THE ELECTRONIC BULLETIN OF THE SWISS PLATFORM FOR HIV/AIDS AND INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION

October 2011

When I was thinking about this Editorial and what to write about HIV, AIDS and human rights, pictures from young Ugandan mothers kept coming up in my mind’s eye. They gathered on the lawn in front of the St. Jude church in Kampala, some holding their baby in their arms. The stories they tell are all alike: They carry the sole responsibility for their children, the father of the child has either died or left them alone. And the extended family has no interest either to feed additional hungry mouths. They have taken shelter in the slums close by and try to survive as day labourers taking on some casual jobs such as cleaning, washing, looking after children or doing micro business by selling small piles of coal, vegetables or fruits. During the day, the children are usually left on their own. Often there is not enough money to provide for one meal a day, and the mothers have to rock their hungry babies to sleep. Many of the children are in poor health and some of the mothers are HIV-positive. All inhabitants of Uganda who are HIV-positive are granted access to free medical treatment with antiretroviral drugs. Yet, the women do not have the money to pay for the fare to the clinic.

The dreams of the women are similar as well: They want to earn enough money to be able to feed themselves and their children as well as to pay their school fees or the visits to the doctor. Their children should have a better future.

However, the perspectives are rather gloomy, if one looks how the course is set. The children grow up without education, care or protection, they don’t find any jobs as adolescents and try their luck in the streets, being exposed to many negative influences including the risk to infect themselves with HIV: Thus, the vicious circle of poverty and AIDS continues to turn... Some of you know Florence Ajok Odoch from the aidsfocus.ch conference on “The future of AIDS-response”: Together with the women affected she tries to find a way out of their misery. „Positive parenting“ is the name and objective of the small NGO.

This negative picture of the overall situation makes the call for comprehensive health for all even more urgent in the context of human rights. The right to health goes beyond claiming access to drugs; as the right to health includes the right to health care and to a broad range of socio-economic factors which are responsible for the conditions that allow women, children and men to live a healthy life: These factors consist of food, shelter, education, work, safe drinking water and adequate sanitation facilities, a healthy environment, equality between men and women as well as an end to violence against women. The neglect of action on the social determinants of health and the violation of fundamental human rights are key factors that continue to fuel the AIDS epidemic.

You will have the opportunity to discuss these questions in a profound way at the Swiss Health Cooperation Symposium on the issue of „Health – a Human Right“ on November 9, 2011, organised by the Network Medicus Mundi Switzerland and the Swiss Red Cross. You are cordially invited to join.

Helena Zweifel Executive Director Medicus Mundi Switzerland Coordinator aidsfocus.ch

Basel | Health is a human right: too often forgotten, this is the central issue of international health policy and health cooperation. And yet millions of people die each year in developing countries due to easily preventable diseases. This is a basic violation of the human right to health. In addition, women, minorities and marginalized people often have limited access to healthcare due to poorly functioning healthcare systems. This year's Swiss Health Cooperation Symposium is organised by the Network Medicus Mundi Switzerland and the Swiss Red Cross. Information and registration:

http://www.medicusmundi.ch

The protection and promotion of human rights are essential in preventing the spread of HIV and to mitigating the social and economic impact of the pandemic. The reasons for this are threefold. First the promotion and protection of human rights reduces vulnerability to HIV infection by addressing its root causes. The adverse impact on those infected and affected by HIV is lessened. Third individuals and communities have greater ability to respond to the pandemic. An effective international response to the pandemic therefore must be grounded in respect for all civil, cultural, economic, political, economic and social rights and the right to development, in accordance with international human rights standards, norms and principles.

http://www2.ohchr.org

The goal of aidsfocus.ch, the Swiss platform HIV/AIDS and international cooperation, is to "To contribute to improving the HIV and AIDS situation in resource-poor countries" (strategy 2009–2011). HIV and AIDS are increasingly threatening to vanish from the development politics agenda. A degree of "AIDS fatigue" would appear to be spreading. This makes it all the more important that aidsfocus.ch and its partner organisations continue to struggle untiringly for the right of all people to health, to comprehensive access to HIV prevention measures, treatment and care, and to support children, women and men affected by HIV and AIDS.

