UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund, will actively participate in this week’s global AIDS meeting by raising awareness of the heavy toll of HIV on women and young people, particularly young girls, and of the urgent need to address their special needs.
During the UN Summit on AIDS, from 8 to 10 June, world leaders will review progress made a decade after the landmark 2001 UN General Assembly special session on HIV/AIDS, and plan future global responses to the epidemic. UNFPA will be actively involved in the Summit through a number of activities that will shed light on the special concerns and needs of women and young people living with HIV, and the intricate link between sexual and reproductive health and HIV responses. These include:
What: Thematic Panel on Women, Girls and HIV : UNFPA Executive Director and anti-AIDS advocate, Dr. Babatunde Osotimehin, will speak on behalf of the United Nations system about the impact of HIV on women and girls and the need to ensure that their specific vulnerabilities and treatment needs are adequately addressed. The panel will highlight the progress, challenges and opportunities in addressing the social determinants of women's and girls' vulnerability to HIV infection, as well as linkages between violence against women and girls and HIV.
When: Thursday, 9 June, 3-6 p.m.
Where: North Lawn Building Conference Room 2
What: Side Event on Young People in the AIDS Response : The event will demonstrate how young people are acting as activists of change in the AIDS response. It will present evidence on how they are taking a lead in the prevention revolution, and will share their transformative ideas that will help to shape the future of the AIDS response. Event is co-organized by: UNFPA, UNICEF and UNAIDS.
When: Thursday, 9 June, 1:15–2:30 p.m.
Where: North Lawn Building Conference Room 1
Youth activists participating in the event will include :
, 25 years old, from Mexico, is living with HIV and has been a youth advocate on HIV/AIDS issues since 2007, working through a broad range of national and international youth-led organizations. He was the director of the HIV programme at Espolea, a youth-led organization working on HIV, harm reduction and equality gender for three years. He also co-founded the Latin American network of YPLHIV (Jovenes Positiv@s), which he is now working on expanding to 28 countries.
Mr. Gaj Gurung, 23 years old, is the Nepal YouthLEAD focal point, representing young people from key HIV affected populations, including young sex workers, young MSM, transgender, young people injecting drugs and young HIV positive. He also represents the positive women network in Nepal (National Federation of Women Living with HIV and AIDS) and was key in the introduction of the youth Chapter in the Positive Women's Network.