Kenya Elected as Chair of joint United Nations programme on HIV/AIDS

Geneva, 

Friday, 15 December, 2023 

McCreadie Andias 

Kenya has been elected as chair of 54th Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDAS) during the 53rd meeting of UNAIDS' Programme Coordinating Board (PCB) concluded on December 14 in Geneva, Switzerland.

Kenya will assume its new role during the 54th meeting scheduled on June 2024 where Brazil will be serving as Vice-Chair and the Netherlands as Rapporteur.

The just concluded 53rd meeting of the PCB was chaired by Germany, with Kenya serving as the Vice-Chair and Brazil as Rapporteur.

The UNAIDS PCB is the premier UN and global forum on HIV, bringing together civil society, co-sponsors and member states to help chart the co-creation of the future of the response to HIV, including the development of the next Global AIDS Strategy, the vision for 2030 and beyond.

Health Cabinet Secretary Susan Nakhumicha welcomed the position which will strengthen Kenya's impact on the fight against HIV/AIDS both locally and internationally. 

“This decision puts Kenya on the driver's seat on important decision-making on both local and international levels due to our capacity to respond to HIV/AIDS,” CS Nakhumicha said. 

“As we embrace the responsibility to drive this impactful change, we will intensify prevention efforts, expand access to treatment, activate awareness and sensitization campaigns as well as champion inclusively as we focus on building a future where HIV/AIDs is not a threat to our communities.” she added. 

Nakhumicha said that the country is Keen to manage the epidemic by 2030 and this will succeed if deliberate prevention measures are adopted and proper mechanisms put in place to adress the barriers that continue to increase the vulnerability of young people to the infections.