Uniting the world against AIDS

UNAIDS in Malawi

The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) brings together the efforts and resources of ten UN organizations to the global AIDS response, building on each organization’s mandate and competencies to effectively support national responses to AIDS in key areas. There are leadership and advocacy, strategic information, monitoring and evaluation, partnerships and resource tracking and mobilization. The UNAIDS secretariat while based in Geneva, works in more than 75 countries world wide, assisting them to realize the commitments, actions and goals enshrined in inter alia, the Declaration of Commitment on HIV and AIDS, and the Millennium Development Goals (MDG’s).

In Malawi, this work is delivered through the HIV and AIDS cluster of the UN Country Team (formerly called the Joint Team on AIDS), which combines the efforts of eight UN agencies (UNICEF, WFP, UNDP, UNFPA, ILO, UNHCR, WHO and World Bank) under the leadership of the UNAIDS Country Coordinator.

Leadership and Advocacy

UNAIDS provides leadership for establishing the global AIDS agenda and galvanizing political commitment for a proactive targeted and optimally effective HIV response at all levels. At country level, this has entailed:

  Ensuring placement of HIV and AIDS as a top priority on the national political agenda
  Facilitating and supporting the development of National HIV and AIDS policies, plans and institutions aimed at achieving Universal Access to HIV prevention, AIDS treatment, care and support.
  Aligning and harmonizing HIV and AIDS priorities for Malawi through key strategic frameworks such as the United Nations Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF)

Strategic Information, Monitoring and Evaluation:

UNAIDS generates and disseminates up-to-date and reliable data, information and analysis on global, regional and country trends  in the HIV epidemic, its impact and the responses generated in order to support advocacy and inform policy and strategy formulation by all partners. It is also the leading provider of information on the sources, nature and level of AIDS related spending. The country Office

  Provides on-going support to strengthen the HIV Surveillance Systems and its dissemination,
  Facilitates national AIDS spending assessments ,
  Provides support to government led joint reviews of the National AIDS response

Partnerships and Engagement:

A session with Faith Based Organisations (FBOs) on whether ARVs should be free or not

UNAIDS generates stronger and sustained involvement of diverse partners and stakeholders, government, and civil society including  people living with HIV, through global, regional and national partnerships that facilitate the regular and structured engagement of partners in policy and programme decision making. UNAIDS Malawi

  Facilitates the operations of the Malawi Partnership Forum on HIV and AIDS, a mutual accountability structure that serves as an advisory body to National AIDS commission.
  Enhances and strengthens the capacity and engagement of civil society groups, including networks of people living with HIV AIDS.

Mobilization and tracking of Resources:

UNAIDS mobilizes increased human, technical and financial resources to meet priority needs in the response to the epidemic and assists in maximizing the effective and efficient use of available resources.

  Support the proposal development processes to access resources from the Global Fund and bilateral donors.
  Provide catalytic programme funding through the UNAIDS Programme Acceleration Funds (PAF) and therereby leverage much larger resources from other sources.
  Facilitate improved oversight and utilization of available resources thereby supporting the government in making the money work for Malawians.

For more information, visit www.unaids.org or contact

Joint United Nations Programme on HIV and AIDS (UNAIDS)
c/o UNDP PO Box 30135, Lilongwe 3
Tel: (265) 01 773 329/927
Fax: (265) 01 773 992