UN Special Envoy for HIV/AIDS in Africa

Thembi Ngubani's Prayer:

"Hello HIV, you trespasser. You are in my body, you have to obey [the] rules. you have to respect me and if you don't hurt me, I won't hurt you. You mind your business and I will mind mine and I will give you a ticket when your time comes." RIP 1985-2009

Developing a Vision

My key objectives include advocacy of women rights and pushing the agenda for universal access to prevention, treatment and care, while working with NGOs, African Governments and international partners either individually or collectively.

› Role of the Special Envoy

I want to know your views...

Debate and discussion are essential to this role, and understanding your views and the challenges you think we face helps me table your concerns before governments and those who can use their power to make AIDS history.

› Have your say
[latest news and events]

Latest News...

Message on International Women’s Day 2010, “Equal rights, equal opportunities: progress for all” 8 March 2010

It well known that, advancing women’s rights has positive social and economic benefits for society at large.  As the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon notes, “when women are denied the opportunity to better themselves and their societies, we all lose.” It is also in recognition that, women and girls across Sub-Saharan Africa are disproportionately affected by poverty, ill health and lack of economic opportunities to advance themselves.  With regard to HIV, in Sub-Saharan Africa, women aged 15 – 49 years account for 61 percent of prevalence and new infections.[1] In 2008, Sub-Saharan Africa accounted for 91% (of the 1.4 million) pregnant women living with HIV worldwide.[2] 

Commission on the Status of Women Panel Focuses on Women’s Inheritance and Property Rights

UNDP co-sponsored a panel, Women, HIV and Human Rights: Addressing Property and Inheritance Rights, on Tuesday that provided collective strategies that have been developed over the past few years to advocate for and uphold women’s inheritance and property rights.  For women living with HIV, denial of property and inheritance rights can lead to loss of s

UGANDA: International pressure mounts against "harmful" HIV bill

KAMPALA, 3 December 2009 (PlusNews) - The UN Special Envoy on AIDS in Africa, Elizabeth Mataka, has added her voice to growing criticism of a Ugandan bill that would criminalize the deliberate transmission of HIV.