BULLETIN ÉLECTRONIQUE DE LA PLATE-FORME SUISSE «VIH/SIDA ET COOPÉRATION INTERNATIONALE»

Février 2013

A world without AIDS is feasible. This conviction is shared by many people and organizations in the Global North, South and East as well as multilateral organizations such as UNAIDS and the Global Fund. An end to the AIDS epidemic is in sight, mainly due to technical achievements and better access to drugs that can both treat and prevent HIV. Progress over the past decade has cut the death toll and helped stabilize the number of people infected with HIV. There is hope that in the future no child is born HIV positive, as it is in Switzerland largely realized.

Today we stand at a historic turning point. But this is no time to relax. In order to realize a world without AIDS it takes the commitment, dedication and cooperation of all: Political decision makers North, East and South, multilateral organizations, NGOs North, East and South, local communities and people living with HIV.

“We need both, community support and medical science”, says Farai Mahaso from Zimbabwe. “Now that people take ARVs and get psychosocial support for adherence, they can live longer and live a healthy life. We need more support in terms of HIV treatment. In Zimbabwe, we now have a 60% of coverage and a long way to go for universal access. I think that it is the wrong time to stop funding the Global Fund. If you stop now, you are taking us back to where people were dying, instead working towards an AIDS-free generation”. Farai Mahaso is the Director of the AIDS support organisation BHASO in Zimbabwe, a partner organization of fepa (Partner of aidsfocus.ch), and one of the guest speaker at the aidsfocus.ch conference, 11 April 2013 in Bern. He will share with us their community based commitment and strategies, linked with advocacy on a national and international level in working towards an AIDS-free generation.

You are most kindly invited to participate in the aidsfocus.ch conference „A future without AIDS – Approaching a vision“, 11 April 2013 in Bern. You find additional information and registration on our website http:www.aidsfocus.ch. We would be very happy to share with you experiences, discuss strategies and responsibilities in approaching a future world without AIDS.

Helena Zweifel Coordinator aidsfocus.ch Executive Director Medicus Mundi Switzerland

NB: Sorry for writing the editorial in English – our French translators are on leave or sick.

Bern | A future without AIDS is possible. However, it takes concerted efforts by all to make this vision come true. aidsfocus.ch will together with stakeholders from South and North assess and reflect on what we reached so far and identify and discuss promising and successful initiatives and strategies to face challenges for the future of the AIDS response. A special focus will be on role and priorities of aidsfocus.ch in the joint struggle toward a future without AIDS. Guest speakers: Sanghamitra Iyengar (Samrasksha, Indien), Farai Mahaso (BHASO, Zimbabwe), Jochen Ehmer (SolidarMed), Dr Bernhard Schwartländer (UNAIDS, contactd) and others.

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

Farai Mahaso from Zimbabwe talks about the fight against HIV and AIDS, and as an advocate asks for support for the Here I Am campaign and to fully fund the Global Fund. The Here I Am campaign videos bring together stories of individuals from all over the world that have been impacted by AIDS, TB and malaria and have seen lives change as a result of the Global Fund’s support. The Here I Am campaign is a global call on world leaders to save millions of lives by supporting a fully funded Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. Here I Am brings the voices of people that are directly affected by AIDS, tuberculosis (TB) and malaria into dialogue about decisions that affect their lives and lives of millions of others in their countries.

http://www.hereiamcampaign.org

1. Janvier 2013 - Les Nations Unies ont lancé un vaste processus de consultation pour les prochains objectifs mondiaux pour le développement.Les Objectifs du Millénaire pour le développement d'origine que les États membres ont définis en 2000 incluent un objectif axé sur la riposte au sida. Dans le cadre de leurs efforts visant à diffuser ces informations, les Nations Unies ont créé une plateforme externalisée en ligne appelée MY World, sur laquelle les personnes peuvent définir les thèmes qui leur semblent prioritaires et partager leurs idées. MY World donne la possibilité de choisir 6 priorités sur les 16 proposées et il existe une option permettant de « PROPOSER une priorité ». En finir avec le sida ne fait pas partie des 16 options.

