Aishwarya Rai appointed Goodwill Ambassador for UNAIDS

The United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) hasappointed Bollywood actress Aishwarya Rai Bachchan as its International Goodwill Ambassador.She will raise global awareness on protecting children from HIV infection and increasing access to antiretroviral treatment.

The main focus of Mrs Rai Bachchan will be to advocate for the Global Plan towards the elimination of new HIV infections among children and keeping their mothers alive. This plan was launched at the United Nations in June 2011.
The Global Plan focuses on 22 countries including India, which account for more than 90% of all new HIV infections among children. Twenty one of them are in sub-Saharan Africa, where the estimated number of children newly infected with HIV fell by 25%, from 360 000 in 2009 to 270 000 in 2011. Progress in sub-Saharan Africa has been made possible through rapid improvement in access to services that prevent new infections in children. There was a dramatic increase in coverage of services in the 21 sub-Saharan African countries between 2009 and 2011: from 34% to 61%. HIV transmission rates from mother-to child have also declined since 2010 with the introduction of more effective prophylaxis regimens.