Fouzia Abdallah, National AIDS Programme
Manager Yemen and Somaya Al-Jowder, National
AIDS Programme Manager Bahrain during the
meeting.

Empowerment of women and promotion of gender equality were underlined as critical to reducing vulnerability to HIV in the Middle East and North Africa [MENA] at a recent gathering of experts from the region.

Specialists working in the areas of HIV and gender joined at a think tank meeting on “Gender and HIV in the Middle East and North Africa”, organized by the UNAIDS Regional Support Team MENA in Cairo, Egypt.

As the HIV epidemic in the MENA region continues to spread, the number of women living with HIV is increasing and the gap in prevalence rates among men and women is narrowing. Participants at the meeting agreed that gender inequalities across the region help fuel vulnerability and increase exposure to HIV infection. “Gender inequalities is and must be at the core of our national AIDS responses ,” said Fouzia Abdallah, the National AIDS Programme manager of Yemen.

Traditions and the role of religion were widely discussed by participants. The Minister of Family

The Minister of Family Affairs and
Social Development in
Somaliland, Fadume Haji Adam

Affairs and Social Development in North West Somalia, Fadume Haji Adam, gave an opening address looking at specific cultural and religious traditions in the region that have an impact on women and girls in the context of HIV.

“In our traditions lie our challenges, and it is also there we will find the solutions,” she said.

Adapting strategies on gender and AIDS to fit the regional context was highlighted as fundamental to a successful response. Giving examples of how AIDS responses have failed to adequately address the situation of Muslim women, Dr Nafisa Mohamed Abdelkarim from Afhad University for Women in Sudan, called for a deeper understanding of the contexts in which many women and girls in the region find themselves“:

“ We cannot adopt an international agenda on gender and AIDS, we must develop our own agenda. We have to find our own solutions and strategies,” she said.

Often, our women do not make individual choices. They make their decisions within their social contexts. Our responses to AIDS have to address these contexts, and not only the individuals. We have to make AIDS our agenda, with a language and with interventions that speak to us and our situations ,” she added.

Adapting strategies on gender and AIDS to fit the
regional context was highlighted as fundamental to
a successful response to the AIDS epidemic.

The meeting brought together people from some of the most conflict-affected areas in the world. A key concern of participants was how to keep gender and AIDS high on an already full political and media agenda. “ The agenda is already full of immediate and emergency-related issues. At the same time, we can see how conflict situations increase vulnerability to HIV,” said Laila Baker, Assistant Representative for UNFPA, Occupied Palestinian Territory.

Rather than putting all our efforts in an emergency mode, we have to keep an eye on gender and AIDS in conflict situations. We can not afford ignoring such a crucial development issue ,” she added.

Building on this Think Tank meeting, the group identified key activities for moving forward, including reviewing national responses to AIDS in the context of gender, building capacity among national partners to further strengthen a gender-sensitive response, and mobilizing key ministries and partners to address gender and AIDS in the region.

Young athletes from across the continent visited
the AIDS awareness stand to learn more about HIV
prevention tools and techniques.
Photo credit: UNAIDS

As the flags were hoisted, national anthems sung and medals presented, HIV prevention emerged as a new champion at the 2007 All Africa games held in Algeria in July.

While athletes from across the continent ran, jumped, threw and sprinted their way onto the medal winners podium, volunteers from Algerian NGO ‘AIDS-Algerie’ kicked off a ‘Games’ HIV prevention campaign for young people in all key competition and residential sites across the Algerian capital Algiers.

Young athletes were encouraged to visit special AIDS awareness stands, where they were able to find out AIDS-related information and learn more about HIV prevention tools and techniques. With special screening of HIV prevention videos and distribution of condoms, the AIDS campaign reached out to some 25,000 young African athletes.

“The awareness raising teams were able to encourage real interest and participation from the young African sportsmen and women,” said Professor Abdelkader Semid, President of the Medical Commission for the African Games organizing committee. “This opened people’s eyes to the risks of HIV infection and the need for HIV prevention,” he added.

Organized with the support of the Games’ steering committee, UNFPA, UNAIDS Secretariat and the Global Fund, the campaign demonstrated how HIV prevention can be successfully integrated into sporting events.

