HIV/AIDS

p 5 UNAIDS The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV /AIDS (UNAIDS ) is an international agency composed of ten UN system organizations , with a main goal of unifying their global AIDS response . The member organizations of the UNAIDS include the UNHCR , UNICEF , WFP , UNDP , UNFPA UNODC , ILO , UNESCO , WHO and the World Bank . This unified programme agency is based in Geneva , Switzerland , but it implements its work in approximately 75 countries around the world . The global response of UNAIDS is to commit itself and act for the stoppage and reversal of the

br spread of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV . Member countries of the United Nations , of approximately 189 in number , have declared in 2001 to adopt the Declaration of Commitment on HIV /AIDS (UNAIDS , 2006a . They recognize that the AIDS epidemic is a global emergency causing alarming challenges to human life and dignity . This declaration consists of ten areas of prime importance , which includes prevention measures , treatment options , as well as funding opportunities . It aims to achieve its Millennium Development Goal of eradicating HIV /AIDS by 2015 . It has been determined that countries require strong and robust policies on social , political , cultural , medical , health and economic issues , in to direct a country 's response against HIV . These actions are also important in developing effective and efficient programmes

The advocacy for policy guidance on HIV has been actively been exercised by the UNAIDS , in to create a vision and specific regulations to policymakers , planners and advocates at all levels of every country involved in this global effort . The UNAIDS programme thus provides two major clusters of policies . The first policy enumerates the commitments made by each country 's government , and its inter-governmental actions . This includes the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD ) Programme of Action , which is also known as the 1994 Cairo Consensus , which has been already adopted by approximately 179 governments in different countries . The second cluster is comprised of technical policies that have been designed by the UNAIDS . This cluster follows a number of basic principles , such as the dissemination of the basic principles and standards for national AIDS policies , including those at the state and local levels . It is involves the distribution of information-based evidence and best practices that have been comprehensively collected from different sources . In addition , this cluster is designed based on a methodical process that discusses issues with other groups that make up the programme , such as external and internal offices to the UNAIDS and other technical groups

The UNAIDS has catalogued a controlled list of keywords that can precisely reflect the range of areas that are associated with the HIV /AIDS epidemic , as well as the UN system procedures that attempt to fight the global disease . Under the category of prevention , the keywords treatment and care , keywords include access to care , support and treatment , behavior change , blood safety , confidentiality and security , education , communication , psychological support , stigma and discrimination are included . Under the category of affected communities , keywords such as children , indigenous people , prisons migrants , refugees , rural communities , mother-to-child transmission , and sex workers and clients are listed . As for the category of research the keywords biomedical research , microbicides and vaccines are enumerated . And under the category of impact of HIV , the keywords emergencies , HIV and conflict , HIV and security , HIV in the workplace human rights , socio-demographic impact and health systems reform are included

In North American and the Western and Central parts of Europe , the number of individuals living with HIV increased to 1 .9 million in 2005 (UNAIDS , 2006 . Of this number , 65 ,000 individuals acquired the virus within only one year . There has been a wide distribution of antiretroviral therapy regimens to decrease the number of AIDS-related deaths to approximately 30 ,000 during that same year . In is of great concern to know that prevention programs are running in a slow pace in many other countries , mainly due to the changes in the epidemiological data on the patterns of HIV transmission . It has been determined that HIV is mainly transmitted through three major routes . In most of the countries , sex between men and unprotected heterosexual intercourse are the two main routes of HIV transmission . In addition , a third route involving drug use through injection , has been strongly associated with HIV transmission in the rest of the HIV /AIDS-afflicted countries

It has been estimated that more than one-third of the diagnosed HIV cases in 2004 were in women . In this light , the UNAIDS created an initiative called Making a Difference ' which aims to generate a series of reports cards from each country that summarizes the current HIV prevention strategy and services (UNAIDS , 2007 . Such services are aimed to help girls and young women , within the age range of 15 to 24 years . Every report card from each country describes the pro of the country , information on HIV prevention measures taken by the country through legal , policy , service availability , service accessibility and participation and rights perspectives . The country report card also provides recommendations that may facilitate the country in enhancing HIV prevention by using effective strategies through practical activities and implementations . These country report cards also carry the objective to increase and augment programmatic , policy and funding activities to prevent further HIV infection in girls and young women but following the global and national policies that have been committed in the 2006 Political Declaration on HIV-AIDS

Report cards have already been released for specific countries such as Jamaica , Mozambique , Malawi and the Philippines , and report cards for countries such as Cambodia , Cameroon , China , Ethiopia , India , Nigeria Thailand and Uganda and now in the process of preparation . There are currently plans for generating reports cards that will describe the HIV /AIDS situations in Kenya , Nepal , Papua New Guinea , Rwanda , Serbia and Sudan . In addition , the UNAIDS and its partner UN organizations are currently planning national stakeholders ' meetings in specific countries to evaluate the findings and recommendations that have been collected and more importantly , to design country-specific action plans to will address the HIV /AIDS conditions and also address the sexual and reproductive health matters of girls and young women in each country

In addition , Music Television (MTV ) has created a multimedia global HIV prevention campaign entitled Staying Alive ' which challenges AIDS-related stigma and discrimination . This effort was produced in cooperation with the UNAIDS , UNICEF and the World Bank , to provide a venue for the young generation to share messages and inspire the young adults to keep safe and healthy and also join them in the campaign against HIV /AIDS

References

UNAIDS (2006a : 2006 Report on the global AIDS epidemic . Switzerland UNAIDS . 27 pages UNAIDS (2006b : A global view of HIV infection . Switzerland : UNAIDS UNAIDS (2007 : 2006 UNAIDS Annual Report : Making the money work Switzerland : UNAIDS . 73 pages ...