City of Munich Joins Fast-Track Cities Network
IAPAC-Lancet HIV Commission on the Future of Urban HIV Responses
Released with Key Recommendations and Opportunities for Action
Munich, Germany, 22 July 2024 — The City of Munich became the newest member of the global Fast-Track Cities network today, joining Berlin, Bochum, and Frankfurt as pioneering cities in Germany dedicated to accelerating their local responses to HIV in support of achieving Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3.3 of ending AIDS as a public health threat by 2030.
At a formal signing event held today at Munich’s Town Hall, the city’s Health Mayor Mrs. Verena Dietl officially signed the Paris Declaration on Fast-Track Cities Ending the HIV Epidemic formalizing the City of Munich’s membership in the network of 550+ cities worldwide. The event was attended by an assembly of local council members, health department officials, clinicians and service providers, community-based organizations, and community members. Also attending the event were national, regional, and international dignitaries in Munich for the AIDS 2024 conference (22-26 July 2024).
“Munich’s accession to the Fast-Track Cities network marks a new chapter in our commitment against HIV and AIDS. Despite significant progress in research and treatment options, we continue to see the impact of this disease on the lives of many people every day,” Mrs. Dietl said in her remarks preceding the signing of the Paris Declaration. “We will work with local organizations to develop targeted measures and raise awareness of risks. We will also collaborate with partners in Munich and internationally to improve and share our approaches as we offer comprehensive support for people living with HIV so they can lead a life with dignity and without discrimination.”
Dr. José M. Zuniga, President/CEO of the International Association of Providers of AIDS Care (IAPAC) and the Fast-Track Cities Institute (FTCI), stated in his remarks that, “Munich’s decision to join the Fast-Track Cities network underscores its commitment to people living with and affected by HIV, as well as its people-centered approach to advancing health equity for all its residents. We are proud to welcome Munich to the Fast-Track Cities network and look forward to supporting local stakeholders’ efforts to end the city’s HIV epidemic by 2030.”
The IAPAC-Lancet HIV Commission on the Future of Urban HIV Responses was released in conjunction with the signing ceremony. The launch featured a panel discussion with Dr. Zuniga, who chairs the Commission, Dr. Peter Hayward, Editor-in-Chief of Lancet HIV, and Commissioners Dr. Nicoletta Policek, Executive Director of the European AIDS Treatment Group (EATG), and Dr. Nombulelo Magula, Professor of Medicine at the University of KwaZulu Natal’s Nelson R. Mandela School of Medicine.
The release of the Commission’s report comes at a critical time as cities and countries worldwide face impending deadlines to achieve 2025 Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) targets and SDG 3.3. In outlining key recommendations and opportunities for action, the Commission highlights the urgent need for innovative, data-informed, equity based, city-led HIV responses that also strive to address social determinants of health for all urban residents. Click here to access the IAPAC-Lancet HIV Commission: http://www.thelancet.com/commissions/urban-hiv-responses
# # #
About the Fast-Track Cities Initiative: The Fast-Track Cities initiative is a global partnership between 550+ cities and municipalities to end AIDS as a public health threat by 2030. Launched in 2014 by IAPAC, UNAIDS, the United Nations Programme on Human Settlements (UN-Habitat), and the City of Paris, the initiative supports cities in addressing health disparities fueling the HIV epidemic by facilitating data-driven, equity-based approaches to and meaningful community engagement in urban HIV response. For more information about the initiative, please visit: https://www.iapac.org/fast-track-cities/about-fast-track/
About IAPAC: The International Association of Providers of AIDS Care (IAPAC) represents more than 30,000 clinicians and allied health professionals in over 150 countries. IAPAC’s mission is to improve the quality of care and treatment provided to people living with HIV and to ensure access to preventive and therapeutic measures for people at risk of HIV. IAPAC is one of the core partners of the Fast-Track Cities and works in collaboration with the Fast-Track Cities Institute (FTCI) to support the network of 550+ cities. For more information about IAPAC, visit: https://www.iapac.org/
About FTCI: The Fast-Track Institute (FTCI) supports cities and municipalities worldwide in their efforts to achieve global health-related goals, including SDG 3.3 (ending the epidemics of HIV and TB), the World Health Organization goal of eliminating HBV and HCV, and the urban development-focused SDG 11 (making cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable). FTCI’s programmatic priorities include data for impact, response optimization, implementation science, qualitative research, and best practice-sharing. For information about FTCI, please visit: https://www.ftcinstitute.org
About the IAPAC-Lancet HIV Commission: The IAPAC-Lancet HIV Commission on the Future of Urban HIV Responses was convened to assess how diverse stakeholders can localize and take action to achieve SDG 3.3. Out of its deliberations, the Commission produced a report focused on a broad range of intersectional domains, with the centering health equity in urban HIV responses as its foundation. The Commission’s report includes key recommendations and outlines opportunities for action to accelerate progress towards realizing SDG 3.3). To access the IAPAC-Lancet HIV Commission, please visit: http://www.thelancet.com/commissions/urban-hiv-responses
