THE ELECTRONIC BULLETIN OF THE SWISS PLATFORM FOR HIV/AIDS AND INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION February 2009

„Who has said that tradition does not rime with prevention?“ A condom in artistically adorned hands – the symbol of Moslem tradition. Completely fascinated, I looked at the poster hanging in the office of the Association Fighting against Aids (Association de lutte contre le sida, ALCS) in the Moroccan coastal town Essaouira. The message of the poster hits the nail on the head.

I am amazed by this openness of a Moslem country. One of the voluntary ALCS-staff members had sketched and designed the poster, inspired by the discussions with young people. Despite societal traditions and religion, many young men and women have had pre-marital sex and wanted to protect themselves from an HIV-infection. The poster alluded to a message the people knew. In addition, it represented a response to all those who were preaching that tradition would protect from HIV and Aids and that the young people better returned to follow the path of virtue. The poster became a huge success stimulating public discussions in bars and discos; and during the festivals in Marrakesh and Essaouira stalls were organised to give away condoms for free.

This is a good example to see how cultural features can be taken up and creatively implemented. One’s own culture influences our ideas and thus how we think about „the right kind of behaviour“, about health and illness as well as how people deal with HIV und Aids – and thus determine whether international HIV- and Aids programmes are successful or not. The Swiss platform HIV/Aids und international cooperation, aidsfocus.ch, will deal with this issue at a conference in Berne on May 5, 2009. We compiled an exciting, culturally sensitive programme and will invite highly competent speakers in order to guarantee a creative exchange of thoughts.

We are looking forward to discuss with you the manifold aspects of culturally viable approaches in Aids work on May 6, 2009.

Helena Zweifel Coordinator aidsfocus.ch

“Sometimes I get the feeling that I talk past people”, says a disillusioned development officer involved in the international response to HIV and AIDS. He is not alone in the feeling expressed in this statement. Many actors in the international AIDS response focus on the biomedical approach, “overlooking” the cultural and social drivers of the epidemic. Conceptions of health and disease, and related beliefs and traditional practices are rooted in culture and have an impact on behaviour and how people cope with HIV and AIDS – and on the success of the response to HIV and AIDS. Culture is “not only the arts and letters, but also modes of life, the fundamental rights of the human being, value systems, traditions and beliefs” (UNESCO).

What does a cultural approach look like? A cultural approach allows prevention and care methods and messages to come from within and be appropriate to different cultures. Creative and artistic projects may be the most visible examples. Cultural appropriate projects include working with religious leaders, elders and healers as well as involving people living with HIV and affected by AIDS.

The aidsfocus.ch conference will explore cultural approaches to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support, based on the experience and knowledge of partner organisations and others.

Objectives of the conference: • To understand the relevance of cultural approaches in the HIV and AIDS response • To share good practice in cultural approaches • To provide motivation for implementation of cultural methods and tools for us in our own field of work

Date and venue: 6 May 2009, 9.00 – 17.00, Hotel Kreuz, Bern

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

Developing creative cultural approaches to HIV prevention work. This paper from Healthlink Worldwide argues that developing more effective cultural approaches to HIV prevention should be a priority. The predominance of a Western biomedical model in HIV policymaking means that the use of cultural approaches is currently very limited. Where such cultural approaches are being used the emphasis is usually on delivering a message and promoting behaviour change, rather than on facilitating communication and empowerment. The paper recommends that the cultural dimension of the HIV pandemic be addressed through practical action in country strategies and at field level. (2007)

http://www.healthlink.org.uk

The Joint UNESCO/UNAIDS Project “A Cultural Approach to HIV/AIDS Prevention and Care” was launched in mid-1998, in relation to the new approach to HIV/AIDS prevention and care inaugurated by UNAIDS. The UNAIDS strategy emphasizes the necessity of giving priority to the multidimensional configuration of the issue and to the diversity of its environment, in order to build comprehensive and adaptable strategies and policies. This handbook is specifically devoted to presenting methods for building culturally appropriate strategies and policies.

http://unesdoc.unesco.org

This Key Issue Paper by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) emphasizes the cultural approach to prevention as an important tool in the fight against the pandemic. It seeks to establish culture as a determinant of health relevant behaviour and focuses on the use of culture in various forms (theatre, music, dance, traditional medicine, etc.) as a means to communicate and encourage behaviour change for HIV/AIDS prevention (2003).

