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

Distributing condoms is not the answer to curbing the spread of HIV in Africa, said Pope Benedict XVI on his journey to Africa recently. “You can’t resolve the Aids-problem with the distribution of condoms. On the contrary, it increases the problem”.

What an absurd statement, highly dangerous and irresponsible. It is absurd because it contradicts all scientific evidence that have repeatedly demonstrated the effectiveness of condoms making them the central and most inexpensive and effective means in a comprehensive approach of HIV-prevention policies. Such a papal statement is dangerous because it continues to stir up the propagation of HIV – with all its well-known consequences: Illness, stigmatisation and death. It is irresponsible if the highest Catholic dignitary goes to Africa where 17% of the population are practising Catholics and stops the people from protecting themselves and others from catching the virus and from preventing the further propagation of the epidemic. It shows a shocking indifference to the weaker members of society, in particular to women who are by far more vulnerable and affected above-average by HIV and Aids.

The hope remains that things are never as bad as they seem – and that Catholic clergy as well as lay persons who know about real life will continue to extensively inform and support the people to protect themselves and others. aidsfocus.ch partners in the South, including Catholic organisations, are very active in HIV-prevention and in the caring of AIDS-affected people in Africa, Asia, Latin America and Eastern Europe. This includes extensive information about HIV-transmission, and here in particular about the opportunity to protect oneself and others by using condoms. aidsfocus.ch is convinced that everyone has the right – irrespectively of age, sex, origin or religious affiliation – to self-determine their life and sexuality. The access to comprehensive information and HIV-prevention, treatment and care, including the use of condoms, must be seen as a fundamental human right.

Who actually says that prevention could not be in line with religion? Religious dignitaries and persons of authority are still highly respected in many societies. This is how they carry moral responsibility. If they were sensitised and trained accordingly, they could accomplish a valuable contribution in preventing HIV and stigmatisation. This is one of the issues that will be dealt with at the aidsfocus.ch Conference under the title of „Culture and condoms. Integrating approaches to HIV“ on May 6 in Berne. Reverend Christo Greyling, the international advisor for HIV/AIDS and church at World Vision International, will share his experiences in awareness building and training of Christian and Moslem leaders.

I would be delighted to welcome you at the aidsfocus.ch Conference of May 6, 2009 in Berne.

Helena Zweifel Coordinator aidsfocus.ch

Conference information and registration: http://www.aidsfocus.ch

1. March 2009 - Distributing condoms is not the answer to curbing the spread of HIV in Africa, Pope Benedict XVI said on Tuesday while heading to Yaounde, Cameroon, as part of a seven-day pilgrimage to the continent. "You can't resolve it with the distribution of condoms," Benedict said, adding, "On the contrary, it increases the problem". According to Benedict, addressing HIV/AIDS will require a "two-fold" solution. He said, "The first is a humanization of sexuality, spiritual renewal which brings with it a new way of behaving ... secondly, a true friendship, especially for those who are suffering, a willingness to make personal sacrifices". (kaisernetwork)

http://www.kaisernetwork.org

In its position paper, aidsfocus.ch states: “Multiple prevention approaches must be employed in combination in order to support individual behaviour change, influence the social norms regarding risk behaviours and address social, economic, legal and policy barriers to effective prevention. Prevention programmes that ensure that the whole spectrum of prevention options is available to those most at risk, including access to and use of condoms and sterile injecting equipment, have been shown to substantially reduce new HIV infection throughout the world.” (November 2006)

http://www.aidsfocus.ch

“This Position Statement by WHO, UNAIDS and UNFPA provides the basis for condom promotion, documenting why condoms continue to be a critical element in comprehensive and sustainable approaches to HIV prevention and care. Prevention is the mainstay of the response to AIDS. Condoms are an integral and essential part of comprehensive prevention and care programmes, and their promotion must be accelerated. In 2007, an estimated 2.7 million people became newly infected with HIV. About 45% of them were young people from 15 to 24 years old, with young girls at greater risk of infection than boys.“ (Originally published in 2004 updated in 2009)

http://data.unaids.org

The Hague, 19 March 2009 – “Cordaid does not agree with the statement of Pope Benedict XVI that the use of condoms could worsen the AIDS problem. Scientifically there is no doubt that a proper use of condoms can prevent the transmission of sexually transmitted diseases and HIV/AIDS. This scientific evidence should also be taken seriously by the Roman Catholic Church.” Cordaid partners in Africa “ensure that people are provided with appropriate information on HIV/AIDS, how it is transmitted and how to avoid becoming infected and information about condoms is provided to the public.”