http://www.aidsfocus.ch

At the aidsfocus.ch conference, held on the 7th of April 2011, participants discussed the challenges and opportunities of linking HIV with sexual and reproductive health and rights, in the light of the current international debate and of concrete experience in Africa and Central Asia. In the countries of the South, Swiss NGOs have been supporting innovative and effective initiatives that provide youth-friendly services concerning HIV and sexual and reproductive health and rights. They address the questions and concerns of young women and men and support them in their efforts to lead a self-determined, healthy life. The Network Medicus Mundi Switzerland has just published the reader of the conference. (September 2011)

http://www.medicusmundi.ch

London, 26 October 2011 - Within a matter of days, the world’s population is projected to reach 7 billion. We can achieve a healthy and sustainable future for all if we act decisively now, according to the State of World Population Report 2011, published today by the United Nations Population Fund. UNFPA Executive Director Dr Babatunde Osotimehin said : “The opportunity to realize youth’s great potential must be seized now. We should be investing in the health and education of our youth. This would yield enormous returns in economic growth and development for generations to come.” He also noted that millions of adolescents in the developing world have little or no access to sexuality education and do not have sufficient knowledge to prevent pregnancies and protect themselves against HIV.

http://www.unaids.org

Rio de Janeiro, 20 October 2011 - High-level government officials, medical experts and civil society representatives from 120 countries are gathered in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, at a three-day meeting focused on the social, economic and political conditions that drive health inequities. Convened by the World Health Organization (WHO), the World Conference on Social Determinants of Health provides a global platform for discussion on a range of topics, including early child development, universal health care, social protections, fair financing, gender equity, political empowerment and global governance.

http://www.unaids.org

Geneva, 18 October 2011 - The strategy articulates UNESCO’s contribution to the UNAIDS strategy Getting to Zero, and calls for the need to accelerate universal access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support. “All parts of the Organization are mobilized at the global, regional and country levels, through activities that are culturally appropriate, gender transformative and evidence-based. This cross disciplinary approach is our signature strength and it is well-suited for tackling HIV,” said UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova. The UNESCO AIDS Strategy addresses critical challenges in protecting young people from HIV infection and places particular emphasis on the promotion of comprehensive HIV responses in the education sector.

http://www.unaids.org

Njoro, 5 October 2011 - They arrive at university looking forward to the freedom and challenges that come with life on campus, but researchers say few Kenyan "freshers" are prepared to navigate the murky waters of adult sexual relationships. “In recent research, we found that 70 percent of freshers know how HIV is transmitted, but almost 90 percent have never attended a seminar or forum on HIV," said Bernard Kibor, HIV/AIDS coordinator at the university. According to the Kenya demographic and health survey 2008/2009, 47 percent of women and 58 percent of men have had sexual intercourse by the age of 18, when many young people first start university. (PlusNews)

http://www.plusnews.org

Johannesburg, 20 September 2011 - Health officials in sub-Saharan Africa are finally focusing on non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as cancer, diabetes and chronic lung disease, having spent much of the past decade concentrating on HIV/AIDS and malaria. However, the responses to HIV and NCDs can take similar approaches, including appointment and medication reminders, transport support, and counselling to support adherence and ongoing behaviour change. Countries are slowly beginning to combine HIV services with chronic disease care. Funding, or lack thereof, however, remains a problem for both HIV/AIDS and NCDs - more so for chronic diseases that lack the high-profile activist campaigns and celebrities found in the AIDS sector. (PlusNews)

http://www.irinnews.org

Accra, 31 July 2011- The story of Akua and Aba is a summary of the discrimination people living or suspected to have contracted HIV and AIDS are being subjected. This is often referred to as "the third epidemic" of the disease, the first being the spread of the virus itself, followed by the clinical AIDS. Stigma and discrimination refers to prejudice, negative attitudes, abuse and maltreatment directed at people living with HIV and AIDS (PLWHAs) leading to the victims being shunned by family members, peers and the wider community. The poor treatment of PLWHAs in health institutions and other public facilities tend to erode their fundamental human rights and inflict psychological damage on them. Stigma not only makes it more difficult for people trying to come to terms with HIV and how to manage their illness, but also interferes with attempts to fight the AIDS epidemic worldwide.

