World AIDS Day calls for bold leadership: “Be part of those who are building a better tomorrow”

none 30 Ноя 2007 – 13:00 (modified on 30 Ноя 2007 – 13:20)

by Edwin

Press feature from the World AIDS Campaign, 30 November, 2007

With thousands of events around the world marking World AIDS Day, December 1, the World AIDS Campaign is stressing the urgency of new and renewed leadership commitments by all stakeholders in the response to HIV and AIDS. The momentum must continue to build. “It is now time for bold leadership at all levels in order to turn the tide of HIV,” says Felicita Hikuam, Global Programmes Manager, World AIDS Campaign.

The World AIDS Day theme of leadership underscores that our knowledge of the HIV epidemic, political will and financial commitments have reached a critical point. With just three years to go until 2010 – the target governments have set to achieve universal access to prevention, treatment, care and support – leadership has to be demonstrated in concrete and immediate action. AIDS is the “biggest preventable and treatable threat to humankind in the 21st century,” states Greg Gray, International Coordinator, International Treatment Preparedness Coalition.

Improved methods in data collection have lowered estimates of people living with HIV in several countries and there are indications in some countries that the incidence of HIV has stabilised. Yet an estimated 33.2 million people around the world – one in every 200 – are living with HIV, and daily 6,800 people are infected with HIV and 5,700 people die of AIDS-related illnesses. AIDS is still considered the leading cause of death in Sub-Saharan Africa.

“This is not the time for complacency nor apathy,” says Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu. “It is the time for compassionate leadership.”

In many cases, it has been people living with HIV themselves who have led the way, emphasising the urgency of the pandemic and highlighting the need for all sectors to work together to tackle the complex issues fueling the spread of HIV.

"The leadership of HIV-positive people since the beginning of the pandemic has challenged attitudes, changed laws, and advocated advances in treatment that are now saving millions of lives," says Deloris Dockrey, Chair of the Global Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS (GNP+). "We have come a long way, and now if we have similar will, energy, commitment and partnership from all sectors, we can truly stop the spread of HIV and enable all those affected to live full and productive lives."

Strong commitments have been agreed and government leadership in the response is vital, yet too many have not been held accountable for the promises they have made. In light of the need for action, civil society campaigners have welcomed recent remarks by Japanese Foreign Minister, Mr Masahiko Koumura, that Japan will call for stronger engagement of the international community in global health in the G8 summit to be held in Hokkaido Toyako in 2008. Campaigners hope that Japan will mirror the leadership role it took on health, and AIDS in particular, in 2000 at the G8 summit in Okinawa and put AIDS and action clearly on the agenda of the 2008 summit.

“Japan’s leadership on health issues in 2000 opened the door for major progress in the response to HIV and AIDS – the founding of The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, and commitments on AIDS in the Millennium Development Goals and the UN Declaration of Commitment on HIV/AIDS,” says Marcel van Soest, Executive Director of the World AIDS Campaign. “We need that same kind of leadership in 2008 to take the response to AIDS to the next level so that universal access to prevention, treatment, care and support can be realised and incidence of HIV can finally be reversed.”

Changing the course of the pandemic demands full engagement by all parts of government. The first global parliamentary meeting on HIV and AIDS concludes today in Manila, addressing the leadership role parliamentarians can take collectively and individually. Van Soest states, “We need to see the parliamentarians taking leadership in evidence-informed and human rights based response to HIV and AIDS.”

Human rights also have to be upheld through leadership in the judicial sector. Legal reform must “be immediately reviewed to create an enabling environment for prevention work and access to treatment” says Gray, especially so that services can reach and be increased for the most at risk populations such as “ sex workers, sexual minorities, people living with HIV, migrants and injecting drug users.” “As long as the marginalised groups that in many countries live underground because laws cannot protect them, HIV will continue to infect people of all walks of life,” states van Soest.

“In the cases that come before them [judges] will often be faced, particularly in Southern Africa, with laws which fail to adequately protect women against social and economic inequality and discrimination, domestic violence and marital rape and thus impact negatively on women's vulnerability to HIV,” says Michaela Clayton, Director, AIDS and Rights Alliance for Southern Africa. “They must equip themselves with accurate information on the nature of the disease and where domestic law is lacking, with knowledge about the relevant international human rights instruments and the ways in which these can be effectively utilised in domestic judicial fora to protect human rights.”

Across Africa and other parts of the world, women, faith leaders and young people are showing unprecedented leadership by responding to the HIV-related needs of their communities. Hikuam notes that they are “reaching out to communities to spread the word on HIV, caring for those infected and affected and playing a watch-dog role to ensure decision makers keep the promises they have made, including those of universal access to HIV and AIDS prevention, treatment, care and support by 2010.”

Trade unions, business and media have also sought to be leaders in raising awareness of HIV and AIDS and advocating for expanded capacity in all aspects of care and treatment. “I have the most hope that civil society will continue to raise its voice and be heard within governments” says Gray.

The reality is that everyone is affected by HIV and AIDS, and everyone has a leadership role in working towards a world without AIDS. As Imane Khachani, from the Youth Coalition for Sexual and Reproductive Rights, Morocco, declares, “Be part of those who are building a better tomorrow.”

Leadership statements for World AIDS Day 2007 can be seen on the website at www.worldaidscampaign.org

For more information or to arrange interviews contact the World AIDS Campaign at media@worldaidscampaign.org, +44 1524 727 651 (UK), +31 20 616 9045 (Netherlands) or +27 21 466 7827 (South Africa).

The World AIDS Campaign supports, strengthens and connects campaigns that hold leaders accountable for their promises on HIV and AIDS. “Stop AIDS. Keep the Promise.” is the slogan for the World AIDS Campaign from 2005-2010. The World AIDS Campaign has offices in Amsterdam and Cape Town. www.worldaidscampaign.org

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