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

February 2014

Dear readers

This year, the course of the Agenda for sustainable development post-2015 will be set. With the new agenda, the international community wants to go beyond the Millennium Development Goals (MDG).

In some aspects, the Millennium Development Goals have brought many benefits, such as boosting the global commitment to prevent and treat HIV and AIDS. However, their outcome so far has been poor when it comes to sexual and reproductive rights – and the MDGs simply „overlooked“ violence against women.

Sexual violence is the most widespread and persistent violation of basic human rights, and has devastating long-term impacts, not only for women, but also for children, men, families and for the society at large.

The Agenda post-2015 intends to learn of the failures of the MDGs and starts from a holistic, inclusive approach for sustainable development. The respect for and promotion of human rights is a central demand and starting point. Numerous civil society and governmental organisations and institutions – including the official Swiss position – support stand-alone goals for both health and gender equality. The Network Medicus Mundi Switzerland and aidsfocus.ch strongly endorse these goals and advocate Universal Health Coverage (UHC) – access for all to health services and social security. This includes access to sexual and reproductive health and rights, as well as to comprehensive HIV-prevention, treatment and care, plus living conditions allowing people to fully develop their own health potential.

But what about violence against women and sexual violence? Is there the danger that the issue may fall through the cracks of development again?

aidsfocus.ch will focus on this issue on the occasion of the aidsfocus.ch-Conference „Addressing sexual violence and HIV“ taking place April 10, 2014 in Berne. We will start discussing experiences in dealing with sexual violence and HIV in Africa and in Switzerland and then move over to look at the impacts for further programme work and for the global development agenda. We welcome your participation in the exchange and discussion. Please register a.s.a.p. by e-mail to hzweifel@medicusmundi.ch or on our website http://www.aidsfocus.ch.

I am looking forward to meeting you at the aidsfocus.ch-Conference 2014.

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

Sexual violence is a fundamental violation of human rights and has a direct impact on the health and wellbeing of people, especially women. Research shows that violence is a major cause of HIV transmission, but also a consequence of HIV infection. The aidfocus.ch conference explores how sexual and gender based violence increases vulnerability to HIV, AIDS and other STIs. It highlights current interventions to address the consequences of sexual violence on the health of women, children and men. Based on experiences and best practice, the conference will explore programming and key actions addressing the consequences of sexual violence. The focus is on sharing of experiences and information and learning from each other. Information and registration:

http://www.aidsfocus.ch
http://www.aidsfocus.ch

1. March 2014 – “During the deliberations on the Commission of Status of Women, at the United Nations last week there was some strong resistance to talk about human rights as central to development... So we are facing a very complex moment in the Post 2015 agenda negotiations, where the whole idea of development has been disconnected from human rights. While in NY, we realized that unless we say now that it is totally an absurd, we will keep losing terrain. This “Civil Society Red Flag” letter was drafted in response to this backlash. The goal is to have at least a thousand signatures by April 3rd. Sign On: The actions we need for the future we want – a civil society red flag:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1FbzkukOnj8XiZCcx11nYdpz5oTr811GuPRRWR6dm-4o/viewform

aidsfocus.ch/ Network Medicus Mundi Switzerland invites you to a meeting with Christoph Benn (Director of External Relations), Svend Robinson (Senior Specialist Parliamentary Affairs) and Jan Van Damme (Donor Relations Officer) of the Global Fund to fight AIDS, TB and Malaria, and representatives of the Swiss civil society. While visiting Bern for official meetings, the representatives of the GF make a special point to have a meeting with civil society. The purpose of the meeting is to get an update on the overall outcome of the replenishment and on how this funding will now be allocated to the countries through the new funding model.”

http://www.aidsfocus.ch

Sexual violence is a fundamental violation of human rights and has a direct impact on the health and wellbeing of people, especially women. Research shows that violence is a major cause of HIV transmission, but also a consequence of HIV infection. The aidfocus.ch conference explores how sexual and gender based violence increases vulnerability to HIV, AIDS and other STIs. It highlights current interventions to address the consequences of sexual violence on the health of women, children and men. Based on experiences and best practice, the conference will explore programming and key actions addressing the consequences of sexual violence. The focus is on sharing of experiences and information and learning from each other. Information and registration:

http://www.aidsfocus.ch

Apostolic faith communities believe in prophets and healers and take a critical attitude in rela-tion to Western medecine. A UNESCO-study shows that there are very diverse tendencies within one religious community: The use of modern health care services and drugs is rigorous-ly forbidden for ultra-conservative Apostolics, whereas semi-conservative groups recognise and use modern medicine as secondary options to faith healing and church. The aim of the Meeting Point is sharing and joint learning in order to gain insight into one’s own work. Input by Dr. med Urs Allenspach, physician and board member of SolidarMed. Information and registration: hzweifel@medicusmundi.ch

http://www.aidsfocus.ch

Geneva, 24 March 2014 — On World Tuberculosis (TB) Day, UNAIDS is making an urgent call for global efforts to be stepped up to ensure earlier testing and treatment of TB and HIV. TB remains a leading cause of death among people living with HIV. In 2012, there were an estimated 1.1 million new cases of TB among people living with HIV—with 75% of new cases occurring among people living in Africa. The dual impact of TB and HIV is devastating for millions of people and their families. This is unacceptable as TB is both preventable and curable. By expanding access to basic TB prevention for people living with HIV, the target of reducing TB deaths in people living with HIV by 50% can be reached by 2015.

