POSITION PAPER I

Body World Health Organization

Topic The prevention of AIDS in third world countries
Represented country Saudi Arabia

There are approximately 36.7 million people worldwide living with HIV/AIDS at the
end of 2016.The majority of people with HIV live in low and middle-income countries, such
as Sub-Saharan Africa, which is the most affected region, with an estimated 25.6 million
people living with this virus. Furthermore, AIDS has a major impact on social and economic
development, especially in developing countries, where poverty is increasing.
The WHO launched The Global Program on AIDS to: raise awareness, generate
evidence-based policies, provide technical and financial support to countries, conduct
research, promote participation by NGOs and promote the rights of people living with HIV.
In the late 1990s the KSA government started increasing its public education and
prevention campaign. Pre-marital and pre-natal HIV testing programs were established.
Notification of HIV/AIDS cases in KSA was made mandatory by the government since 1984
and confirmed HIV-positive cases are through regional health authorities to the Ministry of
Health National HIV/AIDS Program.
The Arab region is breaking new ground in its actions on HIV and AIDS. “The
increasing number of HIV infections and AIDS-related deaths indicate the importance of
developing a clear roadmap for the Arab region with achievable goals” said Dr. Ziad Memish,
Deputy Minister for Public Health of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.  He pledged the
commitment of Saudi Arabia to continue its leadership in the development of the Arab AIDS
Initiative, launched by the Arab Ministers of Health in October 2011, to scale up the HIV
response at regional and national levels to achieve the targets set in the 2011 United
Nations Political Declaration on HIV/AIDS. At a meeting  convened by the Kingdom of Saudi
Arabia, under the auspices of the League of Arab States and supported by UNAIDS,
governmental and non-governmental representatives recognized the need for urgent action
as MENA is one of only two regions where the epidemic continues to grow
Mrs Hind Khatib Othman, Director of UNAIDS Regional Support Team for Middle
East and North Africa noted that a large number of people in the region are migrants seeking
work, particularly in the GCC Countries. Migrant workers have often little or no right to legal
or social protection in their host country and generally lack access to HIV services and
information.
The meeting concluded with the writing of the draft Riyadh Charter. The document
was agreed upon by GCC health delegates and was endorsed by the Deputy Minister of
Health of Saudi Arabia, Dr Ziad Memish on the behalf of the Ministry. The Charter includes
ten recommendations for GCC countries to act upon. These recommendations are:
 Conduct research in the GCC countries to identify the main modes of
transmission, recent HIV infections, and the nature and background of key populations.
 Increase collaboration and coordination among ministries, health, religious
and social authorities in terms of training and HIV awareness raising programs.
 The Gulf Committee to work with relevant authorities in developing a Media
Charter to tackle HIV issues in the Media.
 Scale up HIV treatment, care and support programs for people living with HIV.
 Review and enact laws and legislations that preserve the human rights of
people living with HIV.
 Scale up HIV counseling and testing programs.
The delegation of Saudi Arabia urges governments to become more involved in this
issue by directing money towards AIDS medication, campaigns and towards a better
infrastructure and provides communities with a better sexual education, where possible.