UNAIDS mourns the passing of Bill Whittaker, a stalwart of the Australian AIDS response and a global HIV advocate. 

Bill undertook many global and regional roles to give a voice to people and communities not included in processes in the early responses to HIV. He represented people living with HIV in the negotiations for the first global UN Political Declaration on AIDS in 2001 and championed the rights of key populations. He took part in multiple United Nations Special Sessions on HIV after that. Bill sat on UNAIDS’ High-Level Commission on HIV Prevention and was among the Commissioners on AIDS in Asia which presented a vision for crafting an effective regional response to then UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon. He was also a board member of Pacific Friends of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria. 

On the home front Bill was an early and constant advocate, working over decades to build an evidence-and rights-based response in Australia. Since the 1980s he championed multiple progressive policies that have accelerated national progress. These include harm reduction, treatment access, CD4 count monitoring and expanded access to pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). He pressed Australia to “lead by example”, using global commitments to demonstrate how focused efforts and investments could prevent new infections and save lives.  

“Bill exemplified the acumen and tenacity of community leadership,” said Eamonn Murphy, UNAIDS Regional Director for Asia Pacific and Eastern Europe Central Asia. “His lifelong dedication showed how the engagement and voice of civil society could help advance global strategies and make a real difference in people’s lives in their countries.”   

At the time of his death, he was a Special Representative for the National Association of People with HIV Australia (NAPWHA). This followed several key leadership roles including as Chief Executive Officer of the AIDS Council of New South Wales (ACON) and two-time President of the Australian Federation of AIDS Organisations (now Health Equity Matters). 

On the sad occasion of his passing, we reflect on his deep contribution to the national, regional and international HIV responses. And we extend our condolences to his family, friends and colleagues in the effort to end AIDS.