http://www.unaids.org

1. March 2014 – “Gender and public health are two branches of the same tree. This is one of the first lessons I learned when I started practicing as a pediatrician in my native Indonesia.” … “The Global Fund’s new funding model will ensure the world’s health investments reach the populations that need them most, and achieve greater impact. We have an opportunity to put women and girls at the center. We will be thinking and re-thinking with our partners about the importance of gender analysis in all aspects of our programs – management, problem identification, provision and utilization of information and service, public policy, community empowerment.” (By Dr. Nafsiah Mboi, Minister of Health for the Republic of Indonesia, Chair of the Board of the Global Fund)

http://www.theglobalfund.org

March 2014 - The Global Fund is evolving. Its new funding model changes the way countries apply for funding and the way future grants will be developed. This overview of the new approach explains how the Global Fund is striving to have an even bigger impact against AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria worldwide and to save more lives.

http://www.theglobalfund.org

Geneva, 4 March 2014 – The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) and UNAIDS have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to advance efforts in scaling up access to HIV testing and treatment. The IFRC and UNAIDS will combine expertise and capacity to support the implementation of UNAIDS’ Treatment 2015 initiative and develop a community model for delivering scaled-up access to HIV treatment. “Our decades of experience in HIV testing campaigns, treatment adherence and compliance will inform a successful community service delivery model like the one we are developing in Kenya, Malawi and Nigeria” said Bekele Geleta, Secretary General, IFRC.

http://www.unaids.org

1. March 2014 - Last week Uganda enacted a law that will further criminalise LGBTI people. Already, the impact is very real. We hear from John, an inspiring young HIV activist from Uganda. “Over the last three years, the community has become more determined; they have found a new confidence about accessing services”. Until last week, the clinic was seeing 20 to 25 young men each day – in addition to fielding telephone calls for advice. Many of the peer workers at the clinic are also ‘treatment buddies’ for young men living with HIV. At the clinic they are already seeing the effect of the anti-homosexuality act. John explains, “the doctors came as usual this week, but the youth did not. Only a few showed up. They are scared.”

http://www.aidsalliance.org

The International Planned Parenthood Federation’s (IPPF) new report maps country progress on sexual and reproductive health and rights and provides a compelling case for putting it at the heart of the post-2015 framework. The report includes a “data tracker” that demonstrates progress on a wide range of issues spanning from equality legislation, contraceptive prevalence rates, abortion, female genital mutilation to violence against women and early and forced marriage. PPF's new report reveals that sexual and reproductive health and rights are still nowhere near high enough up on the UN’s list of priorities. Without this, the next development framework cannot hope to end poverty. (March 2014)

http://www.ippf.org

The programming tool by WHO provides evidence-summaries for 16 programming approaches for preventing and responding to violence against women in the context of the HIV epidemic. Four areas where changes needs to happen: empowerment of women through integrated, multi-sectoral approaches; transforming social and cultural norms related to gender; integrating violence against women and HIV services; and promoting and implementing laws and policies related to violence against women, gender equality and HIV. A key feature of this tool is an inter-active programming wheel that summarizes the 16 ideas and the core values that must guide all programming on violence against women. (2013)

http://www.who.int

To improve retention on ART, Médecins Sans Frontières, the Ministry of Health and patients piloted a community-based antiretroviral distribution and adherence monitoring model through Community ART Groups (CAG) in Tete, Mozambique. By December 2012, almost 6000 patients on ART had formed groups of whom 95.7% were retained in care. MSF conducted a qualitative study to evaluate the relevance, dynamic and impact of the CAG model on patients, their communities and the healthcare system. The study showed that through the active role of patients, HIV information could be conveyed to the broader community, leading to an increased uptake of services and positive transformation of the identity of people living with HIV. (March 2014)

http://www.msf.org

Injecting drug use continues to drive the HIV epidemic in many countries around the world. According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in 2013 it was estimated that between 11 million and 22 million people inject drugs globally and that 1.6 million were living with HIV. UNAIDS released an advocacy brief “Harm reduction works” which gives examples from around the world on the importance of investing in HIV prevention, treatment, care and support programmes for people who use drugs; the need to engage people who use drugs in programme development; and the importance of implementing strong and effective harm reduction programmes. (March 2014)

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