The AIDS campaign reached out to some 25,000
African athletes.
Photo credit: UNAIDS

“The global response to AIDS needs everyone to get involved – from all sectors of society. This huge event gave us excellent access to leaders among Algerian and African youth – we hope this will encourage them to carry on our association’s mission to respond to AIDS,” Mr Adel Zeddam, President of ‘AIDS-Algerie’.

Athletes attending the awareness-raising stands underlined their enthusiasm at taking part in the activity and their wish to move forward the AIDS response.

“This is a great activity for people like us doing sports all around the world. It’s a really special programme and I would like to see it replicated across the world so people can protect themselves better,” said Candy, an athlete from Nigeria.

Ivorian Judo champion Camara Mangue agreed: “I would like to call for all generations to face up to AIDS – it’s everybody’s issue.”

“The world must unite and fight AIDS,” said Namibian boxer Tobias.

Following the success of the campaign, it is hoped that the HIV prevention campaign will become a regular feature of future Games and other sporting events on the continent.

“Sport is a force for change and involving young people in sports and HIV prevention campaigns can empower them to be strong and become leaders on both fronts,” said UNAIDS Country Coordinator for Algeria Dr Samia Lounnas Belacel.

Links:

More on Sub-Saharan Africa
More on North Africa
More on sports and HIV

UNAIDS and India’s largest private company, Reliance Industries Limited, are working to strengthen collaboration on AIDS issues with the aim of promoting greater access to HIV information, prevention and treatment services across India.

The idea for greater collaboration between the Indian industry giant and UNAIDS came during a recent meeting between Reliance Industries Limited’s (RIL) Chairman and Executive Director, Mukesh Ambani and UNAIDS Deputy Executive Director, Michel Sidibe where they discussed the AIDS situation in India. Full scope of greater collaboration and a potential partnership is currently under development.

This is not the first time RIL has acted on AIDS issues  - the company received the UNAIDS Civil Society Awards 2006 in recognition of its outstanding commitment and support of the national AIDS response on the occasion of the World’s AIDS Day – December 1, 2006.  RIL received a high profile corporate award for business response to AIDS 2007 in recognition of its existing AIDS interventions within Indian industry.

UNAIDS has played a leading role in helping put in place the RIL AIDS workplace policy and in shaping their efforts in responding to AIDS in India. 

AIDS claimed an estimated 27,000 lives in the
Caribbean in 2006.
Photo credits: UNAIDS

More than 130 religious leaders from the Caribbean joined in Barbados to discuss their role in moving the AIDS response forward and the importance of breaking down AIDS-related stigma and discrimination.

The inter-faith forum concluded that to be truly effective in challenging the AIDS epidemic, faith-based organizations must open their doors to people living with HIV and people at risk of HIV.

“We have to throw our doors wide open and make everyone welcome. We should lead from the front, whether this means opening up to everyone, or being the first to get tested for HIV, said Dr Nigel Taylor, President of the Barbados Evangelical Association (BEA).

Hosted by the Barbados BEA with the Barbados National HIV/AIDS Commission and UNAIDS, the two-day forum discussed inclusion and human sexuality in the context of AIDS.

Speaking at the event, Sir George Alleyne, the UN Secretary General’s Special Envoy for HIV/AIDS in the Caribbean underlined that faith-based organizations should adopt a radical and realistic stance: “I ask that you include not only those persons who are known to be HIV positive or those who declare themselves to be. I will be bold enough to ask that you include those who have been excluded because their lifestyles have not conformed to what has been considered the societal norm,” he said.

Sir George Alleyne, UN Secretary
General’s Special Envoy for
HIV/AIDS in the Caribbean
took part in the forum.

AIDS claimed an estimated 27,000 lives in the Caribbean in 2006 and is now the leading cause of death in adults aged 15-44. Underlining the severity of the epidemic in the region, Dr Carol Jacobs Chair of the National HIV/AIDS Commission of Barbados said a more open approach by faith-based organizations is not only a moral imperative, but is crucial for a successful response to HIV in the Caribbean.

 “We all need to pull together and we can harness the power of faith-based organizations, with all their influence in our society, to really tackle stigma and discrimination, against, for example, men who have sex with men and sex workers,” she said.

