UN Special Envoy for HIV/AIDS in Africa

 Elizabeth Mataka, United Nations Secretary General's Special Envoy for AIDS in Africa:

“We are no longer fatalistic about HIV and AIDS. There is hope.”

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Press Statements

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

Tue - 09/03/10

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] 

'Keep Woman and AIDS on the Agenda' - Statement on the 3rd Great Lakes Summit

Mon - 10/08/09
 I would like to welcome all leaders assembled here in Lusaka today to discuss various issues of concern in the Great Lakes region. I would specifically like to call upon the leaders of the Great Lakes Region to keep Gender and HIV foremost on the agenda as they deliberate in today’s third International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (IC GLR).
 
I am particularly reminded of the rape campaign in Rwanda which was extensive. It was not just rape in the simplistic sense of ‘forced intercourse’ it was used as a weapon to humiliate the enemy - men who are meant to protect “their” women, the rape victims. Some estimate that every woman who survived the Rwanda genocide was a victim of sexual violence - about 250,000 to 535,000 rape victims during those 100 days – at least as many people as the citizens of Windhoek.

Elizabeth Mataka appointed onto Global Task force on Women

Mon - 21/09/09

Lusaka— UNAIDS has appointed Zambia National AIDS Network (ZNAN) Executive Director, Mrs. Elizabeth Mataka, as a member of the Global Task Force on Women, Girls Gender Equality and HIV.

National VCT in Zambia

Tue - 30/06/09

 In a country such as Zambia, or indeed Sub-Saharan Africa, with generalized epidemics, it is critical that prevention of new infections vct day 09 zbecomes the cornerstone of the response if Millennium development goals and Universal access are to be reached. This will only be achieved if all people make it their business to know their status and act to prevent the further spread of HIV, therefore VCT is a pre-requisite to universal access. Counselling and testing should not just be defined as voluntary counselling and testing, but should include provider initiated counselling and testing and as an entry point for PMTC and ART as well as an entry point to engage men around Sexual Reproductive Health (SRH). To maximize its utility and as a mechanism to reach men, VCT should be linked to these services.

The Impact of Aid in Africa - The UN Special Envoy's response to Dambisa Moyo's book 'Dead Aid'

Tue - 21/04/09
I am an African woman who has lived, interacted and worked with poor communities for well over 35 years now. I have seen the shift in Aid generally to the more targeted Aid for specific programmes such as Aid to poverty alleviation which has been given to better-governed countries since the late 1990s. There is no doubt that without this development, the situation for most of Africa would have been worse. 

International Women's Day

Fri - 06/03/09

Today, on the occasion of the International Women’s Day, I would like to acknowledge the progress that has been made by various governments and other bodies to recognize and support specific policy and actions towards addressing Gender Inequality in its various forms.

 

The task of stopping Aids and keeping the promise

Thu - 11/12/08

World Aids Day press statement.
 Date: 1 December 2007.

UN Special Envoy for AIDS in Africa offers to work with Ugandan Government to ensure full human rights protection for the country’s sexual minority groups

Tue - 30/09/08

“We know from our work in the HIV and AIDS field that the virus thrives on stigma and discrimination. A failure to protect the most marginalized in society is a failure that can lead to repercussions for wider society.”

Date: 1 October 2008

UN special envoy appeals to the TOKYO INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT (TICAD) to make HIV/AIDS, TB and Malaria a priority

Thu - 29/05/08

“While the improvement of health systems and has been included as a component of “human security”, the issue of HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria must be discussed separately as it has a direct impact on development and all socio-economic issues in the country. There can be no development in any other area without addressing these three epidemics.”

Date: 30 May 2008