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

World AIDS Day 2010

All people have the right to health and access to comprehensive HIV prevention, treatment, care and support. On the occasion of the World AIDS Day on December 1, which this year is under the slogan “Universal Access and Human Rights”, millions of people in the whole world want this right to be implemented.

All people – young and old, women and men, sex workers, MSM and drug users in the South, East and North should be able to get comprehensive information and to protect themselves from an infection. The use of condoms is part of prevention to protect oneself and others. This should not only be true for „exceptional cases“, as the pope has propagated recently and what was celebrated erroneously as a revolutionary change of mindset.

The access to comprehensive treatment and care for all – including the treatment with anti-retroviral drugs – is a central demand of the international Aids movement. Owing to its consistent commitment, the world community managed to get treatment for 5,2 million of people, seven and a half times as much as five years ago. But for twice as many people – namely ten million people in need of treatment – in particular in Southern Africa, Eastern Europe or Central Asia AIDS treatments are still beyond reach. And, cutting down procedures of governments and multilateral organisations threaten to undermine what has been accomplished so far.

The psychosocial support of AIDS-affected people is a little less striking but equally relevant for a life in dignity. Young people who have been distressed in their heart of hearts by a sudden HIV-positive diagnosis need psychosocial support – apart from medical care. This is also true for those mothers and fathers who live with the virus and face an uncertain future for themselves and their children; and finally it is also a fact for the unhappy children who are forced to witness their mother’s dying.

On December 1, we express our solidarity with all people living with the virus or who are affected by it; also, we renew our willingness to live up to our commitment. Together with its partners here, aidsfocus.ch intends to continue to work jointly with the partners in the South for realising universal access to comprehensive HIV prevention, treatment, care and support and for the right to health and life for all. To be in solidarity with also commits aidsfocus.ch to focus more than before on Switzerland’s need to follow its international financial commitments and to give an adequate contribution for the international AIDS response, health promotion and development cooperation.

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

Geneva, 23 November 2010 — A new report by the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), released today, shows that the AIDS epidemic is beginning to change course as the number of people newly infected with HIV is declining and AIDS-related deaths are decreasing. Together, this is contributing to the stabilization of the total number of people living with HIV in the world. The full press kit includes a press release, a global fact sheet and fact sheets by region. The press kit is available in four languages.

http://www.unaids.org

Based on the latest data from 182 countries, this global reference book provides comprehensive analysis on the AIDS epidemic and response. The UNAIDS report 2010 shows that an estimated 2.6 million people became newly infected with HIV, nearly 20% fewer than the 3.1 million [2.9 million–3.4 million] people infected in 1999. AIDS-related deaths are down by nearly 20% in the last five years, and the total number of people living with HIV is stabilizing. At the end of 2009, 33.3 million [31.4 million–35.3 million] people were estimated to be living with HIV, up slightly from 32.8 million1 [30.9 million–34.7 million] in 2008. This is in large part due to more people living longer as access to antiretroviral therapy increases. (2010)

http://www.unaids.org

Around the world | World AIDS Day is celebrated on December 1 each year around the world. The theme for World AIDS Day 2010 is Universal Access and Human Rights. The protection of human rights is fundamental to combating the global HIV and AIDS epidemic. Violations against human rights fuel the spread of HIV, putting marginalised groups, such as injecting drug users and sex workers, at a higher risk of HIV infection. By promoting individual human rights, new infections can be prevented and people who have HIV can live free from discrimination.

http://www.worldaidscampaign.org

Berne | SDC is organizing a special event on the occasion of the World AIDS day 2010. The program: Introduction by Claudia Kessler, Swiss TPH and Nathalie Vesco, SDC; “Solution oriented memory work- a new toolkit“ by Helena Zweifel, aidsfocus.ch; “Being Gay in Africa” by Alain Manouan, International HIV/AIDS Alliance; “Quality assessment of health care services for adolescent clients- focusing on linking SRH and HIV” by V. Chandra Mouli, WHO, followed by a panel discussions with the speakers: how to move the mainstreaming agenda forward. Steigerhubel, 10.30-12.30.

