THE ELECTRONIC BULLETIN OF THE SWISS PLATFORM FOR HIV/AIDS AND INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION April 2007

"The stigma is something that kills human beings - sometimes far more than the disease." (Nelson Mandela)

Amazing, how often this quotation came to my mind when we discussed the issue of „Positive Motherhood“ on the occasion of the aidsfocus.ch-conference in April 2007! And it is actually true that young women are often afraid of stigmatization and marginalization. It prevents them from having the virus tested and taking measures to avoid HIV-transmission to their baby in case of HIV-positive results. Very often a young mother fears to be „discovered“ and does not want to face its consequences, and that is the reason why she – against her better judgment – does not exclusively breast-feed or use baby food, but much rather does both, very much in the way it is done in her culture where it is the custom of mixed feeding. How big must the inner conflict be, how much does the fear of stigmatization and defamation dominate the young mother that she is even ready to put up with the risk to infect her own child with the virus!

„C’est la parole des gens qui peut faire mourir une personne. La maladie ne parle pas, la maladie ne dit rien, mais ce que les gens vont dire, ça peut tuer quelqu’un (It is what people say which can kill a person. The disease does not speak, the disease does not say anything, but what the people say can kill somebody)“, says the 28-year old Kadiatou very appropriately in one of the touching portraits in the study by IAMANEH Schweiz.

No doubt, there are too many examples of self-denial and isolation, social exclusion and all the way up to the loss of subsistence of HIV-positive pregnant women and mothers.

In the meantime, it is generally known that stigmatization undermines many efforts to prevent, treat and nurse HIV and weakens many promising programs. To be open about the issue is the best way to overcome stigmatization and denial. Experiences have shown that people affected by HIV and AIDS play an essential role in the discussions, development and implementation of programmes and campaigns – because they know what it is all about and they can offer their face and voice to HIV and AIDS.

This takes me to welcome the founding of LHIVE, a Swiss-based organisation of people living with HIV and AIDS, as well as UN+, the advocacy- and self-help group of positive UN-employees, which now appeared in public with their own website. Please read more on these subjects in this issue of aidsfocus.news.

Helena Zweifel Coordinator aidsfocus.ch

INFORMATIONS FROM THE SWISS COMMUNITY OF PRACTICE - AIDSFOCUS.CH: POSITIVE MOTHERHOOD – DOCUMENTATION ONLINE

INTERNATIONAL NEWS - ANNUAL AIDS REVIEW BY THE UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY - SOUTH AFRICA: SECOND HELPING OF ARVS NO LONGER AN ISSUE - AFRICA: Q&A; ON SECOND-LINE HIV/AIDS TREATMENT - BRAZIL BREAKS MERCK DRUG PATENT IN MAJOR VICTORY FOR AIDS ACTIVISM - NIGERIA: POSITIVE MOTHER SPEAKS OUT - NEPAL PROTESTERS DEMAND HIV HELP

NEUW RESOURCES, WEBSITES AND STUDIES - NEW WEBSITE LAUNCHED AS SOCIAL NETWORK FOR HIV/AIDS COMMUNITY - UN SYSTEM HIV+ STAFF GROUP: NEW WEBSITE - NEW ONLINE RESOURCE CENTRE FOR INDIA - HIV/AIDS & SRH INTEGRATION WEB SITE - TOP THIRTY RESOURCES FOR STARTING PMTCT PROGRAMS IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES - ICW NEWS: NOTHING FOR US WITHOUT US - RESEARCH STUDY CONFIRMS VITAL IMPACT OF M2M ON PMTCT PROGRAMS - CHANGE, CHOICE AND POWER: YOUNG WOMEN, LIVELIHOODS AND HIV PREVENTION - CHILD-HEADED HOUSEHOLDS & HUMAN RIGHTS: A CAPACITY-BUILDING GUIDE - INJECTING DRUG USE: FOCUSED HIV PREVENTION WORKS - HIV AND AIDS REPORTER: FOCUS ON STIGMA - HIV/AIDS STIGMA: FINDING SOLUTIONS TO STRENGTHEN HIV/AIDS PROGRAMS

EVENTS (IN ENGLISH) 23.05.2007 | RESPONSIBILITIES OF GOVERNMENTS & CIVIL SOCIETY 06.06.2007 | SDC: MAINSTREAMING HIV/AIDS IN PRACTICE 27.08.2007 | AIDSFOCUS.CH: PEER REVIEW GROUP MAINSTREAMING HIV

The documentation of the aidsfocus.ch conference "Positive motherhood - Opportunities and challenges of HIV prevention, treatment and care" is now online. The papers presented as well as additional papers will be published in the reader of the conference, the Bulletin of Medicus Mundi Switzerland No. 105 (August 2007).

