For a more vital and stronger partnership for a better response to HIV/AIDS, the African Union Commission (AUC) signed an MoU with the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) to facilitate co-operation and collaboration between the two organizations to cooperate in all issues with regards to the HIV/AIDS epidemic, management and control, through harmonized and effective responses, in line with the catalytic framework to end HIV, TB and Malaria by 2030.
The MoU was signed by H.E. Amira Elfadil Mohammed the Commissioner for Health, Humanitarian Affairs and Social Development and H.E. Winnie Byanyima, Executive Director, UNAIDS. The signing ceremony followed by a bilateral conversation between the two leaders on redefine the areas of collaboration between the AUC and the UNAIDS in order to end AIDS in Africa by 2030.
H.E. Amira Elfadil expressed her appreciation for the tremendous effort made by UNAIDS to ensure that all stakeholders are aligned in priorities and targets as set in our policy frameworks – AU Agenda 2063, African Health Strategy and Catalytic Framework to End AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria by 2030.
Furthermore, Elfadil said “We must consider the cultural barriers that strain effective behavioural change implementation and in the AU Member States. As you know, the African Union’s theme of the year is ’Arts, Culture and Heritage: Levers for Building the Africa We Want’. It is a strategic time to voicing cultural matters that Africa must address to end AIDS by 2030″.
H.E. Winnie Bynyima Said “Today we mark 22 years of successful collaboration between UNAIDS and the African Union Commission, as we signing a renewed MoU with the Health, Humanitarian Affairs and Social Development Department we set the path for a stronger HIV response in Africa towards our common goal”.
The MOU sets out the framework for cooperation in order to ensure closer collaboration and exchange of information between the AUC and UNAIDS in a manner that creates synergistic relationship and partnership in capacity building initiatives.
