India’s chairmanship to the UNAIDS Programme Coordinating Board (PCB) from January 2013

India was elected as the Chair of the UNAIDS Programme Coordinating Board (PCB) from 1st of January 2013 for one year during the 31st Session of the UNAIDS PCB which took place in Geneva from 11-13 December 2012. 

           
The PCB is the governing body on all programmatic issues concerning policy, strategy, finance, monitoring and evaluation of UNAIDS and it is made up of Member States, UN agencies and NGO Delegates. Programme Coordinating Board (PCB) with representatives of 22 governments from all geographic regions, the UNAIDS Cosponsors, and five representatives of non-governmental organizations (NGOs), including associations of people living with HIV. The term of membership of these 22 members shall be three years. India is among the few countries who are Member States of the UNAIDS since 1996 and the only country from Asia since 1996.
  

UNAIDS has credited India with helping the world battle against AIDS. "India has contributed enormously to the AIDS response through its capacity to manufacture generic antiretroviral drugs in the private sector. With 80% of these drugs being generics purchased in India, several billion dollars have been saved over the past five years," says the UNAIDS Report 2012: Together we will end AIDS. The UNAIDS World AIDS Day Report 2012 report also stated that new HIV infections were reduced in India by more than 57%. HIV related mortality is down by 29%.  India continues to be low prevalence with adult prevalence having declined to 27%.   A key strength of India’s HIV programme is the partnership with a wide range of stakeholders, including positive networks, CSOs, community organizations, research institutions and academia, and international partners.  The programme has followed a consultative and collaborative approach in policy formulation and implementation.  Due to the programme success, several country delegations have come to India to study the best practices like, South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya, Uganda, Burundi, China, Brazil, etc.  In this report India along with other BRICS countries were praised for their increased country ownership for domestic investments in AIDS control programmes.  India has dramatically stepped up domestic funding to  85% of   programme funds allocation.

            During the 31st PCB meeting in Geneva on 11 December 2012, The Executive Director of the UNAIDS Mr. Michel Sidibé acknowledged India’s contribution for the supply of low-cost quality-assured generic medicines.    Currently India is supplying 75% of generic medicines for the HIV/AIDS treatment.

India looks forward to share its experiences and strategies in AIDS control with other Member States of the UNAIDS.

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