As part of a regional initiative supported by UNAIDS, the International Community of Women Living with HIV and AIDS for Asia and the Pacific (ICW AP) has launched a survey to assess the impact of the coronavirus pandemic among women and girls living with HIV.

A quick and informal assessment conducted by ICW AP in several countries has already revealed that it has been extremely challenging for women and girls living with HIV to obtain clear and accurate information about how to protect themselves and their families from COVID-19 as well as the precautions they need to take for the longer term as the pandemic continues.

The informal assessment has also shown that many women living with HIV are working in informal settings and, due to lockdown and restrictions of movement, they are not able to earn money to support themselves and their families.

The regional survey that has been recently launched aims to assess the realities on the ground of women and girls living with HIV and to gather information around issues such as experiences of gender-based violence, livelihood, access to social protection schemes, HIV treatment, sexual and reproductive health services and other needs.

The findings of the survey will inform a regional position paper to advocate for the rights and needs of women and girls living with HIV during the COVID-19 pandemic in Asia and the Pacific.

The Interagency Task Team (IATT) on young key populations (YKPs) in Asia and the Pacific, co-chaired by UNAIDS, UNDP and APCASO, released the second set of findings as part of the survey assessing the needs and ability of young key populations to access information, treatment and other HIV services during COVID-19.

These results show the impact that COVID-19 is having on the mental health and quality of life of young key populations and young people living with HIV in Asia and the Pacific.

According to the survey, the uncertainty generated by the COVID-19 is increasing the levels of stress and anxiety of young key populations and is having a direct impact on their mental well-being. Approximately 70% of respondents reported feeling anxious or extremely anxious and half of the young people living with HIV who completed the survey, noted that counselling for anxiety, depression, or other conditions was essential to adhering to their HIV treatment. Another 23% highlighted that peer support and connection with other people living with HIV was a vital service.

Among young people who reported needing mental health services, 34% had experienced delays or disruption in access to mental health medications due to COVID-19 and 47% had experienced delays or disruption in accessing psycho-social support as a result of the ongoing pandemic.

Based on the results of the survey, the IATT on YKPs made a set of key recommendations on mental health support. Read the survey results and recommendations here

UNAIDS Regional Director for Latin America and the Caribbean, César Núñez spoke with REDLACTRANS regional coordinator, Marcela Romero about the risks and the situation of LGBTI people, especially trans people, in Latin America and the Caribbean during the COVID-19 pandemic. Ms Romero highlighted some of the actions that civil society networks have taken to support those that have lost their means of subsistence due to the coronavirus response.

Once COVID-19 broke out in Wuhan, China’s Central Hubei Province, and the city went into strict lockdown, a group of volunteers acted swiftly to ensure people living with HIV had access to treatment.

Hui Hui is one of the volunteers with the Wuhan LGBT Center. He and others began shipping deliveries of treatment for people living with HIV who were stranded without access to their daily medicine.

But first they had to brave the checkpoints, go to the hospital with prescriptions and then pick up all the medicine. Once that was done, volunteers at the LGBT Center sorted through all the packs and shipped them out.

At the end of March, the center delivered treatment for nearly 3,000 people.

The Center also opened a hotline counselling service which has reached more than 5,000 people and counting.

UNAIDS helped financially and technically the Wuhan LGBT Center to deliver medicine to people living with HIV during the lockdown.

UNAIDS collaborated with the Swaziland Business Coalition on HIV and AIDS (SWABCHA), the Ministry of Health and the National Emergency Response Council on HIV and AIDS in Eswatini, to produce a video that creates awareness among the work force on COVID-19 prevention.

The video, which will be aired through private sector channels and social media platforms, is one of the tools that will be used in the country to ensure that the work force is reached with relevant information on the prevention of the spread of COVID-19 in the workplace. It provides useful information on safety measures to take in the workplace, including conducting virtual meetings and hygiene measures to take when at work.

“The COVID-19 pandemic is a difficult time for all of us and the health and safety of our workforce is a priority,” says Thobile Dlamini of SWABCHA. “Now more than ever, we must do what the Ministry of Health and the World Health Organization are telling us to do,” she says.

UNAIDS in Eswatini has had a long-standing relationship with SWABCHA, an independent, non-profit organization that brings together private sector companies, unions, government, civil society and development partners to ensure an effective national private sector response to HIV.

Over the years, UNAIDS has provided technical and financial support to SWABCHA for several projects, including its wellness forums, the development and review of strategic plans, expanding HIV testing and treatment among seasonal workers and documentation of the private sector response. This focus has now widened to include the response to the COVID-19 outbreak.

