UNifeed: GA / HIV AND AIDS DECLARATION WRAP

GA / HIV AND AIDS DECLARATION WRAP

Addressing the General Assembly's review of progress and challenges in the global AIDS response, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon says there is encouraging progress but there are still nearly five new infections for every two people put on treatment. UNTV

Duration:02:57Date:16 June 2009

Categories:

United Nations Television, HEALTH, DISEASE PREVENTION AND CONTROL

Downloads:

Broadcast-quality video for UNifeed stories is available online for two weeks. Should you wish to request older material, please contact the agency source of the material. For UNTV or peacekeeping stories, please contact the UN Video Library.

Full Script

STORY: GA / HIV AND AIDS DECLARATION WRAP
TRT: 2.57
SOURCE: UNTV
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH/ NATS

DATELINE: 16 JUNE 2009, NEW YORK CITY/ FILE

SHOTLIST:

FILE – RECENT, NEW YORK CITY

1. Wide shot, exterior UN building

16 JUNE 2008, NEW YORK CITY

2. Zoom in, General Assembly podium
3. SOUNDBITE (English) Ban Ki-moon, United Nations Secretary-General:
“Now it’s not the time to falter. The economic crisis should not be an excuse to abandon commitments; it should be an impetus to make the right investments that will yield benefits for generations to come. A vigorous and effective response to the AIDS epidemic is integrally linked to meeting global commitments, to reduce poverty, prevent hunger, lower child mortality, and protect the health and wellbeing of women.”
4. Wide shot, Aaron Motsoaledi walking to the podium 
5. SOUNDBITE (English) Aaron Motsoaledi, Minister of Health of the Republic of South Africa: 
“It is our position that even though much has been done, with some encouraging  outcomes to date, more robust prevention methods are needed in order to turn the tide against this epidemic in the region. Further thus, we should underscore the importance of international cooperation, in particular technical assistance as well as access to research findings to enable member states to build research capacity and carry out further research to develop an effective vaccine.”
6. Pan right, audience
7. Zoom out, the Secretary-General walking to the microphone
8. SOUNDBITE (English) Ban Ki-moon, United Nations Secretary-General:
“While I am very much encouraged by such many progress and support from the international community in preventing and supporting and treating and caring the HIV/ AIDS, we have to again, I think unfortunately,  to fight against this spirit of human, human spirit; this kind of prejudice and discrimination and stigma.”
9. SOUNDBITE (English) Michel Sidibé, UNAIDS Executive Director:
“You know, today I would like to tell you that eighty countries are having homophobic laws. So, eighty countries in the world, and it’s important for us to continue with support of the Secretary-General to remove those punitive laws which are really blocking the people to have access to life-saving services.”
10. Tacking shot, Secretary-General and UNAIDS Executive Director leaving the room
11. Tacking shot, Secretary-General walking in to meet with World AIDS Campaign representatives and posing for photo-op with commemorative t-shirts

STORYLINE:

Top United Nations officials today (16 June) urged countries to maintain and strengthen their commitments to tackle HIV and AIDS in the midst of the global economic downturn, warning that slashing resources now could mean greater costs and suffering in the future.

Addressing a meeting of the General Assembly convened to assess progress in the response to the global epidemic; Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said that “now it’s not the time to falter” and that the current economic crisis “should not be an excuse to abandon commitments”. He added that “a vigorous and effective response to the AIDS epidemic” is integrally linked to meeting the Millennium Development Goals and other global commitments.

In 2006, the Assembly pledged to achieve universal access to comprehensive HIV prevention, treatment, care and support by 2010. A report by the Secretary-General on progress on HIV/AIDS commitments shows that achieving national universal access targets by 2010 will require an estimated annual outlay of $25 billion within two years.

The Secretary-General’s report on HIV/ AIDS highlights a number of encouraging developments such as countries establishing clear national targets for universal access, and a continued increase in financing for HIV programs in low- and middle-income countries, reaching $13.7 billion in 2008.

At the same time, the report says considerable challenges remain, including significant access gaps for key HIV-related services. Also, the pace of new infections continues to outstrip the expansion of treatment programs, and commitment to HIV prevention remains inadequate.

South African Minister of Health Aaron Motsoaledi, speaking in behalf of the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC), said that though much has been accomplished, “more robust prevention methods are needed in order to turn the tide against this epidemic in the region” and underscored the importance of international cooperation in order to, “build research capacity and carry out further research to develop an effective vaccine”.

Speaking to reporters after addressing the meeting, the Secretary-General discussed his own efforts to attack “prejudice, discrimination and stigma”. Among them, he said he met regularly with UN staff who lived with HIV and that he is pushing for all people living with HIV to participate in society without fear of discrimination.

He was joined by UNAIDS Chief Michel Sidibé, who said that “eighty countries are having homophobic laws” which are “blocking the people to have access to life-saving services.”

Some 84 countries have reported that they have laws and policies that act as obstacles to effective HIV prevention, treatment, care and support for vulnerable populations, according to UNAIDS.

Breadcrumb Trail

GA / HIV AND AIDS DECLARATION WRAP

UNifeed Archive

UNifeed Outlook

About

Connect to Unifeed

Connect to UNTV

Other UNTV Products