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

Geneva, 20 November 2010 — UNAIDS welcomes the reported statement of Pope Benedict XVI calling for “a humane way of living sexuality” and that the use of condoms are justified “in the intention of reducing the risk of HIV infection”. “This is a significant and positive step forward taken by the Vatican today,” said UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé. With more than 7000 new HIV infections each day, UNAIDS advocates the use of a combination HIV prevention approach that utilizes all proven methods for HIV prevention including use of male and female condoms, choosing to have sex later, having fewer multiple partners, male circumcision, reducing stigma and discrimination, and the removal of punitive laws. (UNAIDS)

http://unaidstoday.org

Geneva, 23 November 2010 – The International AIDS Society (IAS) cautiously notes the comments from Pope Benedict that condom use could, in specific circumstances, be acceptable, but calls on the Pope and the Catholic Church to come out clearly and strongly in support of all evidence-based methods of HIV prevention, including condom use. The IAS President Elly Katabira expressed his mixed reaction, ‘While I appreciate this is a significant shift in policy by the Pope, there is still a long way to go in convincing the Catholic church that condom usage is key to the elimination of the HIV virus which currently claims two million lives every year’.

http://www.iasociety.org

Johannesburg, 19 November 2010 - When it comes to understanding what drives HIV infections among young people in southern Africa, why not ask young people themselves? A five-country study by the Southern African AIDS Trust (SAT) in partnership with the Health Economics and AIDS Research Division (HEARD) at the University of KwaZulu-Natal did just that, and the picture that has emerged is more complex than many prevention programmes targeting youth have allowed for. The study findings underscore the by UNAIDS, to "know your epidemic" and tailor prevention programmes according to a detailed understanding of local context. (PlusNews)

http://www.plusnews.org

Port-au-Prince, 22 November 2010 - As the death toll from the cholera epidemic sweeping through Haiti surpasses 1,000, with more than 19,000 confirmed cases, health officials say people living with HIV are especially vulnerable. "[People living with HIV] are very much at risk because they already have a weakened immune system," explained the director of the Ministry of Public Health. Haiti - with an HIV prevalence of 2.2 percent - has approximately 120,000 HIV-positive people. Like much of the population, many are living in tents following January's earthquake, with little access to potable water or clean toilets. (PlusNews)

http://www.plusnews.org

Nairobi, 9 November 2010 - As Indian and European officials meet in Brussels to thrash out the details of a Free Trade Agreement (FTA), civil society activists are concerned the deal could mean tighter intellectual property protections that could reduce access to cheap Indian generic drugs. The European Union is pushing for data exclusivity, which means Indian generics manufacturers would no longer be able to use existing studies to make identical drugs, a practice recommended by WHO. More than 80 percent of all donor-funded antiretroviral drugs used in developing countries are Indian generics; the availability of cheap ARVs has enabled more than five million people globally to access essential HIV treatment. (PlusNews)

http://www.plusnews.org

Millions of people in developing countries rely on affordable generic medicines to stay alive. More than 80% of the medicines used by Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) to treat AIDS across the developing world are produced in India. Médecins Sans Frontières invites everyone to send a message to the European Commission to keep their HANDS OFF OUR MEDICINE!

http://www.msf.org

Johannesburg, 3 November 2010 - Fears that antiretroviral therapy might lead healthier-feeling HIV-positive people to have more sex and potentially infect others may be unfounded, according to a new South African study, which recorded patients having significantly less sex as well as safer sex after starting treatment. Both male and female patients were much less likely to report having unprotected sex and multiple partners. The experience of "staring death in the face" and then getting better on ARVs might make people less willing to infect others. (PlusNews)

http://www.plusnews.org

Bern | UNAIDS, the International AIDS Society, the Global Fund and other international bodies are aware of the need of better integration of HIV/AIDS, reproductive and sexual health and rights and other key health priorities. At the local level, many NGOs allready work in an integrated way. However, many challenges emerge. Based on experience of partner organisations and their South partners and following up the global discussion level, the conference will discuss challenges of linking HIV and reproductive health and rights in policy and practice.

http://www.aidsfocus.ch

Partners: Afro-European Medical and Research Network, AIDS & Child, Bethlehem Mission Immensee, Caritas Switzerland, cinfo, CO-OPERAID, Déclaration de Berne, Doctors without Borders, Esperanza Medicines Foundation, FEPA, Fédération Genevoise de Coopération, Gemeinschaft St. Anna-Schwestern, HEKS, IAMANEH Switzerland, INTERTEAM, Kindernothilfe Schweiz, Kwa Wazee, medico international Switzerland, mediCuba-Suisse, missio, REPSSI, 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.c