http://www.sdc-health.ch

The Creative Challenge was an action-research project that aimed to improve the effectiveness of HIV/AIDS prevention and coping strategies through valuing local cultures and employing cultural approaches approach to education, information sharing and community dialogue and communications. The project has produced a series of briefings and papers which synthesise and draw on the knowledge, concerns and insight of project partners in four regions as well as on literature and policy developments relating to the role of culture in HIV/AIDS prevention and care. (2008)

http://www.creativexchange.org

This publication maps partnerships between UNFPA and faith-based organizations in the areas of population and development, including human rights, reproductive health, women's empowerment, adolescents and youth, humanitarian assistance, and HIV and AIDS. It provides an analysis of best practices and lessons learned in faith-based partnerships around the world, and in addition, suggests key resources on faith-based engagement and organizations. (2008)

http://www.unfpa.org

African traditional medicine is often the primary, and frequently the only, accessible health-care option for many people living in sub-Saharan Africa. Early attempts to combine the best of the traditional and the modern systems included a variety of projects that looked at the usefulness of traditional herbal remedies for the treatment of HIV-related illnesses. As part of the best practice collection, UNAIDS has published practical guidelines to help health authorities develop productive relationships between traditional healers and modern biomedical professionals and strengthen the response to AIDS. (UNAIDS 2007)

http://data.unaids.org

The One Million Tests Campaign, organized by AIDS Healthcare Foundation in coalition with 1000+ global partners, has successfully mobilized non-governmental organizations (NGOs), local and national governments, international relief agencies, faith-based organizations, civil society and industry to conduct 1,573,533 Free HIV Tests. The campaign leveraged innovative testing strategies for streamlined and large scale testing – embracing a variety of rapid testing modalities, group pre-test counseling models and easy anti-retroviral treatment (ART) referrals. (2009)

http://www.onemilliontests.org

Cape Town, 10 February 2009 - Wearing an orange "HIV Positive" t-shirt, the new executive director of UNAIDS, Michel Sidibe, this week outlined his vision for the UN agency at the Ubuntu Clinic in Khayelitsha township in Cape Town, South Africa. Sidibe called himself an "incorrigible optimist" and promised to make universal access a priority. His goal is to avert 2.6 million new infections and save 1.3 million lives by the end of 2010. He also set his agency the task of ensuring that 70 million women will be screened for HIV, and 7 million orphans will receive support. (PlusNews)

http://www.plusnews.org
http://www.unaids.org

1. January 2009 - Inter Press Service (IPS) examined a new emphasis of HIV/AIDS campaigns that focuses on "knowing your epidemic" by analyzing the local HIV/AIDS situation through specific factors that drive the epidemic. The approach helps advocates accurately determine who is HIV-positive and how to address the epidemic successfully with certain populations. IPS cited a Rwandan initiative that involves male partners in the prevention of mother-to-child HIV transmission as an example of the approach. (kaisernetwork)

http://www.kaisernetwork.org

1. January 2009 - According to the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) 2009 Annual Report, PEPFAR has exceeded its five-year goals for treatment of two million and care of ten million people. PEPFAR has supported life-saving HIV treatment for more than 2.1 million men, women and children worldwide. It also supported care for more than 10.1 million people affected by HIV, including more than 4 million orphans and vulnerable children. (PEPFAR)

http://www.pepfar.gov
http://www.unaids.org

Johannesburg, 21 January 2009 - Hopes are high that the change promised by incoming US President Barack Obama will extend to his foreign policy, but for more than two million people living with HIV, mainly in Africa, the changing of the guard at the White House may elicit mixed feelings. The question then, is not whether PEPFAR will continue under Obama's administration, but whether it will continue in the same form. The issue of whether PEPFAR has strengthened health systems by investing in equipment, infrastructure and staff, or weakened them by creating vertical programmes that have drawn manpower and resources away from dealing with other health problems is still up for debate. (PlusNews)

http://www.irinnews.org

“We are all sick because of AIDS - and we are all tested by this crisis…. When you go to places like Africa and you see this problem up close, you realize that it's not a question of either treatment or prevention – or even what kind of prevention – it is all of the above. It is not an issue of either science or values – it is both. Yes, there must be more money spent on this disease. But there must also be a change in hearts and minds, in cultures and attitudes. Neither philanthropist nor scientist, neither government nor church, can solve this problem on their own - AIDS must be an all-hands-on-deck effort.” (Barack Obama, World AIDS Day Speech, 12 December 2006)

http://www.barackobama.com

Bern | Kate Molesworth, Swiss Tropical Institute and member of the aidsfocus.ch Steering Committee talks about socio-cultural approaches to sexual and reproductive health at a seminar organised by the Institute of Social and Preventive Medicine (ISPM) at the University of Bern.

http://www.ispm.ch

Biel | HIV and AIDS are a sad reality in a number of countries involved in International Cooperation (IC). It affects not only every aspect of the lives of the people concerned, but also considerably impacts the life and work of IC expatriate personnel. This seminar has the objective of working with participants so that they can better manage this challenge. HIV/AIDS and intercultural communication is one of the topics addressed.

http://www.cinfo.ch

Partners: 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, International Federation of the Blue Cross, 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 Institute, Tear Fund, Terre des hommes Foundation, terre des hommes schweiz, and World Vision Switzerland.