During the meeting

The United Nations Information Centre (UNIC) in Sana’a, the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) and Yemen News Agency (Saba) in cooperation with Ministry of Public Health and Population held a round table discussion with Yemeni journalist on 20 April 2011 to review Yemen's part in the United Nations report on HIV/AIDS.

UNIC Sana’a Director Samir Aldarabi welcomed the participants and thanked Saba News Agency for hosting the event. He added that the attendance reflects a very important positive development in the public response to the epidemic. He affirmed the United Nations support for Yemen’s efforts to fight AIDS. Aldarabi also  pointed to the Secretary-General’s latest report on aids which provides five key recommendations that will be reviewed by world leaders at a UN General Assembly High Level Meeting on AIDS, 8–10 June 2011.

Aldarabi said that the five recommendations made by the UN Secretary-General to strengthen the AIDS response are: Harness the energy of young people for an HIV prevention revolution; Revitalize the push towards achieving universal access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support by 2015; Work with countries to make HIV programmes more cost effective, efficient and sustainable; Promote the health, human rights and dignity of women and girls; and Ensure mutual accountability in the AIDS response to translate commitments into action.

Director of the National Program on AIDS at the Ministry of Public Health Dr. Abdul Hameed al-Suhaibi said that the latest estimates indicate that the total AIDS cases in Yemen up to 30 thousand cases.

Dr. Al-Suhaibi reviewed a report on the Ministry's efforts over the past years to raise the level of health support in this aspect, pointing to the challenges in this area.
Chairman of board of directors of Saba Tariq al-Shami affirmed the need for continuous efforts to raise awareness on AIDS, noting the progress made by Yemen to give people living with the disease their human rights and dignity.

Coordinator of the UNAIDS in Yemen Dr. Fawzia Ghramah made clear that Yemen has taken great strides in the fight against AIDS over the past years, and it was among the first countries to enact a law to protect the rights of people living with the disease.

The participants affirmed the importance of the role of media in raising awareness on AIDS. In addition; a mother living with HIV and her husband who is also lived with HIV told there stories to the participants.

UN Information Centres – Sana’a