IAPAC and City of Sevilla Announce Fast-Track Cities 2022

IAPAC AND CITY OF SEVILLA ANNOUNCE FAST-TRACK CITIES 2022 

Sevilla, Spain (April 7, 2022) – The International Association of Providers of AIDS Care (IAPAC), the City Council of Sevilla, and civil society representatives held a joint press conference today to officially announce the Fast-Track Cities 2022 conference, which will take place October 11-13, 2022, in Sevilla. Under the theme of “Leading Together,” the conference will reflect the intersection of solidarity and leadership in public health as the framework of the Fast-Track Cities movement.

The Fast-Track Cities network was launched on World AIDS Day 2014 with the signing of the Paris Declaration on Fast-Track Cities by 26 cities around the world. Today, the Fast-Track Cities network has more than 390 cities globally committed to the goals of ending the HIV and tuberculosis (TB) epidemics and eliminating HBV and HCV by 2030. There are more than 15 Fast-Track Cities in Spain, of which Sevilla was the first to join the global network in 2015.

The Fast-Track Cities 2022 conference will provide space for interactive dialogue and facilitate the collaborative development of innovative approaches to ending HIV and TB, as well as eliminating viral hepatitis. The conference aims to foster exchange and cooperation between government leaders, public health officials, clinical service providers, urban health experts, and civil society representatives from current and future Fast-Track Cities.

The topic of the conference’s high-level panel will focus on realizing migrants’ right to health, a key population for which greater efforts are needed in optimizing access to and use of health services related to HIV, TB, viral hepatitis, and other diseases.

“Given the leadership of the multiple public health actors that are driving Sevilla’s response to HIV, the theme ‘Leading Together’ is ideal for the Fast-Track Cities 2022 conference that we will hold in your city,” said Dr. José M. Zúñiga, President/CEO of IAPAC and the Fast-Track Cities Institute. “By convening the entire Fast-Track Cities network, we intend to publicize their successes, but also strategize around the cross-cutting challenges we encounter to accelerate the responses to HIV, TB, and viral hepatitis, especially as we regain momentum lost during the COVID-19 pandemic.”

“The City of Sevilla has positioned itself as an international benchmark in the efforts to end HIV/AIDS thanks to close collaboration between the City Council, other administrations, and associations,” said Mr. Antonio Muñoz Martínez, Mayor of Sevilla. “In October 2015, we were the first Spanish city to adhere to the Fast-Track Cities strategy, and since 2018 we have implemented a work plan that is yielding results and meeting the objectives that we had set for ourselves. The celebration in Sevilla of the Fast-Track Cities 2022 conference is an opportunity that should serve to reinforce our commitment as a city and launch a clear and forceful message of international scope so that ending HIV remains a priority on political and institutional agendas.”

The Fast-Track Cities 2022 conference is organized by IAPAC, in collaboration with the Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), the Stop TB Alliance, the World Hepatitis Alliance, as well as the Fast-Track Institute. The conference is made possible through corporate sponsorship and grants from AbbVie, Gilead Sciences, Merck Sharp & Dohme, and ViiV Healthcare.

For conference information and/or to register online, visit: https://www.iapac.org/conferences/fast-track-cities-2022/

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About Fast-Track Cities

Fast-Track Cities is a global partnership between more than 390 cities, the International Association of Providers of AIDS Care (IAPAC), the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat), and the City of Paris. The partnership’s aim is to end urban HIV epidemics by getting to zero new HIV infections, zero AIDS-related deaths, and zero HIV-related stigma. Launched on World AIDS Day 2014, the partnership also advances efforts to end tuberculosis (TB) epidemics and eliminate viral hepatitis (HBV and HCV) in urban settings by 2030. For more information about the Fast-Track Cities initiative, please visit: https://www.fast-trackcities.org

About the International Association of Providers of AIDS Care

Representing 30,000 members, IAPAC is the largest association of clinicians and allied health professionals working to end the epidemics of HIV and tuberculosis, as well as eliminate HBV and HCV, by 2030. IAPAC is also a core technical partner to the Fast-Track Cities network and the Secretariat for its Fast-Track Cities Institute. For more information about IAPAC, please visit: https://www.iapac.org/

About the Fast-Track Cities Institute

The Fast-Track Institute was created to support cities and municipalities worldwide in their efforts to achieve Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3.3 (ending the epidemics of HIV and TB), the World Health Organization goal of eliminating HBV and HCV, and SDG 11 (making cities and municipalities inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable). For information about the Fast-Track Cities Institute, please visit: https://www.ftcinstitute.org/

European Fast-Track Cities Mayors Declare Support for Ukraine

European Fast-Track Cities Mayors

Declare Support for Ukraine

IAPAC (April 4, 2022) – Mayors from across Europe signed a Fast-Track Cities Mayors’ Declaration of Support for Ukrainian People Affected by HIV, TB, and Viral Hepatitis. As of today, 31 Mayors have signed the Mayors’ Declaration, expressing their solidarity with Ukraine’s four Fast-Track Cities and condemning “the violence the Russian Federation is inflicting upon the Ukrainian people, which runs afoul of our shared commitment to the rights outlined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

In addition, the Mayors cited their concerns regarding disruptions in HIV and other essential health services caused by the war in Ukraine. They noted that “[the] humanitarian crisis in Ukraine has defined an unprecedented need for global solidarity, both for those who remain in the country and for millions of Ukrainians who are seeking refuge abroad. This need includes the provision of medical and social services to a growing number of refugees, among them people at risk for and those living with HIV, TB, and viral hepatitis.” The Mayors concluded their declaration by pledging their “commitment to transform this declaration of support into concrete actions on behalf of our respective Fast-Track Cities and in the spirit of solidarity.

