UNAIDS: The First 10 Years

Chapter 4UNAIDS’ partnershipwith MTV Internationalhas been a long andpowerful one. Itsprogrammes , with manypromoting informationabout HIV prevention,reach young people allover the world. MTV91Even those leaders who recognized the dangers of the epidemic did not always act.Mandela told South African activist Zackie Achmat and others at a meeting in March 1999that he stopped talking about condoms and AIDS “because he was warned [about] whiteconservative principles and [that] African traditional leaders do not talk about sex, if youwant to win the next election. … I think for someone who had been in prison a long timewho is really a traditional old man and a royal without being a royalist … having to deal withthese things was not easy … but he said [he took] full responsibility for where we are withthe infection rate amongst youth”.Fortunately, by 1998, a number of African leaders had begun to address the challengeof AIDS and some governments were increasing their multisectoral efforts against theepidemic. But they needed support, from within countries and outside, if they were tomake significant progress.In June 1998, Piot had addressed the plenary session of the Organization for African UnionSummit of Heads of State in Ouagadougou, and a call for action on AIDS in Africa hadbeen included in the final declaration from the heads of state. During 1998, the UNAIDSPCB had called for renewed efforts – by UNAIDS, Cosponsors, national governments anddonors – in Africa. At the WHO Regional Committee on Africa meeting in August 1998,participants had begun to accelerate their work on an agreement for a special initiative onAIDS in Africa.