The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV and AIDS (UNAIDS)

UNAIDS, the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS, is an innovative partnership that leads and inspires the world in achieving universal access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support.

UNAIDS Vision:

• Zero new HIV infections.
• Zero discrimination.
• Zero AIDS-related deaths.

UNAIDS fulfills its mission by:

• Uniting the efforts of the United Nations system, civil society, national governments, the private sector, global institutions and people living with and most affected by HIV

• Speaking out in solidarity with the people most affected by HIV in defense of human dignity, human rights and gender equality;
• Mobilizing political, technical, scientific and financial resources and holding ourselves and others accountable for results;
• Empowering agents of change with strategic information and evidence to influence and ensure that resources are targeted where they deliver the greatest impact and bring about a prevention revolution; and
• Supporting inclusive country leadership for sustainable responses that are integral to and integrated with national health and development efforts.

The UNAIDS Regional Support Team for Eastern and Southern Africa (UNAIDS RST ESA)

The UNAIDS Regional Support Team for Eastern and Southern Africa (UNAIDS RST ESA) provides timely, quality and coherent technical support and advice to UNAIDS Country Coordinators and country offices in order to enable them to fully deliver on commitments to strengthen the national AIDS response.

Within the overall goal to catalyze and facilitate an expanded response to HIV and AIDS in Eastern and Southern Africa the RST supports action to:

• halt the epidemic by preventing new infections
• expand access to treatment, care and support for people living with HIV and AIDS
• expand care, protection and support for orphans and families affected by HIV and AIDS

Vision

The vision of the RST is that the peoples of Eastern and Southern Africa take control of the AIDS epidemic. It is a vision where young people, women and men have the information, skills, services and support necessary to stop new infections; where all people living with HIV live in an environment free from stigma and discrimination and have access to life saving treatments and care; and where children, especially orphans, and families affected by HIV and AIDS receive a compassionate and comprehensive care, protection and support

Mission

The RST’s mission is to mobilise regional partnerships and draw on the collective strengths of the UN system to support and strengthen country level capacities to scale up national programmes towards the achievement of universal access to prevention, treatment and care.

Clients

The RST's main clients are:

• At country level the UNAIDS Country Coordinators and through them support for the UN country team's HIV response through the UN Theme Groups on HIV (UNTGs). In countries with no Country Coordinator the RST provides direct support through the UNTG
• At regional level the regional UN entities, intergovernmental organisations, donors and nongovernmental organisations
• At global level the UNAIDS-Headquarters in Geneva and the interface with global partnerships

Functions

The RST's work is structured around five key areas:

• Technical and programming support
• Evidence-informed advocacy, communication and leadership engagement
• Partner coordination and involvement
• UN system support
• Management and operational support

RST activity is based on principles including: results for people; national ownership and country-led approaches; commitment to strengthening capacity; and the alignment of regional initiatives with national priorities.

The region

The RST covers the countries in the right hand column on this page.

The RST ESA Director

Dr Sheila Tlou is Director of the UNAIDS Regional Support Team for East and Southern Africa. She joined UNAIDS on 1 October, 2010.

Dr Tlou, a committed advocate for effective AIDS responses in the region, brings to this position over 25 years of experience in public health programming for HIV prevention, treatment care and support.

Prior to joining UNAIDS, Dr Tlou held the post of Minister of Health for the Government of Botswana from 2004 to 2009, where she spearheaded the country’s highly effective AIDS programme.

Dr. Tlou was employed at the University of Botswana since 1980, and has held the post of Professor of Nursing at the University of Botswana since 1999.  At the same university, she also held the positions Head of Department and Director, WHO Collaborating Center for Nursing and Midwifery Development in Primary Health Care from 1994 to 1998. 

Dr Tlou holds a Doctorate of Nursing Science, majoring in Public Health Nursing and Research.  She has a Master of Education, majoring in Curriculum and Instruction in the Health Sciences from Columbia University, as well as a Master of Science, majoring in Public Health Nursing and Psychology, from The Catholic University of America, Washington D.C. Dr Tlou is a national of Botswana.