ESCWA Executive Secretary Bader AlDafa received UNAIDS Executive Director, Michel Sidibe, who was accompanied by UNAIDS officials Renu Chahil-Graf and Hameed Riza Setayesh. Also attending the meeting was Josette Sfeir, UN Medical Officer.
The meeting focused on reducing HIV/AIDS prevalence rates in the region, and promoting prevention among the young generation.
UNAIDS is the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS. Dr. Renu Chahil-Graf is the director of the UNAIDS Regional Support Team for the Middle East and North Africa, and Dr. Hamid Reza Setayesh is UNAIDS Country Coordinator in Iran.
According to the UNAIDS website and estimates, 35,000 people acquired HIV in 2007 across North Africa and the Middle East, bringing to 380,000 the number of people living with HIV in the region . An estimated 25,000 died of AIDS-related illnesses in the same year. Effectively coordinated HIV prevention, treatment, care and support strategies are vital to the reduction of these figures.
