Deputy Secretary Azar Meets with Senior Russian Delegation

June 6, 2005 - Acting HHS Deputy Secretary Alex M. Azar II led a roundtable discussion with a delegation of senior Russian officials and business leaders working to fight HIV/AIDS, composed of representatives of the Russian Federation State Duma, media, and leading business executives. During the meetings, participants discussed opportunities for expanding U.S.-Russian bilateral collaboration on HIV/AIDS in follow-up to the September 2003 Camp David and the February 2005 Bratislava Summits, where Presidents Bush and Putin called for expanded bilateral public-private collaboration in the fight against HIV/AIDS.

At the September 2003 Camp David Summit and the February 2005 Bratislava Summit, Presidents Bush and Putin called for expanded bilateral public-private collaboration in the fight against HIV/AIDS. In response, several major American companies, foundations and non-governmental organization (NGOs), including Viacom, the Kaiser Family Foundation, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, have joined forces with over 30 of Russia's leading media companies to launch a major new mass-media campaign on HIV/AIDS.

Russia's Gazprom-Media, CTC Media, Prof-Media, and state-owned channel Rossiya are actively leading this initiative. They have created an innovative public awareness campaign on HIV/AIDS for television, radio, print, online, and outdoor media. The commercial value of advertising space committed to the campaign by these and other Russian companies is valued at over $200 million.

This initiative marks the first time anywhere in the world when competing media companies have jointly developed and implemented a coordinated campaign on HIV/AIDS, and the United Nations has recognized this partnership as a model HIV/AIDS awareness initiative.

Last revised: October 10, 2007