ELECTORNIC BULLETIN OF THE SWISS PLATFORM ON HIV/AIDS AND INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION

July 2014

Dear readers

In June 2914, Angelina Jolie flung the issue of sexual violence in conflict areas into the spotlight of the media. However, by now that attention has already been lost again. Both HIV and AIDS were only touched upon briefly in London. And it is a sad truth that HIV prevention and treatment is often not part of emergency and humanitarian aid provided in conflict areas, despite the fact that HIV and sexual violence often go hand in hand.

This is something a study by the international HIV/AIDS Alliance has confirmed. The international community has focused much of its effort on the present humanitarian crisis whilst leaving HIV and sexual and reproductive health to the side. This has very real and dramatic consequences on the health and dignity of people living with HIV and on the women, children and men who are survivors of sexual violence. Additionally it has an inflammatory effect on the prevalence of HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases.

After the conference in April 2014, aidsfocus.ch is once more addressing topics of sexual violence and HIV at a Meeting Point on the 10th of September 2014 in Bern. The focus of this event will be on long-term solutions to support girls and women who have been subjected to sexual violence due to conflicts, migration or living in a South African slum. Johanna Kistner, a psychologist and director of the South African NGO Sofiatown Community Psychological Services (SCPS), a partner organisation of AIDS&Child;, will be attending as a special guest. SCPS offers low-threshold psychological services in the township of Orlando where everyday life is heavily dominated by violence, HIV, poverty, a lack of prospects and the urban fight for survival. „Through the years of working with people from impoverished, disadvantaged and oppressed communities, I have learnt to enter what Richard Bischoff calls “landscapes of suffering”, have learned to journey with the people through these landscapes… “, Johanna explains.

The experiences and concepts of the SCPS on supporting traumatised girls and women are supplemented by experiences with the solution focused approach of terre des homes schweiz in South Africa and Mozambique. You are warmly invited to join the discussions and take part in the exchange of ideas at the Meeting Point in September.

Helena Zweifel Executive Director Medicus Mundi Switzerland Network Coordinator of aidsfocus.ch

How can girls and women who have experienced violence and are living in a violent environment be supported to cope with traumatic experiences and to live in dignity? The Sofiatown Community Psychological Services (SCPS), a partner of Aids & Child, offer in townships in Johannesburg low-threshold psychological counseling. Terre des hommes schweiz applies sets in their work with young people in the context of HIV, violence and poverty the solution focused approach. Exchange with Johanna Kistner, Sophiatown Community Psychological Services, South Africa, and Gabriela Wi chysd, terre des hommes schweiz. Languages: German/English.

http://www.aidsfocus.ch

It has now been twenty years since the International Conference on Population and Development (ICDP) in Cairo set new principles and criteria on sexual and reproductive health and rights. The ICDP exposed the fact that issues of population increase and social as well as economic growth can only be brought forward with a rights based approach. At the centre of our discussions we have set young people, who are the key group we need to be working with in order to improve health for women and girls, mothers and children. Which obstacles do we need to overcome in order to grant youth’s access to health services?

http://www.medicusmundi.ch

Bern, 30 Mai 2014 - The Federal Council has adopted a report about Switzerland’s efforts to promote health and sex education in developing countries to combat HIV/AIDS and the boom in demographic growth in response. In the report, the Federal Council highlights the importance of sexual and reproductive health for the future of global development and describes Switzerland's efforts in this area. Effective, targeted measures to tackle poverty, as well as gender equality and women's education and empowerment actually have a far more positive influence on global demographic development.

https://www.news.admin.ch/message/index.html?lang=en&msg-id;=53163

The 20th International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2014) is the premier gathering for those working in the field of HIV, as well as policy makers, persons living with HIV and other individuals committed to ending the pandemic. A declaration affirming that non-discrimination is fundamental to an evidence-based response to HIV and effective public health programmes was announced on the eve of AIDS 2014. “If we really want to change the course of HIV we must make sure that nobody is left behind. AIDS 2014 will be a truly global, inclusive conference and will reflect the principles of the declaration” commented Professor Sharon Lewin, Local Co-Chair of AIDS 2014.

http://www.aids2014.org
http://www.aids2014.org

1. July 2014 - Wars are being waged on women’s bodies. Nearly 50 women and girls are raped every hour in eastern Congo. In the Syrian conflict, women and girls face rape and violence aimed to control, intimidate and humiliate. Across the world, survivors are often forced to carry unwanted pregnancies because they don’t have safe access to critical post-rape care, including abortion and other health services. The Global Fund for women launched a petition to Obama. Take action now! Sign the petition.

http://www.globalfundforwomen.org

Nairobi, 27 June 2014 - An African proverb says that every woman who gives birth has one foot on her grave. In spite of the huge advances in the prevention of mother to child transmission of HIV (PMTCT) in Africa, experts are concerned that these have not matched other pillars needed to eliminate maternal mortality caused by HIV and AIDS. Pregnant women with HIV die at much higher rates than women without HIV. The risk of pregnancy-related death is six to eight times higher for HIV positive women than their HIV negative counterparts..

