OF NOTE THIS WEEK

Earlier this week UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé met with First Vice President Mohammad-Reza Rahimi and other top Iranian officials. According to a UNAIDS press release, while there, Sidibé highlighted Iran's progressive work in addressing its HIV epidemic in prisons and among people who inject drugs, which accounts for more than 70% of reported HIV cases in Iran. "The services and experiences of the Islamic Republic of Iran in controlling this disease do not exist in any other regional state and Iran can be the flag-bearer of the campaign against this problem among the countries of the region", Sidibé said. As a part of his official mission, Sidibé also visited a "Positive Club", where he "emphasized the work of Iranian health authorities in helping restore the lives and dignity of people living with HIV" through the establishment of such clubs, which provide information, medicine and other HIV-related services, UNAIDS reports.

NEWS AND HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE DONORS

• The World Bank, in collaboration with USAID, is hosting the forth debate in the series "Emerging Issues in Today's HIV Response". The October 27th debate will be on Concurrent Sexual Partnerships
• Michel Sidibé, Executive Director of UNAIDS, visits Iran; meets with senior Iranian officials and people living with HIV

OTHER NEWS AND HIGHLIGHTS

• HIV-positive teens in Uganda put religions before antiretroviral drugs (The Guardian)
• Will Uganda achieve the health MDGs? (New Vision)
• UW Part of Team to Transform African Medical Education; Funding Part of $130m Investment by U.S. Government to Increase Health Care Workers (New Design World)
• Auditors from the Global Fund to Reach Ghana (Top News)
• Risk of spreading HIV is greater outside vaginal sex (The East Africa)
• IMF, World Bank committed to development, governance reform (Xinua)
• Mozambique: HIV patients team up to make treatment cheaper (All Africa)
• Zambia ranks high on pregnant HIV-positive women numbers (Zambia Post)

HIV/AIDS MONITOR RECOMMENDATIONS AND POLICY IMPACT

• The HIV/AIDS Monitor has been tracking the policy changes among PEPFAR, the Global Fund and the World Bank MAP related to the recommendations that have come out of our research. Explore these changes using our interactive flash tool.