http://www.unaids.org

La Stratégie de l’ONUSIDA vise à favoriser les progrès mondiaux dans la réalisation des objectifs fixés par les pays en faveur de l’accès universel à la prévention, aux traitements, aux soins et au soutien au VIH, à stopper et renverser la propagation du VIH, et à contribuer à l’accomplissement des Objectifs du Millénaire pour le développement à l’horizon 2015. La riposte au sida est un investissement à long terme. La Stratégie entend ainsi révolutionner la prévention du VIH, accélérer la prochaine phase des traitements, des soins et du soutien, et promouvoir les droits humains et l’égalité des sexes. La Stratégie constitue une feuille de route qui intègre les objectifs concrets et pose les jalons de la réalisation de la vision de l’ONUSIDA : « zéro nouvelle infection au VIH – zéro discrimination – zéro décès dû au sida ».

http://www.unaids.org

Substantial changes are needed to achieve a more targeted and strategic approach to investment in the response to the HIV/AIDS epidemic that will yield long-term dividends. We propose a strategic investment framework that is intended to support better management of national and international HIV/AIDS responses than exists with the present system. Our framework incorporates major efficiency gains through community mobilisation, synergies between programme elements, and benefits of the extension of antiretroviral therapy for prevention of HIV transmission. (By Bernhard Schwartländer et al, The Lancet, June 2011)

http://www.thelancet.com

The new framework is based on existing evidence of what works in HIV prevention, treatment, care and support. It is intended to facilitate more focused and strategic use of scarce resources. Modelling of the framework’s impact shows that its implementation would avert 12.2 million new infections and 7.4 million AIDS-related deaths between 2011 and 2020. Aims of the investment framework are: Maximize the benefits of the HIV response, Support more rational resource allocation based on country epidemiology and context, Encourage countries to prioritize and implement the most effective programmatic activities, Increase efficiency in HIV prevention, treatment, care and support programming. (UNAIDS 2011)

http://www.aidsfocus.ch

Zürich, 11. Januar 2013 - Die Schweiz verfährt mit HIV-Positiven, die einen Sexualpartner anstecken, besonders streng. Nach internationaler Kritik ändert sie den Strafrechtsartikel, auf den sich die Gerichte abstützen. Wer heute jemanden fahrlässig, vorsätzlich oder sogar böswillig mit dem Aids-Virus ansteckt, wird mit bis zu fünf Jahren Gefängnis bestraft. Künftig steht die Übertragung des Virus nur noch bei «gemeiner Gesinnung» unter Strafe. Das Gesetz hätte Anfang 2013 in Kraft treten sollen. Wegen des Referendums, dessen Frist nächstens abläuft, werden die Stimmberechtigten jetzt voraussichtlich im Juni darüber entscheiden.

http://www.derbund.ch

Dans certains pays, le droit pénal est appliqué à ceux qui transmettent à d’autres l’infection à VIH, ou les exposent au risque d’infection1. Il n’existe aucune donnée indiquant que l’application du droit pénal à la transmission du VIH va servir la justice criminelle ou la prévention de la transmission du VIH. Par contre, cette politique peut s’avérer néfaste pour la santé publique et mettre à mal les droits fondamentaux. Préoccupé par cette problématique, l’ONUSIDA invite les gouvernements à limiter l’application du droit pénal aux cas de transmission intentionnelle, par exemple lorsqu’une personne se sait séropositive, qu’elle agit avec l’intention de transmettre le VIH, et qu’elle le transmet effectivement. (2008)

http://www.aidsfocus.ch

L’Office fédéral de la santé publique organisera à l’hôtel Elite de Bienne le forum VIH&IST; sur la santé sexuelle des personnes transgenres. Programme : «Exposé sur la santé sexuelle des personnes trangenres» par Dr. Prof. Viviane Namaste, Chaire de recherche sur le VIH/sida et la santé sexuelle, Université Concordia, Montréal, et «Résultats du Rapid Assessment sur le comportement à risque chez les personnes transgenres» par Dr. Raphael Bize, Chef de clinique IUMSP (CHUV), Université de Lausanne. Ateliers: Comment être un/ une meilleurE prestataire de santé pour les personnes transgenres ? Sexualités trans*: construction identitaire et prises de risque. Travail du sexe et personnes transgenres.

