UNAIDS is the United Nations coordinating body which is pursuing a new global strategy in the fight against HIV/AIDS. Luxembourg’s signature of a new strategic partnership framework will help the UN body strive towards its goals of ending inequality.

This includes support of its Education Plus initiative, which aims to ensure secondary education, access to comprehensive sexuality education and empowerment of adolescent girls in sub-Saharan Africa, who are disproportionately affected by HIV/AIDS. This is in line with what Luxembourg calls its “feminist foreign policy”.

The HIV/AIDS epidemic remains a significant public health issue, particularly as the covid-19 pandemic has exacerbated inequalities in access to care and treatment.

Luxembourg, famously one of the few countries that meets the UN target of spending 0.7% of GDP on cooperation aid, dedicates 15% of its official development assistance to the health sector. The new agreement comes in what is a pivotal year, marking the 40th anniversary of the detection of the first cases of AIDS, as well as 25 years since the creation of UNAIDS.

During her visit, Byanyima also met with the foreign and European affairs, cooperation, immigration and asylum committee of the Chamber of Deputies, as well as Luxembourg MEP Marc Angel (LSAP) in his capacity as the grand duchy’s “champion” of UNAIDS.