“Stephen Lewis, the Canadian diplomat, politician and human rights advocate, who spent decades tirelessly working to focus global attention on the HIV/Aids epidemic, has died of cancer.”

“Avi Lewis paid tribute to his father, saying his father was 'not doing too well' but was hanging on from his hospital bed to see the next chapter of 'the movement'.”

“After leaving politics, Lewis was appointed Canada’s ambassador to the United Nations. He was then named special adviser to the UN’s secretary general on African affairs and later became deputy director of Unicef and the United Nations special envoy for HIV-Aids in Africa.”

“During his first speech to the UN in 2006, Lewis described scenes of 'unendurable human desolation' in Africa.”

“Lewis criticized wealthy nations and global institutions for their role in global suffering.”

“Lewis co-founded the Stephen Lewis Foundation with his daughter Ilana Landsberg-Lewis, travelling often to countries in Africa disproportionately affected by pandemics.”

“During the coronavirus pandemic, Lewis called on nations like Canada to recognize the need for vaccine equity, and criticised the government for accessing doses from an international vaccine-sharing pool.”