IV. Global, Regional and National Responses to AIDS February 16,
2001 Until recently, the response to AIDS lacked an essential
element: political recognition and commitment at the highest
global and national levels. Today, AIDS is on the world's global
political agenda and is considered an issue of utmost urgency in
nearly every country. Given the societal root causes, the
breadth of impact of HIV and the continuing stigma it attracts,
a purely medical or public health response is insufficient.
Political leadership at the highest levels is needed to mobilize
an effective multisectoral response. Joint United Nations
Programme on HIV/AIDS In 1996, to mobilize the main United
Nations agencies in a coordinated response and individually in
their respective areas of work, the United Nations drew together
six agencies -- the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), the
United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the United Nations
Population Fund (UNFPA), the United Nations Educational,
Scientific and Cultural Orga