“If such groups are included, it will mean that we can all talk more freely about the virus and what we can do to prevent it without fear of anyone being condemned and left out in the cold.”

Links:
More on the Caribbean

The 4th IAS Conference on HIV Pathogenesis, Treatment and Prevention came to a close in Sydney, Australia today. More than 5,000 delegates from 133 countries came together for the four-day conference to examine the latest developments in HIV-related research.

“The science presented here in Sydney is not only about new advances in treatment and prevention -- as important as those are -- but also about how to support developing countries in strengthening health delivery systems to make those advances a reality for people in need and at risk," said IAS President Dr. Pedro Cahn, International Conference Co-Chair and Director of Fundación Huesped in Argentina.

HIV clinicians and community leaders heard reports from some of the world’s leading researchers involved in basic, clinical and prevention science. Presentations included the roll out of antiretroviral treatment in the developing world and the need for research to inform treatment scale-up, HIV/TB co-infection, and ethical and practical issues related to HIV prevention research.

Emphasising the need to scale-up TB/HIV programmes Michel Sidibe, UNAIDS Deputy Executive Director of Programmes, UNAIDS said, "Urgent investment in TB research and programmes is needed if we are to avoid TB, and especially drug resistant TB, undoing all the advances we have gained through better AIDS treatment and care. All of our drugs, diagnostics and vaccines date from the last century or even the century before that."

Opening ceremony.
Photo credit: IAS

The scientists, clinicians, public health experts and community leaders also heard about research on novel prevention and treatment strategies, the cutting-edge use of gene therapy to treat HIV disease, female-initiated prevention technologies, provider-initiated HIV testing and the prevention of mother-to-child transmission.

“With fewer than one-third of people living with HIV in low- and middle-income countries having access to life-saving medications, and still fewer with access to proven prevention services, such as condoms and sterile syringes, the goal of universal access by 2010 must remain a priority,” said IAS President Dr. Pedro Cahn, International Conference Co-Chair and Director of Fundación Huesped in Argentina. “Science has given us the tools to prevent and treat HIV effectively. The fact that we have not yet translated this science into practice is a shameful failure.”

The conference was opened with a declaration from the organizers urging that 10% of all resources dedicated to HIV programming be used for research. By the close, more than 1,550 scientists, clinicians, policy makers and community leaders from around the world had signed the Sydney Declaration.

The International AIDS Society announced the selection of Cape Town, South Africa, as host of the 5th IAS Conference on HIV Pathogenesis, Treatment and Prevention in July 2009. The event will be organized by the IAS, in partnership with South African-based non-governmental organisation Dira Sengwe, the organizer of the South African AIDS Conferences.

Links:

The Australian Society for HIV Medicine and the International AIDS Society were the hosts of the 4th IAS Conference on HIV Pathogenesis, Treatment and Prevention.More than 5,000 delegates from 133 countries came together for the four-day conference to examine the latest developments in HIV biology, pathogenesis, treatment and prevention science.Emphasising the need to scale-up TB/HIV programmes Michel Sidibe, UNAIDS Deputy Executive Director of Programmes, UNAIDS said, "Urgent investment in TB research and programmes is needed if we are to avoid TB, and especially drug resistant TB, undoing all the advances we have gained through better AIDS treatment and care. All of our drugs, diagnostics and vaccines date from the last century or even the century before that."

Presentations included the roll out of antiretroviral treatment in the developing world and the need for research to inform treatment scale-up, HIV/TB co-infection, and ethical and practical issues related to HIV prevention research. 22-25 July 2007, Sydney, Australia.

Deputy Executive Director of Programmes at UNAIDS, Michel Sibide, participated in events around treatment, sustainability in the era of universal access, the TB/HIV co-epidemic and men who have sex with men in Asia. 22-25 July 2007, Sydney, Australia.

UNAIDS supported an emotive exhibition at the Sydney AIDS conference portraying, in words and pictures the double impact that TB and HIV has on people and communities in South Africa and Zambia.

It’s an unfortunate reality that all too often, the people most at risk and most in need of HIV prevention, treatment and care programmes are those least likely to have access to these services. For example it is estimated that fewer than one in 20 men who have sex with men (MSM) around the world have access to HIV prevention, treatment, and care services.

