UNAIDS (Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS) was established in 1996 to coordinate the global response to the rapidly spreading HIV/AIDS epidemic. At the time of its inception, HIV treatment was still in its infancy and the UN response was fragmented, with some agencies focusing mainly on biomedical approaches, while UNAIDS also emphasized civil society involvement and human rights-based approaches. UNAIDS has implemented an innovative governance model that includes joint planning, budgeting and regular accountability between different UN agencies. The organization has played a key role in shaping the global strategy to fight AIDS, influencing investments from, for example, the Global Fund and the US President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief. UNAIDS has a secretariat in 70 countries, with the majority of staff working directly in the field. It is also the only UN agency that has civil society representation on its governing body. The future of UNAIDS is a matter of debate, but its contribution to the fight against HIV/AIDS so far is significant[1][2][3][4][6][9].