http://www.ipsnews.net

Harare, 23 June 2914 – SAfAIDS said HIV and AIDS have had a devastating impact on all sectors of our society. Faith healing has resulted in a number of people stopping taking ARVS. The Vapositori sect members, known for their all-white garments, who reject Western medicines in favour of prayers and "holy waters", have not been spared from the pandemic. SAfAIDS says the persuasive power of "testimony" from other church members who claim to have been cured of HIV has contributed to the unnecessary deaths of sect members who have stopped their ARV treatment.

http://allafrica.com

Geneva, 17 June 2014 - Funding for HIV-related human rights work by civil society is insufficient and may be threatened even further. Research from UNAIDS indicates that less than 1% of annual funding for the global AIDS response supports human rights programming. Furthermore, funding appears to be dropping as donors move to new priorities, many countries move to middle income status and have reduced eligibility for external aid, and domestic funding fails to support human rights work. Human rights programmes are critical to achieving both the public health imperatives of the HIV epidemic and the realization of the human rights of the people affected.

http://www.unaids.org

June 2014 - African leaders met in Malabo to deliberate on Africa’s key priorities in peace and security, trade and industry, health and development. AIDS, TB and malaria will continue to affect Africa’s sustainable development. Ensuring that AIDS, TB and Malaria remain high on the political agenda, accelerating antiretroviral treatment as a catalytic action for ending AIDS, domestic financing for AIDS, TB and malaria, integration of HIV, health and gender into environmental impact assessments, making Africa a competitor in the global pharmaceutical industry and addressing human rights remain key in stemming the AIDS epidemic.

http://www.aidswatchafrica.org

1. May 2014 – A recent report of the WHO reveals HIV is the second leading cause of death amongst adolescents aged 10-19 globally, and the number one cause in Africa. Adolescents are increasingly dying at a time when HIV-related deaths are decreasing for all other age groups. A new coalition outlined six key areas to improve access for the 2.1 million adolescents living with HIV globally to ensure that their rights to health and dignity: Increased access to HIV testing; Expanded treatment options for adolescents; Adapting health services to adolescents’ needs; Mobilising social support; Empowering adolescents; Better data to improve policies and programmes.

http://www.gnpplus.net

In the State of the World's Midwifery 2014, 73 countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America are shown to account for 96% of the global burden of maternal deaths, 91% of stillbirths and 93% of newborn deaths. Yet they have only 42% of the world’s midwives, nurses and doctors. The report urges these countries to invest in enhancing midwifery services, including education and training, to close this life-threatening gap. According to the report, the range of midwifery services needed to care for women and newborn babies includes maternal and reproductive health activities such as obstetric services, family planning and services to preventing mother-to-child transmission of HIV.

http://www.unaids.org

Based on lessons learnt from DSW and developed in close co-operation with young people in Eastern Africa, this training manual is designed to ultimately strengthen, improve and effectively facilitate SRH-related knowledge and skills gain of young people at various levels. It promotes a participatory learning process that is inspired by concepts of experiential learning. Unit topics include effective facilitation, life skills, SRH information for young adolescents aged 10 to 14 years and youth aged 15 to 24, gender and gender based violence, sexually transmitted infections including HIV&AIDS;, family planning and contraceptive methods as well as peer counselling services.

http://www.dsw.org

This case study by the International HIV/AIDS Alliance examines the experience of the lead agency working on strengthening civil society’s response to HIV in South Sudan. The international community is heavily focused on the current humanitarian crisis with little focus on both HIV and sexual and reproductive health (SRH). This is having a detrimental impact on both the health of people living with HIV (PLHIV) and is also affecting the prevalence rates of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STI), which evidence suggests dramatically increases in camps for internally displaced people (IDP). (2014)

http://www.aidsalliance.org

Across the countries a variety of social protection schemes are used to support the most vulnerable and to avoid increased vulnerability, says a new report by the International Labour Organization (ILO). These include establishing poverty alleviation and reduction programmes, prioritizing the poor in economic development strategies, providing access to social security systems, greater labour opportunities for women, and providing health insurance and pensions and social assistance for low-income individuals and families. But there is also the issue of out-of-pocket expenses, including transport costs to get to health centres and money to pay for treatment of opportunistic infections. (2014)

http://www.unaids.org

1. May 2014 - In order to mobilize young people to influence the post-2015 dialogue that will set the goals, targets and indicators of global development for the next 15 years, UNAIDS has produced the ACT 2015! Advocacy strategy toolkit. The toolkit is intended to support youth organizations to build national alliances and develop a national advocacy road map to engage with key decision-makers influential in the post-2015 negotiations. In the first phase of ACT! 2015, a youth-led initiative based on new forms of organizing using social media and online technology, young people around the world organized community dialogues through www.crowdoutaids.org to set advocacy priorities.

http://www.unaids.org

Partner organisations: AIDS & Child, CO-OPERAID, Déclaration de Berne, FEPA, Fédération Genevoise de Coopération, Gemeinschaft St. Anna-Schwestern, IAMANEH Switzerland, Kindernothilfe Schweiz, Kwa Wazee, mediCuba-Suisse, missio, mission21, SolidarMed, Swiss Aids Care International, Swiss Aids Federation, Swiss Catholic Lenten Fund, Swiss Catholic Women’s League, Swiss MIVA, Swiss Red Cross, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute (SwissTPH), Tear Fund, Terre des hommes Foundation, terre des hommes schweiz, and World Vision Switzerland.

http://www.aidsfocus.ch