UNAIDS: The First 10 Years

UNAIDS The First 10 Years128“The year 2001 stands out for me”, said Plumley, who had recently joined UNAIDS asCommunications Adviser from GlaxoWellcome. “[It’s] a year of great sea change, becausesuddenly we’re playing in the big league. In 1996, Peter [Piot] could not have got the Headsof Government and all the countries together in the way [that happened] in 2001. Thingscame together at UNGASS [including] the movement on drug pricing which I think was ahuge achievement for UNAIDS, much under-rated, and then the scaling up of funding”.The Organization for African Unity Summit in Abuja:Annan’s call to action and beginnings of a newGlobal FundWhile the most public event on AIDS in 2001 was UNGASS, key people from UN organizations,donors and countries were also meeting that year to plan what would eventually become thenew Global Fund. Political commitment and financial commitment were gaining momentumin parallel.“The year 2001stands out for me.[It’s] a year ofgreat sea change,because suddenlywe’re playing inthe big league.In 1996, Petercould not havegot the Heads ofGovernment andall the countriestogether in the way[that happened]in 2001”.In early 2001, various donor countries and UN organizations (UNAIDS Secretariat, UNICEF,WHO and the World Bank) took the discussions further, now focusing on the question ofwhether to push for separate funds for AIDS, for tuberculosis, for malaria or for a more generalhealth fund.When donors and UN organizationsmet again in London in April 2001,they agreed on a single Global Fundto Fight AIDS and other deadlydiseases.On 26 April 2001, the final day ofthe Organization for African UnitySummit on HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosisand Other Infectious Diseases inAbuja, Nigeria, hosted by PresidentOlusegun Obasanjo, the UNSecretary-General issued his nowfamous global call for action. Atthe same summit, African leaderspledged 15% of their national budgets to improve health care and recognized HIV/AIDS as thegreatest threat to health in Africa.Annan told the audience that AIDS was Africa’s “biggest development challenge” and “thatis why I have made the battle against it my personal priority”. He gave unequivocal supportOrganization for AfricanUnity Summit onHIV/AIDS,Tuberculosis and OtherInfectious Diseases in2001 in Abuja, NigeriaEngida Wassie, AfricanUnion Commission