http://www.medicusmundi.org

Hargeisa, 27 March 2009 - HIV-positive people in Somalia live with constant stigma, are ostracised and often even thrown out of their homes for fear that they might infect their neighbours. Islamic religious leaders in Somaliland, some of whom have become involved in HIV prevention efforts, are now stepping in to persuade communities to treat people with HIV more humanely. Islam has an enormous influence on everyday life in Somalia, and religious leaders have the power to sway the population's views on HIV/AIDS. (PlusNews)

http://www.irinnews.org

Rio de Janeiro, 24 March 2009 - The new global TB control report reveals that one out of four TB deaths is HIV-related, twice as many as previously recognized. In 2007, there were an estimated 1.37 million new cases of tuberculosis among HIV-infected people and 456 000 deaths. The report also reveals a sharp increase in HIV testing among people being treated for TB, especially in Africa. In 2004, just 4% of TB patients in the region were tested for HIV; in 2007 that number rose to 37%, with several countries testing more than 75% of TB patients for their HIV status. (WHO)

http://www.who.int

Amsterdam, 20 March 2009 – “Health Action International (HAI) has learned that the UNITAID shipment of generic HIV/AIDS medicines, seized at Amsterdam Schiphol airport, has been released by the Dutch customs authorities. Whilst we are delighted that the authorities have taken this action and, in the end, shown the appropriate consideration for access to essential medicines in developing countries, a lesson must be learnt from this incident. The intervention in the legitimate trade of life-saving generic medicines should never have occurred and must not be allowed to happen again."

http://www.haiweb.org

Johannesburg, 16 March 2009 - AIDS activists in South Africa appear to have won the final round of a protracted battle to prevent vitamin salesman Matthias Rath from promoting his unproven remedies to patients living with HIV and AIDS. Treatment Action Campaign (TAC), an AIDS lobby group, reported that Rath had failed to file court papers in time to uphold his appeal against a High Court order issued in June 2008, banning him from publishing further advertisements claiming that VitaCell, his multivitamin product, cured AIDS, or from continuing clinical trials of the product in the treatment of HIV/AIDS. (PlusNews)

http://www.plusnews.org

1. March 2009 - The number of older people with HIV may be increasing worldwide, but doctors seldom consider screening them for HIV, thus delaying diagnosis, according to an article in the World Health Organisation's March Bulletin. These individuals are also less likely to practise safe sex, and the older the individual, the faster the progression from HIV infection to AIDS. WHO called for more research into the impact of these drugs on the HIV epidemic, as they were becoming more widely available in the developing world.

http://www.who.int

UNAIDS has published a new guidance tool to increase understanding and use of the community systems strengthening (CSS) funding priority of the Global Fund. The tool is designed to assist those involved in writing proposals for Global Fund Round 9 submissions and aims to ensure that CSS is better understood by community based organisations, civil society, key population networks, country coordinating mechanisms, ministries and the UN family. (2009)

http://data.unaids.org

Community learning processes are crucial to increasing resilience to HIV/AIDS in Africa’s remote rural areas. This paper describes experiences of using the “How to Live Positively” discovery-learning process to empower rural communities in Benin, Malawi, Nigeria and Zimbabwe to reduce their vulnerability to HIV/AIDS, improve household nutrition and clean up their environment to reduce opportunistic infections. This process also promotes “treatment preparedness” amongst resource-poor farmers. (2009)

http://www.fidafrique.net

The case study outlines the programme in Burkina Faso and Zimbabwe over the last 3 years in working through the local church to challenge and change culturally and Biblically based attitudes on gender and sexual rights in the context of HIV and AIDS. The projects took a relationship based approach to gender with the church communities. The programme has seen some amazing success and gives stories of transformation of those who participated. (March 2009)

http://tilz.tearfund.org

Family mechanisms of support should become the focus of efforts to help children affected by HIV/AIDS worldwide, according to the Joint Learning Initiative on Children and HIV/AIDS. The study - called "Home Truths: Facing the Facts on Children, AIDS and Poverty" - calls on initiatives that aim to help the two million HIV-positive children worldwide, as well as the estimated 12 million AIDS orphans, to refocus their efforts on the family. (2009)

http://www.jlica.org

Human rights are fundamental to all HIV and AIDS responses, and although their importance has been recognised since the first global AIDS strategy in 1987, they do not yet receive sufficient political commitment. The promotion and protection of human rights are necessary to empower individuals and communities to respond to HIV and AIDS, reducing vulnerability to HIV infection and the adverse impact of HIV and AIDS on those affected. The incidence and spread of HIV are disproportionately high among those who already lack human rights protection and experience discrimination, such as women, children, poor people, and other socially, culturally and economically marginalised groups. (Eldis HIV and AIDS Reporter, January 2009)

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

Bern | aidsfocus.ch conference: Conceptions of health and disease, and related beliefs, traditional practices and the use of medicinal plants are rooted in culture and have an impact on behaviour and how people cope with the epidemic. Responses to HIV and AIDS need to be culturally appropriate, gender and age responsive, grounded in human rights and involve people living with HIV at all stages. Based on experiences and knowledge of partner organisations and others, cultural sensitive approaches to prevention, treatment, care and support of partner organisations are explored. Information and registration:

http://www.aidsfocus.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. Intended audience: Those working in International Cooperation organizations and their accompanying partners. Information and registration:

http://www.cinfo.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, 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.