Page 6 - DIVA_No.23_2006

Interview with

Michel Sidibe,

UNAIDS, Director
Country and Regional
Support and Co-Chair
of the Global Task Team

"For me there Mr. Sidibe started his career He has kindly accepted to Would you be so kind as to
in his natal Mali working on meet with us and, despite his tell us about UNAIDS and
is no more
the integration of the busy schedule, we stayed its role?
humble and Touareg nomadic tribes in with him much longer than
Timbuktu. Five years later, planned. We hope that all of In the early days of the fight
rewarding work
he went to work for UNICEF you will become more con- against AIDS, it soon
than working in as the country representative cerned about the fight became clear that there was
in different African coun- against AIDS as the danger an important need for co-
the fight
tries, where he spent more is not so much for us, but for ordination. We needed to
against AIDS than twenty years working our children. Let us first give ensure that the action in the
for the simple for the needs of children. He you some facts... AIDS has field touched the most con-
still recalls the child who killed more than 25 million cerned persons in an effec-
raison that you came to see him while people since it was first rec- tive and efficient manner. In
are fighting for attending an international ognized in 1981, making it addition, we had to reduce
conference. The boy was the one of the most destructive duplication of work and to
people without son of his former employee epidemics in recorded histo- have only one voice pleading
who had passed away from ry. Despite recent improved the cause of fighting AIDS
any voice, who
AIDS. Not only the father, access to antiretroviral treat- on a global level. UNAIDS
fight daily in but six months later, the ment and care in many was established to handle
their intimate mother also died of AIDS regions of the world, the this co-ordination.
leaving the children behind. AIDS epidemic claimed 3.1 Information sharing and
lives, who are "It was terrible," Mr. Sidibe million lives in 2005 and advocacy is equally impor-
discriminated says in his soft voice. The more than half a million tant, so another role of
children were, of course, were children. The total UNAIDS is to provide infor-
against. It is a taken care of, but as a result number of people living with mation about the disease and
fight for social of this incident the fight HIV reached its highest the treatments available to
against AIDS became one of level: an estimated 40.3 mil- the general public as a
justice." Mr. Sidibe's priorities. Two lion people are now living whole.
years ago, he was appointed with HIV. Close to 5 million
Director of Country and people were newly infected In other terms, UNAIDS was
Regional Support at with the virus in 2005 set up to respond to the need
UNAIDS Headquarters in of harmonization, facilita-
Geneva. tion and efficiency in action.

41 2006 Diva