou, Director of Communications and Global Advocacy. “Now we can better share stories about the people, the data and the evidence behind the successes.”

The platform’s clean, uncluttered design focuses on providing the user with faster ways to find and share information. New ways of presenting UNAIDS core work through images, story and photo galleries are now available––all which have been optimized for smart phones and tablets.

“We know more people get their inspiration on the go—so we’ve tried to make the website a visual experience for every visitor,” added Ms Hou.

The site also highlights progress towards the goals and targets set by the United Nations Member States, as well as advances towards achieving the UNAIDS vision of zero new HIV infections, zero discrimination and zero AIDS-related deaths.