http://www.aidsfocus.ch
http://www.bag.admin.ch

London, 13 February 2013 - The UK Consortium on AIDS and International Development has today launched the first in its new series of fact sheets – focused on Palliative Care and HIV. This fact sheet sets out to explain what palliative care is, the relationship between HIV, AIDS and palliative care, and information on access to pain drugs as a barrier to effective palliative care provision. Everyone living with HIV would benefit from receiving palliative care, from the time of diagnosis of HIV infection and in conjunction with taking anti-retroviral drugs (ARVs). Palliative care is a holistic and comprehensive approach to care and support with the aim of improving quality of life.

http://aidsconsortium.org.uk

Harare, 8 February 2013 - HIV-positive women are living longer, but are now dying of cervical cancer. In Zimbabwe, cervical cancer is now the most common cancer among women, particularly those living with HIV. About 1,900 women are diagnosed with the disease every year in Zimbabwe and 1,300 die. Activists are urging the government to step up efforts to prevent deaths related to the disease, accusing it of paying lip service to the problem. Cervical cancer affects about 30 percent of women in the country and is caused by the sexually transmitted human papilloma virus (HPV). Although condoms are said to lower the risk of getting HPV, they do not prevent the risk of acquiring this virus completely. (PlusNews)

http://www.irinnews.org

1. February 2013 - Domestic spending on HIV/AIDS in some African countries rose by more than 100% between 2006 and 2011. African countries, which contain many of the communities most affected by the AIDS pandemic and receive the bulk of Global Fund money, are adopting innovative methods to finance the fight against the disease in the face of declining resources from the Fund in recent years. Rwanda and Uganda, for example, now charge levies on mobile phone usage. The Government of Zimbabwe charges a sur-tax on all institutional and individual income tax. In Zambia, a hospice is using innovative approaches to provide services to a population of 200,000 people.

http://www.aidspan.org

Paris, 30 janvier 2013 - À l’occasion de sa première visite officielle en tant que Directeur exécutif du Fonds mondial de lutte contre le sida, la tuberculose et le paludisme, Mark Dybul a rencontré aujourd’hui Pascal Canfin, ministre délégué au développement, ainsi que d’autres responsables français. M. Dybul a mis en avant son engagement à assurer un partenariat solide avec la France et a expliqué certains aspects du nouveau modèle de financement du Fonds mondial, qui verra le jour cette année et vise à rendre les subventions du Fonds plus efficaces : « La France est à l’origine de l’idée d’un Fonds mondial de lutte contre le sida ; elle est étroitement liée à sa création et a suivi de près chacune des étapes de son évolution, tant sur le plan conceptuel que financier. »

http://www.theglobalfund.org

1. January 2013 - Rather than imposing harsh new controls on recipient countries that might impede health outcomes, the Fund should maintain the core elements of its innovative model and make selective rather than sweeping changes in its operations.” This is the view of two former senior managers in the Fund’s Secretariat, expressed in the Journal of Health Planning and Management. According to a report from the Global Fund (2012), fraud constituted only 0.4% of disbursements in 32 countries that were audited or investigated. “… few will view the Global Fund results as the fiduciary crisis that the media portrayed in early 2011,” the authors conclude.

http://www.aidspan.org

Music has tremendous formative power for individuals and communities, and when inscribed with intelligent and socially relevant lyrics, music can be one of the most empowering and revolutionary arts of humanity. Music is especially important to young people in their developmental years, and susceptible to behavioral shaping from music that they hear in their homes and communities. Young people in their most sexually-active years are also the most susceptible to HIV infection worldwide. The World HIV/AIDS Music Project (WHAM Project) is a global collaborative research effort that aims to present all the music ever written/performed about HIV/AIDS in any language.

