The Middle East and North Africa Harm Reduction Association (MENAHRA) and the Regional Arab Network Against AIDS (RANAA) participated in the 37th meeting of the UNAIDS Program Coordinating Board from 26 to 28 October 2016 at the World Health Organization (WHO) Headquarters in Geneva.
UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibe gave during the opening session an update on the progress made in the AIDS response as well as outlining the challenges of and opportunities for Fast-Tracking a global movement to end the AIDS epidemic by 2030. He said it is critical to renew the global commitment to end the AIDS epidemic as a public health threat. “The countdown to 2030 has started and calls on us to work in different ways,” he said.
During the first day of the meeting MENAHRA’s Executive Director Mr. Elie Aaraj made a statement on behalf of the CSOs in Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region calling for funding organizations to reconsider the draw out from the region. “In the MENA we have very limited political commitment which is clearly shown by the lack of services and domestic funding. MENA is not at the top ten of the donors’ agenda as well. The eligibility criteria of some organizations must be reviewed towards more inclusion and support”.
You can read the complete statement by clicking here
In addition, RANAA’s Executive Director Ms. Golda Eid, stated that “In low prevalence and high stigma settings such as in MENA, we need to address countries that are highly affected by displacement and emerging crises and the need to look for strategic entry points for integration issues of HIV within the existing national and humanitarian response.”