http://www.ghananewsagency.org

The UNAIDS Report focuses on the need of examining and addressing the social determinants of HIV risk, vulnerability and impact in order to achieve universal access to HIV prevention and treatment services. The root causes of health inequities lie in societal conditions, not just in the status of health services. Tackling the social determinants of health requires multi-sectoral diagnosis, and inter-sectoral action. Action must be informed by evidence, rooted in broader development policies and alert to the political dimensions of public health. Building bridges and joining forces with other movements for health and social justice will accelerate progress across the MDGs, optimize efficiency in the use of resources, save and improve more lives, and help to create a world in which Zero inequity becomes a reality. (October 2011)

http://www.unaids.org
http://www.aidsfocus.ch

This fully illustrated activity guide is aimed at facilitators and trainers who are starting to work with children affected by HIV/AIDS. Drawing on the experiences of the Alliance, its partners, and other organisations working in the field, it gives some pointers on working with children, including cultural and gender considerations. The guide provides 30 activities for engaging children in group work, as well as fun ideas for ice-breakers and energisers, group work and co-operation, observation, active listening and analytical skills, drama, mime and role play, and painting and drawing. (2011)

http://www.aidsalliance.org

A new book looks back on more than a decade of the life of South African lobby group, the Treatment Action Campaign (TAC), whose brand of activism came to define the world’s fight for HIV treatment and care. The book begins in the dark days of AIDS denialism, moves through the elation of court victories that belatedly ushered in treatment, before settling on the battles ahead – new campaigns that address corrective rape and xenophobia. The strength of the book is the almost omnipresent and strong link made between milestones and lives - what each decision and protest meant to those living with HIV, their families, their country and ultimately the world's fight for HIV treatment. (October 2011)

http://www.tac.org.za
http://www.plusnews.org

This toolkit focuses on the knowledge and skills which parents and guardians need to provide their children with protection against threats to their health and wellbeing, and to give them the best possible start in life. It uses stories, poems, quotes, Bible studies, games and participatory exercises. The author, Fulata Lusungu Moyo, PhD, is a mother on a journey of love with her three sons and numerous other young lives. As Programme Executive for Women and Gender with the World Council of Churches, she finds joy in learning from other women and men about their own parenting journeys. (July 2011)

http://stratshope.org

Bern | The Annual Meeting 2011 of aidsfocus.ch will have a brief formal part with annual report and decision on the theme of the aidsfocus.ch conference 2012. The topic this year is on the thematic focus of aidsfocus.ch: Should aidsfocus.ch widen its focus? Sharing of experiences and discussion with Aagje Papineau Salm, chair of Share-Net, Netherlands network on sexual & reproductive health and aids. Like aidsfocus.ch, Share-Net aims to maintain and strengthen the capacity of its members through information sharing, capacity building and advocacy.

http://www.aidsfocus.ch
http://www.share-net.nl

Worldwide | World AIDS Day this year is about "Getting to Zero. The World AIDS Campaign focus on "Zero AIDS Related Deaths" signifies a push towards greater access to treatment for all; a call for governments to act now. A demand they honour promises like the Abuja declaration and that African Governments at very least hit agreed targets for domestic spending on health and HIV in support of the human right to the best attainable level of health care for all. The decision to go with the millennium development related goal of "Getting to Zero" comes after extensive discussions among people living with HIV, health activists, broader civil society and many others - more than a hundred organisations in all.

http://www.worldaidscampaign.org

Partners: Afro-European Medical and Research Network, AIDS & Child, Caritas Switzerland, cinfo, CO-OPERAID, Déclaration de Berne, FEPA, Fédération Genevoise de Coopération, Gemeinschaft St. Anna-Schwestern, HEKS, IAMANEH Switzerland, INTERTEAM, Kindernothilfe Schweiz, Kwa Wazee, medico international Switzerland, mediCuba-Suisse, missio, SolidarMed, Swiss Aids Care International, Swiss Aids Federation, Missio, Mission 21, Swiss Aids Care International, Swiss Catholic Lenten Fund, Swiss MIVA, Swiss Red Cross, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute (Swiss TPH), Tear Fund, Terre des hommes Foundation, terre des hommes schweiz, and World Vision Switzerland.

http://www.aidsfocus.ch