http://www.aidsfocus.ch

Geneva, 21 May 2007 - UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon addressed a General Assembly session focused on the response to the HIV and AIDS pandemic. He pledged his commitment and sustaining the UN response to the AIDS crisis. The Report of the Secretary-General prepared for this year’s review shows that expanded treatment efforts continue to gather momentum. However, over the past two years, the number of people living with HIV has increased in every region of the world. The report concludes that many countries, especially those with low incomes, cannot achieve the universal access goals without external resources; therefore there is a pressing need for more international funding for public health and development.

http://www.unaids.org
http://data.unaids.org

Johannesburg, 9 May - Access to second-line antiretroviral (ARV) therapy in developing countries could become more widely available after former US president Bill Clinton unveiled a new venture earlier this week. "We welcome Clinton's move, especially at a time when the nation's drug rollout programme is set to kick into overdrive," said Dr David Kalombo of the South African government's anti-AIDS programme. By the end of 2007 some 120,000 people are expected to be added to the more than 300,000 people already obtaining ARVs from the private and public sectors. (PlusNews)

http://www.irinnews.org

What are second-line antiretrovirals? How are they different from first-line ARVs and why do they cost more? Why are so few people on second-line treatment in developing countries? Will more patients on second-line treatment result in the diversion of funding away from patients who need first-line treatment? Q&A; on Second-Line HIV/Aids treatment from the Clinton Foundation and Unitaid.

http://allafrica.com

1. May – When the President of Brazil, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, announced Brazil’s intention to issue a compulsory license for Merck’s HIV/AIDS drug Efavirenz, AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), the move was seen as as a victory for global AIDS activism and AIDS patients worldwide. President Lula de Silva’s decision comes after reports of a breakdown in negotiations between Brazil and the drug giant Merck. Brazil’s decision to issue a compulsory license for the drug, which will allow the country to manufacture the drug or to buy generic versions, comes on the heels of Thailand’s recent move to issue a compulsory license for Abbott’s AIDS drug, Kaletra.

http://www.aidshealth.org

Lagos, 25 April 2007 - When Yinka Jegede-Ekpe tested positive for HIV 10 years ago, at the age of 19, the last thing on her mind was marriage and children. At the time, information on living with the virus was limited and a positive status was considered a death sentence. But Jegede-Ekpe, executive director of the nongovernmental organisation, Community of Women Living with HIV in Nigeria, and the first woman in Nigeria to publicly declare her HIV status, is now married and late last year became the mother of a healthy baby girl. (PlusNews)

http://www.plusnews.org

Kathmandu, 10 May - People living with HIV and Aids are holding rallies across Nepal in protest at what they say is an inadequate government response to the pandemic. They complain that health authorities are failing to provide care to the increasing numbers of infected people. About 75,000 Nepalis are thought to be HIV positive. Their numbers are growing but clinics and hospitals in more than half the country have no special provisions to care for them. Protesters say there are not enough trained or competent medical staff, even though the government's HIV-Aids response programme is well funded by foreign donors. (IRIN)

http://news.bbc.co.uk

Launched on March 1st, the nonprofit HIVConnect.net is a unique site that connects all sectors of the HIV/AIDS community. This new social network is a place of free dialogue for people with HIV/AIDS, Community Based Organizations, AIDS Service Organizations, and the family / friends of HIV-positive people. The site brings organizations together with each other and their clients on-line, taking the concept of a local "drop in center" to the internet. The goal of HIVConnect.net is to deepen the interaction between clients and the organizations that seek to support them.

http://www.hivconnect.net

The India HIV/AIDS Alliance has set up a new online resource centre to boost sharing and learning among NGOs working on HIV and AIDS in the country. SETU – meaning a bridge in Hindi – aims to share knowledge and learning between the Alliance, its linking organisations, state partners, implementing NGO partners, and others working on HIV and AIDS across India.

http://www.aidsallianceindia.net

The Integration site links to many other organizations' web sites either on the "About" page or on the pages for resources featured in the database. A mutual link will assist us in getting the word out about this unique and dynamic resource that now lists over 650 selected resources supporting integration of HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment and promotion of sexual and reproductive health.

http://www.hivandsrh.org

Compiled by Women, Children, and HIV editorial staff based on user requests for information. Topic areas: Testing and Counseling, Perinatal Interventions, Infant Feeding and Nutrition, Care of women with HIV, and Care of HIV-Exposed and Infected Children. (April 2006)

http://www.womenchildrenhiv.org

That’s the slogan chosen by 242 positive women, children and adolescent girls from Latin America and the Caribbean at the first meeting organised by the International Community of Women Living with HIV/AIDS (ICW) Latina in October 2006. ICW News April/May 2007 has a special focus on HIV positive women in Latin America and the Caribians.

