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FYI - new strategy on HIV/AIDS announced by Swedish government Best wishes David McDaid LSE Health and Social Care http://www.sweden.gov.se/sb/d/5730/a/47547 The Government has adopted a new strategy that will guide Sweden's cooperation with UNAIDS, the Joint UN Programme on HIV/AIDS. This strategy covers the period 2005-2008. HIV/AIDS poses one of the most serious threats of our time and is one of four priority areas of development assistance. The principles and priorities of UNAIDS are in line with Swedish objectives, which is why Sweden is steadily increasing its support to the organisation. Women in particular are increasingly becoming infected by the virus, and it is often women who care for the sick and look after surviving family members. Women's rights to sexual and reproductive health are also among the Government's priority areas and will be receiving special attention, for example, at this autumn's UN summit meeting. One of the cornerstones of the new strategy is therefore that Sweden will cooperate with and push forward UNAIDS' initiatives in the area to make clear the link between HIV/AIDS and the lack of gender equality. The strategy also includes Sweden's commitment to supporting the ongoing fight by UNAIDS to increase international efforts against HIV/AIDS. Sweden will also give support to the organisation's work on measures in the fight against HIV/AIDS: preventive measures, treatment and care, and symptom relief. The focus will be on preventive measures. "At international level, the issue of women's rights is often very controversial and Sweden's voice in needed, also so as to influence the UN system," says Minister for International Development Cooperation Carin Jämtin.