News Releases

Media Advisory: Global Fund at Women Deliver Conference

13 May 2016

The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria has the pleasure to invite the media to sessions and side events organized by our organization during the Women Deliver Conference in Copenhagen.

Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission: On the Edge of an AIDS-free generation

Date/Time: Tuesday May 17, 13.30-14.30

Location: Room C1-M3

While progress has been made toward the goal of reducing new pediatric infections by 90%, HIV continues to be a leading cause of under-5 and maternal mortality. This session will address the challenges and solutions for achieving an AIDS-free generation. Organized by the Global Fund, WHO and UNAIDS, this session will give an overview on the issue of prevention of mother to child transmission and discuss innovative solutions to address the problem.

Speakers:

  • Geeta Rao Gupta, Deputy Director, UNICEF (moderator)
  • Annah Sango, International Community of Women Living with HIV, Zimbabwe
  • Annie Lennox, UNAIDS Goodwill Ambassador, singer, songwriter and activist
  • Kenly Sikwese , Coordinator, AFROCAB & Board Member, UNITAID
  • Sheila Tlou, Regional Director, UNAIDS, East & Southern Africa
  • Deborah van Zinkernagel, Director, Office of Global Fund and Global Plan Affairs, UNAIDS
  • Felicitas Zawaira, Director of Family and Reproductive Health, Africa Regional Office of the World Health Organisation

The Female Face of Communicable Diseases

Date/Time: Wednesday May 18, 10.30-12.00

Location: Room B3-2

When it comes to communicable diseases, women are both the recipients and providers of care. Gender inequalities continue to increase women's risk of infectious diseases including HIV, malaria and tuberculosis. This session will present and generate discussions around sustainable initiatives either led by women, or to address their needs. Learn about the different individual, community, and programmatic solutions-particularly those spearheaded by women-that are increasing access to communicable disease services.

Speakers:

  • Haileyesus Getahun, Coordinator of the TB/HIV and Community Engagement Unit, Global TB Programme, WHO (moderator)
  • Dr Marijke Wijnroks, Chief of Staff, The Global Fund (moderator)
  • Yvonne Chaka Chaka, Princess of Africa
  • Massimo Ghidinelli, Unit Chief HIV, Hepatitis, TB and STI, PAHO/WHO
  • Maximina Jokonya, Youth Activist, Africaid-Zvandiri
  • Kaosar Afsana, Director, Health, Nutrition and Population, BRAC, Bangladesh
  • Catrin Schulte-Hillen, Working Group Leader, Reproductive Health and Sexual Violence Care, Médecins Sans Frontières, Switzerland
  • Koki Agarwal, Director, Maternal and Child Survival Program, JHPIEGO

Young People, HPV, and Cervical Cancer

Date/Time: Wednesday May 18, 15.00-16.00

Location: Room C1-M2

Organized by the Global Fund, UNAIDS and WHO, this panel discussion will explore strategies of HPV programs within the broad agenda of women's health, access to services, and linkages between services. Cervical cancer control is advancing through strong linkages with civil society, where champions have pushed the public health agenda in countries in Africa. HPV vaccination in adolescent girls is a unique opportunity to develop a new delivery platform for reaching this underserved age group with a package for sexual and reproductive health and other health interventions.

Speakers:

  • Flavia Bustreo, ADG Family Women and Children, WHO
  • Adebisi Adenipekun, Youth Equality Center
  • Heather White Dr.PH , PSI, Technical Advisor NCD's, SRH and TB Department
  • Gracia Violeta Ross, President, Bolivian Network of People Living with HIV (REDBOL), Board member, Communities Delegation Living with Diseases in UNITAID

Financing women's, children's, and adolescents' health

Date/Time: Wednesday May 18, 13.30-14.30

Location: Room B4-5

There is strong evidence that investing in health of women, children, and adolescents yields significant benefits to society and the economy. The session organized by the Global Fund and the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD), will discuss different cases of health investments for women and girls in different countries, engagement and collaboration with different partners and lessons learnt from the past fifteen years, and what will the future look like.

Speakers to be confirmed

SIDE EVENTS

Empowering Women through Health and Education

Time and date: May 17, 07.00 - 08.00

Venue: Bella Centre - Room B5-2

Health and education are foundational elements of human growth and development, and have inextricably linked outcomes, especially during the early stages of life. The interdependence of health and education in the lives of girls and young women is one of the clearest opportunities for progress - making not only a difference in one lifespan but also for generations to come.

The success of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals will require a more integrated approach to improve the quality of health and education, with coordinated education and health systems, programs and financing, and strong partnerships.

There is compelling evidence that better education leads to better health outcomes for young women and girls, especially when it comes to HIV. Getting and keeping adolescent girls and young women in safe schools not only reduces their vulnerability to unintended pregnancies and HIV, but can yield healthy, educated and financially independent women who make well-informed choices about their lives. A recent study showed an enormous payoff in investing in education if investments are assessed from a health perspective: Every dollar invested in female schooling in low- and middle-income countries would return $5 in terms of the value of under-5 mortality reduction alone. Securing access to quality education for girls through adolescence can also lower young women's risk of being exposed to cervical cancer, tuberculosis, malaria and gender-based violence.

All these benefits are passed on from generation to generation - with lasting impact. Addressing quality health and education for girls is essential for poverty eradication.

Moderated by:

  • Theo Sowa, African Women's Development Fund

Key note address:

  • Nyaradzayi Gumbonzvanda, General Secretary, World YWCA AU Goodwill Ambassador on Ending Child Marriages

Panelists:

  • Dr Mark Dybul, Executive Director, Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria
  • Julia Gillard, Board Chair, Global Partnership for Education
  • HE Dr Tedros Adhamon, Minister of Foreign A_airs, Ethiopia
  • HE Maker Mwangu Famba, Minister of Primary, Secondary and Vocational Education, Democratic Republic of the Congo
  • Carolyn Miles, President and CEO of Save the Children USA

Maverick Collective Launch Event

Time and date: May 16, 14.00 - 16.00

Venue: Hotel Bella Sky Bar

At the Women Deliver Global Conference in May 2016 in Copenhagen, PSI will launch Maverick Collective designed to coincide with discussions about how to achieve the recently announced Global Goals. Co-chaired by HRH Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway, Maverick Collective takes a new approach to philanthropy-embracing risk, measuring impact, putting the full extent of a philanthropist's resources to work, and closing the gap between private and government donors to fast track the best health solutions for girls and women. See www.maverickcollective.org for more information.

Speakers:

  • Ambassador Karl Hofmann, President and CEO, PSI (introduction)
  • Dr Mark Dybul, Executive Director, The Global Fund (Keynote)
  • Raj Kumar, CEO of Devex (moderator)
  • HRH The Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway
  • Kate Roberts, SVP of Corporate Partnerships and Philanthropy, PSI