ECA and UNAIDS forge partnership on long-term HIV/AIDS financing and accountability

Addis Ababa, 22 June 2007 - The Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) and UNAIDS today in Addis Ababa forged a broad partnership on the development of an accountability index to measure progress and commitment towards Universal Access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support in Africa.

At a working session led by the Executive Secretary of ECA, Mr. Abdoulie Janneh and the Deputy Executive Director of UNAIDS, Mr. Michel Sidibe, the two organizations agreed to work jointly on a donor harmonization agenda, using HIV/AIDS as an entry point, and mobilize ECA's Conference of Ministers of Finance on the significance of long-term and sustainable HIV/AIDS financing.

They also agreed to institute a scientific committee to re-actualize and update data in “Securing Our Future”, the final report of the Commission on HIV/AIDS and Governance (CHGA), which was inaugurated in 2003 by UN Secretary General Kofi Annan.

The Commission was charged with addressing the urgent and unique challenges posed by the multiple ways in which HIV/AIDS impacts development and governance in Africa.

The Commission's report, which was completed in 2006, contains six key messages on the multiplicity of the African epidemic, vulnerability of women, AIDS orphans, prevention strategies, constraints to treatment and care as well as sustainable HIV/AIDS financing.

ECA and UNAIDS decided to conduct a critical analysis on future research agenda emanating from the recommendations and messages in the CHGA report and the modalities for mounting a policy advocacy on them.