UNAIDS: The First 10 Years

Chapter 6Continuing advocacy153“As countriesexpand theirown surveillancesystems, they havemore informationto use in thisprocess and theyhave a betterknowledge ofthe limitationsof their data”.UNAIDS also continued to work with a wide range of leaders in the developing world tostrengthen the response to the epidemic. Legislators, who have such influence and responsibility,were increasingly focusing their attention on AIDS. UNAIDS and the Inter-ParliamentaryUnion produced The Handbook for Legislators on Law, Human Rights and HIV/AIDS, helpinglegislators to become more active in the response. South Africa, for example, has passed anEmployment and Equity Act that forbids discrimination based on HIV status.The UN and China work together to fight stigma and discriminationAs in all affected countries, stigma and discrimination are major barriers to combatingthe epidemic in China. The UN Country Team decided to take a bold approach tothis challenge and, in 2002, eight UN programmes, funds and specialized agencies –International Labour Organization, United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, UnitedNations Development Programme, United Nations Educational, Scientific and CulturalOrganization, United Nations Population Fund, United Nations Children’s Fund, WorldHealth Organization and the World Bank, supported by UNAIDS – developed a joint,multisectoral programme to fight AIDS-related stigma and discrimination.The Joint Programme is funded by UNAIDS Programme Acceleration Funds, amountingto US$ 675 000. These are catalytic seed funds which are channelled through theUNAIDS Secretariat in Geneva to UN Theme Groups in programme countries. A 2002review of the UN Theme Group on HIV/AIDS in China had, although positive, suggestedthat members needed to move from joint analysis to an integrated action programme inorder to provide more comprehensive support to the AIDS activities of the Government ofChina.ILO is addressing AIDS-related discrimination in the workplace and promoting the greaterinvolvement of people living with HIV. Injecting drug use is the main mode of HIVtransmission in China, so UNODC is focusing on de-stigmatizing injecting drug users.It is also working closely with law enforcement officers and staff – for example, trainingthem in HIV prevention and care for people living with HIV, and training teachers in theprovincial police colleges in line with best international practices. UNDP ran nationalanti-stigma comprehensive media campaigns and UNESCO worked on raising theawareness of young people of HIV prevention and legal rights in schools and vocationalcentres, and established networks of young advocates and peer educators. UNFPA workedon improving access to high quality condoms in a number of regions and UNICEFworked with school children, adolescents and community leaders with the aim of reducingstigma and ensuring they have correct knowledge about HIV. However, in 2007 stigmacontinues to be a major challenge for people living with HIV in China.