In a bid to scale-up action and stop the spread of AIDS among men who have sex with men, the Foundation for AIDS Research, amFAR has launched an initiative to support grassroots MSM organizations at the International AIDS Conference in Sydney.

The initiative, in addition to directly supporting grassroots organizations, will also advocate for more research on MSM issues and fund global advocacy efforts aimed at mobilizing funding from international donors, national governments, and others. The advocacy program will also focus on launching campaigns to end the stigma, discrimination, and violence that threatens the lives of MSM and fuels the spread of AIDS.

“Empowering MSM and other marginalized groups to protect themselves from HIV is one of the world’s most urgent health priorities,” said Dr. Peter Piot, Executive Director of UNAIDS.

This initiative is important as evidence and experience show that focusing AIDS programmes and services specifically on people who are most at risk leads to encouraging progress within the response and can help reduce stigma and discrimination.

In Bangladesh for example, successful advocacy from the Banhu Social Welfare Society, including networking and participation in governmental meetings, ensured the inclusion of issues relating to men who have sex with men in the five-year National AIDS Strategic Plan.

In Indonesia, the Aksi Stop AIDS and Family Health International programme worked with the Indonesian authorities to highlight the contribution that communities of men who have sex with men can make. These communities now regularly participate in consultations on AIDS-related issues with the Ministry of Health.

In many countries, however, prevention efforts are hindered by laws that criminalize male-male sex, making work with men who have sex with men difficult and impeding their contribution to the response to the epidemic. Where social, cultural and religious attitudes make the issue politically sensitive, politicians can be reluctant to support policies and programmes that might result in public criticism from community leaders and groups.

Lack of research about men who have sex with men including their behaviours and attitudes, and criminalization and stigmatization of and legal discrimination against these men, are significant barriers to implementing effective programmes.

“A quarter century into the epidemic, MSM in many countries still do not have even the basic tools to protect themselves against HIV,” said Kevin Frost, acting CEO of amfAR. “We must have the courage to stand side by side with the grassroots organizations on the front lines of this epidemic delivering services and demanding greater action from governments. With funding and support, these organizations can transform attitudes, change policy, and mobilize funding to reverse the spread of HIV among MSM.”

The aims of the meeting was to further encourage
business support for and commitment to the
AIDS response in the region.
Photo credit: UNAIDS/O.O'Hanlon

Business & Government against AIDS

In efforts to further strengthen the response to the epidemic in the region, the Australian Agency for International Development, AusAID, and the Asia Pacific Business Coalition Against AIDS, APBCA, brought together business and government representatives and Ministers for the Third Asia Pacific Ministerial Meeting on HIV/AIDS.

The meeting, which took place in Sydney, Australia on 23 July, was convened to further encourage business support for and commitment to the AIDS response in the region. Its aim also was to build on the goals expressed by Ministers from the region through the previous two ministerial meetings to 'promote high-level leadership and partnership among key stakeholders in combating AIDS in the region.'

“The purpose of this meeting is to highlight and strengthen the partnership between government and business in the fight against AIDS - to strengthen the networks and services that are the front line response to the epidemic in the region, said The Hon Alexander Downer MP, Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs in his opening speech. “The next five years will be critical in terms of preparing for the impact of AIDS and scaling up prevention, especially if we want to meet the Millennium Development Goal of halting and beginning to reverse the spread of HIV/AIDS by 2015,” he added.

The impact of AIDS on the private sector was a central theme of the discussions with lessons being drawn from the effects seen in Africa. Issues highlighted were the rising costs related to AIDS on businesses including absenteeism due to illness or attending funerals, burial costs, health care benefits, and recruitment and training of new labour to replace that lost to AIDS.

During his presentation Michel Sidibe, Deputy Executive Director of Programmes, UNAIDS said, “ Every person living with HIV who needs anti-retroviral treatment must have access to it and the more access we have to effective prevention, the fewer people will be in need of treatment.”

