(Sydney)  UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibe told community leaders and health organisations that Australia would become a beacon of hope if it could stop all new HIV infections in Sydney by 2015 at a reception at Slide nightclub on Friday.

“I read that in your beautiful city you have almost 360 new infections every year — which means one new infection every day,” Sidibe said.

“What I want is that the city of Sydney will have zero new infections by 2015 and I want you to take that as your new challenge, your new motto and your new goal. If we can make it zero that will demonstrate that we have a city free of new HIV infections and that it’s possible.”

Introducing Sidibe, AFAO head and co-chair of the Global Fund on MSM and HIV Don Baxter, said Sidibe’s appointment represented a series of firsts.

“[He’s] the first African person appointed to that role, the first non-doctor, and in that time Michel has really re-energised UNAIDS in a number of ways,” Baxter said.

“He’s placed the HIV response very firmly in a human rights framework — critically important for the most at risk populations around the world — and he’s provided a much clearer direction to UNAIDS and the co-sponsors.”

Read the complete article on starobserver.com.au.

Photo credit: Unknown (taken from original article posting as above)