Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS

Joint United Nations Programme on HIV and AIDS
AbbreviationUNAIDS
Formation26 July 1994; 30 years ago (1994-07-26)
TypeNon-governmental organization, Joint Programme
Legal statusActive
HeadquartersGeneva, Switzerland
Head
UNAIDS Executive Director
Winnie Byanyima
Parent organization
United Nations Economic and Social Council
Websiteunaids.org
UNAIDS Headquarters building in Geneva, Switzerland

The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV and AIDS (UNAIDS; French: Programme commun des Nations Unies sur le VIH/sida, ONUSIDA) is the main advocate for accelerated, comprehensive and coordinated global action on the HIV/AIDS pandemic.

The mission of UNAIDS is to lead, strengthen and support an expanded response to HIV and AIDS that includes preventing transmission of HIV, providing care and support to those already living with the virus, reducing the vulnerability of individuals and communities to HIV and alleviating the impact of the epidemic. UNAIDS seeks to prevent the HIV/AIDS epidemic from becoming a severe pandemic.

UNAIDS is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, where it shares some site facilities with the World Health Organization. It is a member of the United Nations Development Group.[1] Currently, Winnie Byanyima[2] leads UNAIDS as executive director. Former executive directors are Peter Piot (1995–2008) and Michel Sidibé (2009–2019).[3]

UNAIDS regularly publishes articles and reports on the status of the AIDS epidemic, including roadmaps to ending HIV as a public health threat and updates on the current scientific findings on vaccines and treatments for HIV infections and AIDS.[4]

The agency promotes the GIPA principle (greater involvement of people living with HIV) formulated in 1994, and endorsed by the United Nations in 2001 and 2006.[5]

  1. ^ UN Sustainable Development Group. "UNSDG About – Who we are". United Nations. Archived from the original on 20 June 2021. Retrieved 11 July 2021.
  2. ^ "Winnie Byanyima joins UNAIDS as Executive Director". unaids.org. Retrieved 13 May 2019.
  3. ^ "UNAIDS congratulates Michel Sidibé on his appointment as Minister of Health and Social Affairs of Mali". unaids.org. Retrieved 13 May 2019.
  4. ^ "Publications". www.unaids.org. Retrieved 27 March 2023.
  5. ^ UNAIDS (March 2007). Policy Brief: The Greater Involvement of People Living with HIV (GIPA) (PDF).