The meeting coincided with the International AIDS Society Conference which is being held in Sydney from 22-25 July 2007. (visit the conference web site)

Background - Asia Pacific Ministerial Meeting on HIV/AIDS

In 2001, building on the momentum from the UN General Assembly Special Session on HIV/AIDS, the Australian Government hosted the first Asia Pacific Ministerial meeting on HIV/AIDS. Ministers from 33 countries in the region came together to discuss the challenges posed by AIDS in the region and to identify ways to strengthen partnerships to respond to the epidemic.

The Thai Government hosted the second ministerial meeting in Bangkok in 2004. The theme of this meeting was Access for All: Political Accountability and focused on multi-sectoral action and the important role of political leadership in the response to AIDS in the region.

The coalition assists business respond to AIDS by
providing quality resources and services.
Photo credit: UNAIDS/O.O'Hanlon 

The Asia Pacific Business Coalition on AIDS

The Asia Pacific Business Coalition on AIDS was established as a direct response to the need for greater private sector engagement, coordination and commitment to the regional fight against AIDS. It was launched by Former US President, Bill Clinton in February 2006.

Members include many of Australia's top companies including Qantas and BHP Billiton.

The coalition assists business respond to AIDS by providing quality resources and services to support best practice approaches to AIDS in the region.

Links:

The Asia Pacific Business Coalition on AIDS
The Australian Government’s aid programme AusAID
The Global Business Coalition on HIV/AIDS

Sydney AIDS Conference reports on scientific advances in HIV treatment and prevention

The 4th IAS Conference on HIV Pathogenesis, Treatment and Prevention came to a close in Sydney, Australia today. More than 5,000 delegates from 133 countries came together for the four-day conference to examine the latest developments in HIV-related research.

Read more

24 July 2007

MSM Initiative launched at Sydney AIDS Conference

It’s an unfortunate reality that all too often, the people most at risk and most in need of HIV prevention, treatment and care programmes are those least likely to have access to these services. For example it is estimated that fewer than one in 20 men who have sex with men around the world have access to HIV prevention, treatment, and care services.

In a bid to scale up action and stop the spread of HIV among men who have sex with men, the Foundation for AIDS Research, amFAR has launched an initiative to support grassroots MSM organizations at the International AIDS Conference in Sydney.

Read more

Tuberculosis and HIV: the dual epidemic

In order to help convince the HIV research community of the need for more research into improving prevention, diagnosis and treatment of TB among people living with HIV, UNAIDS is supporting an emotive exhibition at the Sydney AIDS conference portraying, in words and pictures the double impact that TB and HIV has on people and communities in South Africa and Zambia.

View photo gallery

Roadmap to TB/HIV sessions at Sydney AIDS Conference

Read more about TB and HIV

21 July 2007

Opening ceremony
Photo credit: IAS

Bridging the gap between research and practice

Over 5000 people are gathering in Sydney, Australia to attend the fourth conference on HIV Pathogenesis, Treatment and Prevention. The conference, taking place on 22-25 July 2007, features the latest developments in HIV biology, pathogenesis, treatment and prevention science.

Read more

Visit the conference web site

The Australian Society for HIV Medicine and the International AIDS Society are hosting the 4th IAS Conference on HIV Pathogenesis, Treatment and Prevention in Sydney, Australia from 22-25 July 2007.

Over 5000 delegates are expected to attend the conference which features the latest developments in HIV biology, pathogenesis, treatment and prevention science.

Held every two years, the conference is an opportunity for leading scientists, clinicians, public health experts and community leaders to examine the latest developments in HIV-related research, and to explore how scientific advances can inform the global response to AIDS.

This is the first IAS conference encompassing “Biomedical Prevention” in addition to Pathogenesis and Treatment, in line with the decision to include biomedical prevention made during the 2005 meeting in Rio de Janeiro.

The biomedical prevention track will focus on strategies for preventing HIV transmission that have a biomedical basis, such as vaccines, microbicides, chemoprophylaxis and substitution therapy for drug dependence.

Deputy Executive Director of Programmes at UNAIDS, Michel Sibide, will participate in events around treatment, sustainability in the era of universal access, the TB/HIV co-epidemic and men who have sex with men in Asia. Chief Scientific Adviser Dr Cate Hankins will be launching new guidelines on ethics and good practice in trials.