http://www.whamproject.org

En 2012, l’ICASO a réalisé une étude sur neuf subventions du Fonds mondial de lutte contre le sida, la tuberculose et le paludisme (FMSTP). Toutes les subventions sélectionnées pour l’étude, mises en œuvre dans neuf pays (Arménie, Bélarus, Belize, Éthiopie, Haïti, Indonésie, Madagascar, Nicaragua et Zimbabwe), concernaient le VIH. L’étude visait à déterminer comment les récents changements au FMSTP (suscités par la crise du financement et par le besoin du Secrétariat du FMSTP d’effectuer d’importantes coupes à la valeur fiscale des subventions renouvelées) ont affecté le processus de renouvellement et de reprogrammation des subventions, en particulier pour les programmes dirigés par la société civile et ceux axés sur des populations clés. (janvier 2013)

http://csathubs.org

La pauvreté et l'inégalité entre les sexes, ajoutées à l'absence d'accès à l'éducation, accroissent la vulnérabilité à l'infection à VIH. C'est là l'un des principaux messages de la brochure intitulée Égalité des sexes, VIH et éducation, récemment publiée par l'Organisation des Nations Unies pour l'éducation, la science et la culture (UNESCO). Cette nouvelle publication souligne le caractère fondamental du traitement de ces questions pour l'accomplissement des Objectifs du Millénaire pour le Développement (OMD). Entrant dans le cadre d'une série de l'UNESCO sur les bonnes politiques et les bonnes pratiques dans le domaine du VIH et de l'éducation à la santé, cette brochure comprend des documents de travail qui étudient les liens entre sexe, VIH et éducation. (2013)

http://www.unaids.org

The report of the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) on global health expenditure includes preliminary estimates for health financing in the most recent years. It analysis efforts to monitor the resources made available through development assistance for health (DAH) and government health expenditure (GHE). After reaching a historic high in 2010, overall DAH declined slightly in 2011, with some organizations and governments spending more and others spending less. The research suggests that, despite global macroeconomic stress, the international community continues to respond to the need for health and health system support across the developing world. (2013)

http://www.healthmetricsandevaluation.org

The limited resources available require more emphasis on value for money. This case study report consists of eight case studies. It highlights countries’ progress in making their HIV response more efficient or increasing domestic HIV funding, contributing to sustainability, increased scale-up and country ownership. Cambodia and Myanmar have re-allocated resources towards high-impact interventions. South Africa and Swaziland have saved millions by improving their antiretroviral drug tenders. Kenya, Namibia, Malawi and Kazakhstan have taken active steps for a future with fewer external funds. Other countries may apply these strategies to their particular context. (2013)

http://www.aidsfocus.ch

Aidspan has released the third edition of “The Beginner’s Guide to the Global Fund” that is designed to provide a broad introduction to the Global Fund. It comes in three sizes: the full guide (about 46 pages); an eight-page summary, and a two-page summary. The full guide contains numerous links to the websites of the Global Fund and Aidspan for people who need in-depth information. Chapters in the full guide: Introduction to the Global Fund. Structure of the Global Fund - Global Level - In-Country, Partnerships, Money Raised by the Global Fund, Funds Committed and Spent by the Global Fund, The Global Fund's Application Process, Country Coordinating Mechanisms, etc. French, Spanish and Russian versions should be posted by the end of February 2013.

http://www.aidspan.org

Bridging the Gaps wants to achieve universal access to HIV/STI prevention, treatment, care and support for sex workers, LGBT people and people who use drugs. These key populations are typically 10 to 20 times more likely to become infected by HIV while only 8% have access to HIV services. Together with sex workers Bridging the Gaps works to end stigma and discrimination surrounding sex work and to improve their access to sex worker-friendly health care services. Sex work often is criminalized and surrounded by stigma and discrimination. Empowerment of sex workers and sex worker-friendly services essential in order to improve their lives and health. (2012)

http://www.hivgaps.org

Les partenaires d'aidsfocus: AEMRN, Action de Carême, Aide Suisse contre le Sida, Caritas suisse, CO-OPERAID, Croix-Rouge suisse, Déclaration de Berne, EPER, FEPA, Fondation Terre des hommes, Fédération Genevoise de Coopération, Gemeinschaft der St. Anna-Schwestern, IAMANEH Suisse, Kindernothilfe Schweiz, Kwa Wazee, Ligue suisse des femmes catholiques, medico international suisse, mediCuba-Suisse, missio, mission 21, MIVA Suisse, Sida & l'enfant, SolidarMed, Swiss Aids Care, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute (Swiss TPH), TearFund, terre des hommes schweiz, World Vision Suisse.

http://www.aidsfocus.ch