Statements and Webcast
Commonwealth Secretariat
H. E. Dr. Sylvia J. Anie, Director of the Social Transformation Programmes Division
10 June 2011
- Statement: English (Check against delivery)
Statement Summary
SYLVIA J. ANIE, Director of the Social Transformation Programmes Division of the Commonwealth Secretariat, said many Commonwealth countries had made great strides in applying a multisectoral approach to increasing antiretroviral drug access. Concerned with women’s heightened vulnerability to the disease, the Plan of Action for Gender Equality recognized the need to put women at the centre of the development agenda and also at the heart of the global health agenda. Other efforts included incorporating HIV and AIDS in school and teacher training curricula, commissioning a pan-Commonwealth research project on women’s unpaid work in HIV care, and supporting efforts to increase universal access to antiretrovirals. As 60 per cent of Commonwealth citizens were under the age of 30, there was a strong focus on young people, and the Plan of Action for Youth Empowerment sought to ensure youth participation at all levels of development, including in response to the HIV epidemic.
Source: GA/11093