http://www.icw.org

1. May 2007 - mothers2mothers (m2m) has developed a unique model at the community level that is cost effective, easily replicable, scalable and adaptable to any culture. m2m trains and employs HIV positive mothers who have themselves benefited from the services to become ‘Mentor Mothers’. These Mentors become an integral element of clinical prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) care. The Horizons/Population Council study demonstrates the value of the education and psychosocial support that mothers2mothers offers mothers living with HIVAIDS. (May 2007)

http://www.m2m.org

The urgency of addressing the vulnerability of young women and adolescent girls of all backgrounds, but particularly the poor, cannot be over stated. Innovative, far-reaching and rapid responses are needed to impact whole generations so that the Millennium Development Goals to reduce poverty can be within reach. This paper sets out to explore the relationship between economic independence, vulnerability to HIV infection, the level of sexual and reproductive health among women and adolescent girls, and gender-based violence. (2007)

http://www.unfpa.org

The aim of this guide is to provide information and ideas to help build stronger and more sustainable civil society organisations (CSOs) and community-based organisations (CBOs), in order to tackle the issues related to child-headed households and violence. The guide unpacks stigma and disclosure and outlines capacity-building strategies for CSOs and CBOs. In addition it provides information on, and basic strategies for, mobilising communities and implementing projects. (Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation (CSVR), 2006)

http://www.csvr.org.za

Injecting drug use is estimated to account for nearly one-third of new infections outside sub-Saharan Africa, but fewer than 8% of injecting drug users receive HIV prevention services. Drug users not only face physical risks of HIV infection, they are also vulnerable to HIV because of their social and legal status. The UNAIDS Best Practice review May 2007 features several HIV prevention programmes that prove ‘high coverage site’ programmes reaching out to more than 50% of the injecting drug user populations with focused prevention interventions, can prevent, stabilize and even reverse HIV epidemics among injecting drug users.

http://data.unaids.org

The AIDSCAREWATCH Monitor, Issue 26, May 2007, focusses on injecting drug use that is driving HIV epidemics in many countries around the world. There is evidence that such epidemics can be averted, halted and reversed if comprehensive HIV programmes targeting drug users are put into place. The term ‘harm reduction’ is used widely to describe the goals, policies and interventions of such programmes.

http://eforums.healthdev.org

There is increasing recognition that prevention, treatment, care and impact mitigation must be planned and delivered with the full inclusion of people living with and affected by HIV. However, as a result of HIV-related stigma, many people still feel unable to disclose their HIV status and to participate in HIV programmes or use HIV services. Case studies and testimonies show that many people living with HIV and AIDS (PLHA) experience violence within families, violence and extortion by the police and discriminatory treatment in accessing health services as a direct result of their HIV status. (2007)

http://www.eldis.org

AIDS related stigma has pernicious effect on the epidemic’s prevention. What factors perpetuate and contribute to stigma against those infected with HIV/AIDS? This report by Change and International Center for Research on Women (ICRW) finds that causal factors of AIDS stigma were similar across all four countries studied - Ethiopia, Tanzania, Vietnam and Zambia - and that woman bore the brunt of it. ICRW and its partners have also developed an HIV stigma-reduction toolkit based on this report.

http://www.icrw.org
http://www.changeproject.org

Bonn | in the Fight against HIV and AIDS in Africa – The Way Forward to 2015. Im Blickpunkt der internationalen Konferenz des Verbands Entwicklungspolitik deutscher Nichtregierungsorganisationen (VENRO) steht die globale Antwort auf die HIV/AIDS Pandemie in Afrika unter spezieller Beachtung der Deutschen und Europäischen Strategie vor dem Hintergrund der deutschen EU-Ratspräsidentschaft und des kommenden G8-Gipfels.

http://www.afrikas-perspektive.de

Ausserholligen | The course offered by SDC aims to provide information on and skills in mainstreaming HIV/AIDS. It aims to strengthen participants’ motivation and competence to mainstream HIV/AIDS as relevant for their work. At the end of the day, participants should know what is understood by the comprehensive approach and be able to apply the concept of risk/vulnerability reduction and impact mitigation.

http://www.deza.ch

Bern | Sharing of experiences and learning from each other is an effective way in the process to mainstream HIV into one’s own organisation. The Swiss Red Cross is inviting partners of aidsfocus.ch to the next meeting. The focus will be on sharing of experiences and information on monitoring and evaluation of mainstreaming HIV and AIDS.

http://www.aidsfocus.ch

aidsfocus.ch is a project set up by Medicus Mundi Switzerland. aidsfocus.ch is sponsored and shaped by 30 partner organizations who support the aims and activities of the platform through their financial contributions, expertise and commitment.

Partners: AIDS & Child, Bethlehem Mission Immensee, Caritas Switzerland, cinfo, CO-OPERAID, Déclaration de Berne, Doctors without Borders, FEPA, Fédération Genevoise de Coopération, Gemeinschaft St. Anna-Schwestern, HEKS, IAMANEH Switzerland, International Federation of the Blue Cross, INTERTEAM, Kindernothilfe Schweiz, 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 Institute, Tear Fund, Terre des hommes Foundation, terre des hommes schweiz, and World Vision Switzerland.