Many countries in East and Southeast Asia have compulsory detention centres in the name of “treatment” for people who use drugs.

A Joint UN Statement on compulsory drug detention and rehabilitation centres in Asia and the Pacific in the context of COVID-19, signed by regional directors of 13 United Nations agencies from 16 regional offices in the region, calls on UN Member States to permanently close compulsory drug detention and rehabilitation centres and implement voluntary, evidence-informed and rights-based health and social services in the community.

The Statement was prepared by the UNAIDS regional office in partnership with OHCHR Asia as part of advocacy efforts to transition to voluntary community-based treatment and services for people who use drugs.

Regional Directors of 13 UN agencies from 16 regional offices in #Asia #Pacific appeal to UN Member States that operate compulsory drug detention & rehabilitation centres to close them permanently as an important measure to curb the spread of #COVID19  https://t.co/FoyhkCJc1V pic.twitter.com/85G8Qhxv0L

— UNAIDS Asia-Pacific (@UNAIDS_AP) June 1, 2020

The restrictions imposed in Namibia in response to COVID-19 meant that thousands of informal traders, who sell prepared food and fresh fruit and vegetables at markets, lost their livelihoods.

To mitigate economic losses, the government relaxed regulations in mid-April, allowing traders to sell certain essential goods, while taking the necessary precautionary measures against COVID-19.

The City of Windhoek requested UNAIDS’ support in the reopening of its markets. In preparation, UNAIDS convened the City of Windhoek and the Ministry of Health’s community care workers and the Namibia Informal Sector Organization (NISO), which promotes the rights of informal traders. They developed guidelines and conducted trainings for the informal traders. They also developed key messages on environmental, food and hand hygiene as well as social distancing, which were used in the training. Lastly, markets were disinfected and demarcated to allow for social distancing.

“Informal traders, most of whom are women, are a critical part of the economy in Namibia and are vulnerable because of the instability of their income. UNAIDS is pleased to play a role in ensuring that they are able to return to work and provide for their families in the safest way possible,” said Alti Zwandor, UNAIDS Country Director in Namibia.

In Kenya, UNAIDS and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) brought together representatives of civil society organizations from the people living with HIV, women’s and human rights sectors to discuss their experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Participants raised concerns about the use of criminal law to restrict people’s movements and incidents of police brutality to enforce the state-imposed curfew.

As a result of this meeting, they issued an open letter to the Government of Kenya, asking for a response to COVID-19 that puts communities at the centre and respects the rights and dignity of all. They called on the government to do what works for HIV prevention and treatment, rather than developing disproportionate and coercive approaches.

“UNAIDS is advocating for a COVID-19 response that is grounded in the realities of people’s lives and focused on eliminating the barriers people face in being able to protect themselves and their communities,”  said Medhin Tsehaui, UNAIDS Country Director in Kenya. “We need to act with empathy so that people can act without fear of losing their livelihood, food security and the respect of their community.”

UNAIDS has also provided technical support to the The National Empowerment Network of People living with HIV/AIDS in Kenya to develop messages on COVID-19 for people living with HIV to be distributed to its members.

Related post - Congregational health messages on COVID-19 for religious leaders 

CNN Philippines interviewed the UNAIDS Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific, Eamonn Murphy about the lessons learned from the HIV response that can be applied to Covid-19.

As COVID-19 cases in Africa continue to rise, there is an increasing demand from African countries for information sharing to better prepare for the outbreak of the virus.

UNAIDS and WeDoctor organized a webinar bringing together health practitioners from China, Uganda and South Sudan to share experiences and knowledge in COVID-19 prevention and treatment.

“Fortunately, the eastern and southern African region has had time to prepare for the virus and this gives us the advantage to learn from the experience of countries that have gone through the journey successfully. Today is an opportunity to share this expertise,” said Aeneas Chuma, Director of the UNAIDS Regional Support Team for Eastern and Southern Africa a.i..

Wu Zunyou, Chief Epidemiologist of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, and Luo Congjuan, Chief Physician from the Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, shared their frontline experience in COVID-19 containment. They were joined by approximately 180 health professionals from Uganda Medical Association and South Sudan Doctors’ Union.

Mr Wu gave detailed account of how the pandemic broke out in China, the measures taken to stop the spread of the virus, and how makeshift hospitals work. He and Ms Luo also outlined what made China’s success in controlling COVID-19, what experiences Africa can adopt, and what main challenges exist with diagnostic tests.

The webinar was the second of its kind organized by UNAIDS and WeDoctor, a medical service provider from China; the first being an interaction with the Kenya Medical Women’s Association in April.