Football For an HIV-Free Generation

Using the tagline Football For an HIV-Free Generation this new pan-African initiative uses the power of sport as the impetus for innovative large scale, comprehensive youth focused HIV prevention. The initiative taps into excitement around the 2010 FIFA Soccer World Cup by using soccer as the entry point for an evidence based strategy that draws on best practice for HIV prevention, youth communication and sports for development.

Combining outreach programs for youth including educational, leadership and life skills development with a sustained pan-African HIV/AIDS education and information media campaign, this effort aims to:

• Help accelerate reductions in the rate of HIV infection among young Africans;
• Re-engage young people across Africa in the fight against HIV/AIDS;
• Help boost leadership and increased country-level focus and funding of more concerted large scale HIV-prevention across Africa

By building on the existing expertise and infrastructure of established organizations and local partners, this initiative will use a large-scale pan-African approach to mobilize youth across the continent in support of the goal of an HIV-free generation. This will be achieved through a three-pronged strategy that includes:

Community Based Model: Community-based outreach and services component will build on the successful models developed by Grassroot Soccer and loveLife that use soccer as a tool for HIV prevention education. The initiative will expand through a social franchising model partnering with and using peer motivation and youth leadership development to build the capacity of existing local community-based organizations. An initial focal point of the initiative will be to support the educational content of the Football For Hope Centers that are being donated in 15 African countries as part of FIFA's 20 Centres for 2010 Campaign.

Sustained Media Campaign: Implemented in partnership with the African Broadcast Media Partnership Against HIV/AIDS (ABMP)-a pan-African coalition of 59 broadcast companies operating across 37 countries-the media campaign will build on the commitment of airtime and other resources from the broadcast companies to develop media programming that connects with the synergies of the 2010 World Cup, as well as the ABMP's existing campaign promoting the concept of an HIV-free Generation.

Advocacy, Partnership and Resource Development: Evidence shows that resources for effective HIV prevention are severely lacking. A concerted advocacy campaign to promote new leadership in support of more concerted HIV prevention and increased resources (in-country and international) will be driven by UNAIDS and CSI+ with the aim of encouraging scaled up prevention across Africa.

For more information visit www.f4hivfree.org

The Champions for an HIV-Free Generation

The Champions for an HIV-Free Generation are highly visibly leaders and outspoken advocates for those affected and infected by HIV. Led by H. E. Mr. Mogae as chairperson, the founding members include four former African presidents, a Nobel Laureate, and other high-level African leaders from different walks of life.

Other Champions taking part in the visit included His Excellency, Mr. Joaquim Chissano, former President of the Republic of Mozambique; Professor Miriam Were, chairperson of the Kenya National AIDS Control Council; and Ms. Joyce Mhaville, chairperson of the Steering Committee of the African Broadcast Media Partnership Against HIV/AIDS (ABMP).

The Champions focus their efforts in sub-Saharan Africa, home to more than two-thirds of all people living with HIV. With a focus on proven HIV prevention practices, the Champions embrace and promote key policy, legal, cultural and behavioral practices and messages that help accelerate the social outcomes needed to achieve an HIV-free generation.

The collaborating partners of this initiative are the World Bank, UNAIDS, the World Health Organization, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, and PEPFAR.

For more information, visit www.hivfreechampions.org

For more information about these advocacy opportunities please contact Andy Seale, Senion Advocacy Advisor, on +27 11 517 15660 sealea@unaids.org