HRH Princess Lalla Salma holds talks with UNAIDS' Executive Director

New York - HRH Princess Lalla Salma held talks with Executive Director of the UNAIDS, Michel Sidibé, on Thursday at the United Nations headquarters in New York on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly's High-Level Meeting on AIDS.

On this occasion, HRH the Princess highlighted the actions and efforts undertaken by Moroccan associations and the Health Ministry to combat HIV/AIDS.

HRH Princess Lalla Salma, Chairwoman of the Lalla Salma Association for the Fight against Cancer and goodwill Ambassador of World Health Organization (WHO), also expressed Morocco's willingness to share its experience in the field of fighting this pandemic with countries in the region.

UNAIDS' Executive Director, for his part, commended Morocco’s efforts, saying in this regard that the Kingdom is a model in the Maghreb region, Africa and the Middle East.

The meeting was notably attended by Health Minister Yasmina Baddou, Morocco’s Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the UN, Mohamed Loulichki, Chairwoman of the Moroccan Association for the Fight Against AIDS, Hakima Himmich, and Chairwoman of the Pan-African Organization to Fight AIDS (OPALS) Nadia Bezad.

Early on Wednesday, HRH Princess Lalla Salma, who represents Morocco to this High Level meeting, attended the official opening of the international event. Later in the day, HRH the Princess took part in a First Ladies meeting on the elimination of new HIV infections among children by 2015.

UNAIDS: HRH Princess Lalla Salma takes part in First Ladies' meeting in NY

  HRH Princess Lalla Salma took part, on Wednesday at the UN's headquarters in New York, in a meeting of First Ladies on "Eliminating new HIV infections in infants by 2015".

Thirty First Ladies from Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean attended the event to mobilize support to achieve the goal of zero new HIV infections among children by 2015.

    The meeting was held during the first day of the UN high-level meeting on AIDS scheduled June 8-10.

    The Kingdom of Morocco is represented in this event by HRH Princess Lalla Salma.

    The Moroccan delegation includes also Health Minister Yasmina Baddou, Morocco's permanent representative to the UN Mohamed Loulichki, chairwoman of the Moroccan Association to fight AIDS Hakima Himmich and chairwoman of the pan-African organization to fight AIDS (OPALS) Nadia Bezad.

    The debate was co-chaired by Ban Soon-taek, wife of Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, Michel Sidibé, Executive Director of UNAIDS, and Azeb Mesfin, First Lady of Ethiopia and President of the Organization of African First Ladies against HIV/AIDS.
   
    Around 1,000 babies are infected with HIV each day, 90 per cent of whom are in countries in sub-Saharan Africa. HIV is also the leading cause of maternal mortality in developing countries.

    The First Ladies agreed to advocate for comprehensive access to maternal and child health services and to advance 10 action steps on return to their respective countries to ensure that children are born free from HIV and to promote life-saving HIV services for women and children.
  
    Among the 10 steps is supporting efforts to increase the number of centres providing free maternal, newborn and child health services, including treatment to prevent the transmission of HIV from mothers to children.

    “Women and girls must be at the centre of the AIDS response,” said Michel Sidibé. “When women protect themselves from HIV, they protect a whole new generation from HIV.”