Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS)

UNAIDS—the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS—was established in 1994 to ensure a coordinated and concentrated response to the HIV/AIDS epidemic. It replaced the Global Programme on AIDS (GPA) first launched in 1987. UNAIDS is the most important of the United Nations' programs and is the leading body for global action to achieve a worldwide political consensus on the fight against the HIV/AIDS epidemic. The program is mandated to manage, strengthen, and support worldwide efforts to stem the spread of the epidemic.