In announcing the release of the Mayors’ Declaration, Dr. José M. Zuniga, President/CEO of IAPAC and the Fast-Track Cities Institute, said that “exercising political leadership requires taking a stance when the human rights to life, liberty, and security of person are violated, as they clearly are during the unprovoked war on Ukraine. I applaud the European Fast-Track Cities Mayors who signed the Mayors’ Declaration of Support for Ukrainian People Affected by HIV, TB, and Viral Hepatitis for taking a stance and expressing their solidarity with the Ukrainian people during this humanitarian crisis, among them people living with and affected by HIV, TB, and viral hepatitis.”

Click here to read the Mayors’ Declaration.

Fast-Track Cities 2021 Conference Recognizes Excellence Among Cities, Allies, Sponsors

 

THE FAST-TRACK CITIES 2021 CONFERENCE RECOGNIZES EXCELLENCE AMONG CITIES, ALLIES, SPONSORS

  • Five awards recognize excellence among cities striving to end their urban HIV epidemics.
  • Three additional awards made to a community partner and two corporate partners.
  • A Lifetime Achievement Award granted to former US PEPFAR Amb. Deborah L. Birx, MD.

Lisbon, Portugal (October 22, 2021) – The Fast-Track Cities Institute recognized excellence among cities, allies, and sponsors by handing out nine awards at the Fast-Track Cities 2021 conference, hosted by the International Association of Providers of AIDS Care (IAPAC), in partnership with the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS). The awards recognized five Fast-Track Cities, a community partner, and two corporate sponsors. Additionally, a Lifetime Achievement Award was given to the former head of the US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR).

Launched on World AIDS Day 2014, the Fast-Track Cities initiative is committed to achieving Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3.3 of ending the HIV and tuberculosis (TB) epidemics, and the World Health Organization (WHO) goals of eliminating HBV and HCV, by 2030. The Fast-Track Cities 2021 conference, a hybrid event held in Lisbon, Portugal, this year and via an online platform, convened more than 1,500 participants both virtually and in-person to exchange best practices about how to accelerate the responses to HIV, TB, and viral hepatitis.

Five cities were designated as part of a “Circle of Excellence” marking exceptional progress in acting locally to achieve global goals and targets: Bangkok, Thailand; London, England; Nairobi City-County, Kenya; San Francisco, US; and São Paulo, Brazil.

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The Grupo de Ativistas em Tratamentos (GAT) was given a Community Partner Award in recognition of their contributions towards Lisbon’s success in ensuring that 98% of people living with HIV are aware of their status and thus linked to care and treatment.

ViiV Healthcare received a Corporate Pioneer Partner Award recognizing their early (2015) and ongoing support of the Fast-Track Cities initiative.

Gilead Sciences received a Corporate Community Engagement Award for its support of community activities in Fast-Track Cities.

Dr. Deborah L. Birx, former US Global AIDS Coordinator and head of PEPFAR, was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award recognizing of her years of public health leadership and with a special mention of her support for a data-informed, equity-based approach to ending the HIV epidemic.

“The Fast-Track Cities Institute and our Secretariat, IAPAC, are immensely proud to honor Fast-Track Cities, allies, and sponsors for helping to maintain momentum in efforts to end urban HIV and TB epidemics and eliminate HBV and HCV,” said Dr. José M. Zuniga, President/CEO of the Fast-Track Cities Institute and IAPAC. “The successes achieved across the Fast-Track Cities network, and the ability to shatter the status quo that condemns too many people to unnecessary suffering and death, is made possible by individuals and institutions that are advancing the cause of urban health, including in relation to HIV, TB, and viral hepatitis.”

 “Since the start of the HIV epidemic, cities have been at the forefront, taking a leading role in national agendas and delivering for people most affected by HIV,” said Winnie Byanyima, Executive Director of UNAIDS. “We strongly encourage cities to continue their bold political leadership and coordination, strategic partnerships that engage people most affected by the disease, innovation to address gaps in medical and social services, and to accelerate responses that reflect local needs and respect human rights.”

Amb Dr. Deborah L. Birx added, “I am honored to receive this award, but more importantly I want to congratulate Fast-Track Cities for bringing together political leaders with affected communities to accelerate the HIV response. This initiative continually ensures people in need of HIV prevention or treatment services are reached, seen, and heard with compassion and support. Moreover, this initiative recognizes the intersection of policy and outreach to address structural barriers to accessing and utilizing comprehensive HIV services. I am grateful to organizations like IAPAC –  they see a need, do not look away, and find ways to creatively have an impact on people’s lives.”

For more information on why each city received its award, check out the video clips below: