Thursday, March 4, 2010
Sign-on letter
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton: In February, a group of civil society advocates issued a statement to the Secretary of United State, Hillary Clinton, to preserve the leadership role of the Global Aids Program & Office of Global AIDS Coordinator (OGAC) and its critical role in coordinating the activities and programmes managed by multiple agencies within the Department of State, Health and Human Services and Defence. As the United States was making some key decisions related to the governance of its Global Health Initiative, civil society advocates and public health experts were concerned that there was a possibility that PEPFAR and OGAC would be subsumed under a larger Global Health Initiative organisational structure at USAID. To follow up, please contact David Bryden at dbryden@idsociety.org
Resources & tools
Happy, Healthy and Hot: This guide is designed to support young people living with HIV to increase sexual pleasure, improve health and develop strong intimate relationships. It explores how human rights and sexual well-being are related and suggests strategies to help them make decisions about dating, relationships, sex and parenthood.
www.ippf.org/en/Resources/Guides-toolkits/Happy+healthy+and+hot.htm
MSMGF: A new policy brief, Reaching Men Who Have Sex With Men in the Global HIV& AIDS Epidemic, provides an introduction to HIV among gay men and other MSM and identifies key strategic areas that are essential to turn the tide of the epidemic.
http://www.msmgf.org/documents/MSMGF_ReachingMSM.pdf
2009 Reference Group to the UN on HIV and Injecting Drug Use: HIV prevention, treatment and care services for people who inject drugs: a systematic review of global, regional, and national coverage. This study compares in each of the investigated countries the provision of core interventions for IDUs: needle and syringe programmes, opioid substitution therapy and other drug treatment, HIV testing and counselling, antiretroviral therapy, and condom programmes.
http://xa.yimg.com/kq/groups/9727221/1309687683/name/PIIS0140673610602322.pdf
www.ippf.org/en/Resources/Guides-toolkits/Happy+healthy+and+hot.htm
MSMGF: A new policy brief, Reaching Men Who Have Sex With Men in the Global HIV& AIDS Epidemic, provides an introduction to HIV among gay men and other MSM and identifies key strategic areas that are essential to turn the tide of the epidemic.
http://www.msmgf.org/documents/MSMGF_ReachingMSM.pdf
2009 Reference Group to the UN on HIV and Injecting Drug Use: HIV prevention, treatment and care services for people who inject drugs: a systematic review of global, regional, and national coverage. This study compares in each of the investigated countries the provision of core interventions for IDUs: needle and syringe programmes, opioid substitution therapy and other drug treatment, HIV testing and counselling, antiretroviral therapy, and condom programmes.
http://xa.yimg.com/kq/groups/9727221/1309687683/name/PIIS0140673610602322.pdf
Opportunities
UNAIDS: The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) is seeking outside technical assistance from civil society organizations working internationally to host and serve as a Communication and Consultation Facility that will support the participation of the non-governmental organization (NGO) delegation to the UNAIDS Programme Coordinating Board (PCB). Deadline for application submission is March 10. Natalie Siniora: pcbcf.nsiniora@gmail.com
http://data.unaids.org/pub/unaidsRFPs/2010/20100128_rfp_cf_2010_en.pdf
TB REACH: Grants of S500,000 - S1,000,000 will encourage the development and application of innovative, ground-breaking and efficient techniques, interventions and activities that result from increased TB case detection, reduced transmission and prevention of the emergence of drug-resistant forms of TB. TB REACH will focus on reaching people who have limited access to TB services. Applications are open until March 5.
http://www.stoptb.org/tbreach/
Community System Strengthening framework: The International HIV/AIDS Alliance & the International Council of AIDS Services Organisations (ICASO) are conducting an online consultation for civil society to give input on the draft framework that has been developed to outline community systems strengthened by the Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. This framework, as mentioned by the Global Fund Secretariat, has been developed in consultation with stakeholders to support the CSS component of Global Fund grants, but is applicable to all community-based activities aimed at improving health though community-based action.
To provide input:
a)Read the draft CSS framework. For summary, go to http://www.aidsalliance.org/Pagedetails.aspx?Id=405
b)Join online focused discussions that will open a space for dialogue on the framework.
join-cssframeworkconsult@eforums.healthdev.org
c)Take the online survey.
http://www.aidsalliance.org/Pagedetails.aspx?Id=405
For further information, contact Taline Haytayan at thaytayan@aidsalliance.org
UNAIDS NGO delegation survey: As the NGO delegation to UNAIDS prepares to submit a report to the UNAIDS Board, the Communication Facility of the NGO delegation is gathering input from civil society on developments and issues of stigma and discrimination. The input will inform the NGO report about key issues on the agenda and will form the basis for discussion at the UNAIDS Board meeting anticipated for June. The survey is available in English, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, French, Chinese and Arabic.
http://data.unaids.org/pub/unaidsRFPs/2010/20100128_rfp_cf_2010_en.pdf
TB REACH: Grants of S500,000 - S1,000,000 will encourage the development and application of innovative, ground-breaking and efficient techniques, interventions and activities that result from increased TB case detection, reduced transmission and prevention of the emergence of drug-resistant forms of TB. TB REACH will focus on reaching people who have limited access to TB services. Applications are open until March 5.
http://www.stoptb.org/tbreach/
Community System Strengthening framework: The International HIV/AIDS Alliance & the International Council of AIDS Services Organisations (ICASO) are conducting an online consultation for civil society to give input on the draft framework that has been developed to outline community systems strengthened by the Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. This framework, as mentioned by the Global Fund Secretariat, has been developed in consultation with stakeholders to support the CSS component of Global Fund grants, but is applicable to all community-based activities aimed at improving health though community-based action.
To provide input:
a)Read the draft CSS framework. For summary, go to http://www.aidsalliance.org/Pagedetails.aspx?Id=405
b)Join online focused discussions that will open a space for dialogue on the framework.
join-cssframeworkconsult@eforums.healthdev.org
c)Take the online survey.
http://www.aidsalliance.org/Pagedetails.aspx?Id=405
For further information, contact Taline Haytayan at thaytayan@aidsalliance.org
UNAIDS NGO delegation survey: As the NGO delegation to UNAIDS prepares to submit a report to the UNAIDS Board, the Communication Facility of the NGO delegation is gathering input from civil society on developments and issues of stigma and discrimination. The input will inform the NGO report about key issues on the agenda and will form the basis for discussion at the UNAIDS Board meeting anticipated for June. The survey is available in English, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, French, Chinese and Arabic.
Antiretroviral Treatment as prevention
What you should know:
Successful suppression of HIV replication through the use of antiretroviral treatment (ART) not only significantly reduces AIDS-related morbidity and mortality, but also drastically reduces transmissibility of HIV. Currently there is a common agreement that in order to implement ART as a prevention intervention, it should be combined with other interventions such as testing, needle exchange, circumcision and others. People will need to start ART earlier in the course of their disease and HIV test uptake and access to health care delivery would need to be improved. In addition, there is a need to for more resources, including funding, health care infrastructure and personnel, community-based services and human right protections.
Why the issue is important for us as treatment activists:
Many health experts and policy makers claim that AIDS funding causes other health response efforts to fail. There is a shrift in some donor’s policies from any disease-specific funding and toward generalized funding to strengthen health-care systems.
Advocates should be able to develop arguments based on sound evidence showing that investment in AIDS-related health care infrastructure, prevention and treatment will have not only a positive outcome on AIDS-related morbidity and mortality, but also a decline in overall incidence of new infections. Reducing mortality, morbidity and incidence will lessen the overall effect and impact of the HIV epidemic on health-care systems and economic security.
Read ‘treatment as prevention’ related articles:
News.aaas.org: New HIV/AIDS Plan Would Test, Treat Everyone in High-Risk Regions
Pslgroup.com: Antiretroviral Therapy Can Reduce Risk of HIV Transmission to Uninfected Sexual Partners: Presented at CROI
Sciencespeaks: More Evidence That ART Is Treatment & Prevention
AIDSMAP: HIV treatment may prevent at least nine out of ten transmissions
AIDSMAP: Treatment as prevention must not violate human rights, conference told
Successful suppression of HIV replication through the use of antiretroviral treatment (ART) not only significantly reduces AIDS-related morbidity and mortality, but also drastically reduces transmissibility of HIV. Currently there is a common agreement that in order to implement ART as a prevention intervention, it should be combined with other interventions such as testing, needle exchange, circumcision and others. People will need to start ART earlier in the course of their disease and HIV test uptake and access to health care delivery would need to be improved. In addition, there is a need to for more resources, including funding, health care infrastructure and personnel, community-based services and human right protections.
Why the issue is important for us as treatment activists:
Many health experts and policy makers claim that AIDS funding causes other health response efforts to fail. There is a shrift in some donor’s policies from any disease-specific funding and toward generalized funding to strengthen health-care systems.
Advocates should be able to develop arguments based on sound evidence showing that investment in AIDS-related health care infrastructure, prevention and treatment will have not only a positive outcome on AIDS-related morbidity and mortality, but also a decline in overall incidence of new infections. Reducing mortality, morbidity and incidence will lessen the overall effect and impact of the HIV epidemic on health-care systems and economic security.
Read ‘treatment as prevention’ related articles:
News.aaas.org: New HIV/AIDS Plan Would Test, Treat Everyone in High-Risk Regions
Pslgroup.com: Antiretroviral Therapy Can Reduce Risk of HIV Transmission to Uninfected Sexual Partners: Presented at CROI
Sciencespeaks: More Evidence That ART Is Treatment & Prevention
AIDSMAP: HIV treatment may prevent at least nine out of ten transmissions
AIDSMAP: Treatment as prevention must not violate human rights, conference told
Stock out-Swaziland
Swaziland Positive Living (SWAPOL), Swaziland Nurses Association, Positive Women Together in Action and ASARA called on the government to ensure supply of essential medicine at all levels of the health system, including TB and HIV prevention, diagnostics and treatment, drugs for treating certain opportunistic infections, and supply of masks for staff and visitors of TB hospitals.
Recently, the country faced a shortage of TB drugs due to a three-month delay in paying for shipments of these drugs. The Ministry of Health also banned nurses who give patients prescriptions for medicine that is out of stock in clinics, leading to the patients purchasing these drugs from private pharmacies at inflated prices.
Civil society groups also met with Michel Sidibe, executive director of UNAIDS, and brought the issue up at the meeting.
BACKGROUND
Since 2006, incidence of ARV drug stock-outs occur on a regular basis in Swaziland due to a problem with the procurement system of drugs and other medical supplies. While the majority of people depend on public health facilities for the provision of ARV treatment, it is reported that patients are given prescriptions to buy at local pharmacies for a higher than normal price.
Negative consequences of stock outs include decreasing treatment efficacy, treatment failure and compromising patients’ adherence to treatment, which leads to drug resistance problems and result in unnecessary deaths.
In January, Swaziland Positive Living in collaboration with other civil society partners succeeded in solving the problem of TB drug stock outs by conducting public advocacy and issuing press statements to call for the government to take the following actions:
a) Develop a procurement system and regulations that will have structured rational drug forecasting, buffer stocks and parallel procurement and distribution arrangement.
b) Identify and blacklist corrupt companies who are selected for procurement of drugs.
c) Stop buying from companies who do not deliver drugs on time.
d) End all practices which may inflict permanent damage or even death of people who depend on the provision of treatment from public health facilities.
Read initial article on the stock-outs
Recently, the country faced a shortage of TB drugs due to a three-month delay in paying for shipments of these drugs. The Ministry of Health also banned nurses who give patients prescriptions for medicine that is out of stock in clinics, leading to the patients purchasing these drugs from private pharmacies at inflated prices.
Civil society groups also met with Michel Sidibe, executive director of UNAIDS, and brought the issue up at the meeting.
BACKGROUND
Since 2006, incidence of ARV drug stock-outs occur on a regular basis in Swaziland due to a problem with the procurement system of drugs and other medical supplies. While the majority of people depend on public health facilities for the provision of ARV treatment, it is reported that patients are given prescriptions to buy at local pharmacies for a higher than normal price.
Negative consequences of stock outs include decreasing treatment efficacy, treatment failure and compromising patients’ adherence to treatment, which leads to drug resistance problems and result in unnecessary deaths.
In January, Swaziland Positive Living in collaboration with other civil society partners succeeded in solving the problem of TB drug stock outs by conducting public advocacy and issuing press statements to call for the government to take the following actions:
a) Develop a procurement system and regulations that will have structured rational drug forecasting, buffer stocks and parallel procurement and distribution arrangement.
b) Identify and blacklist corrupt companies who are selected for procurement of drugs.
c) Stop buying from companies who do not deliver drugs on time.
d) End all practices which may inflict permanent damage or even death of people who depend on the provision of treatment from public health facilities.
Read initial article on the stock-outs
ITPC: Transitional Steering Group of ITPC meeting in NYC:
February 5-6, the Transitional Steering Group (TSG) of ITPC met for the first time in New York City, USA, to agree on an advocacy agenda and future permanent governance structure, as well as to look at the registration of ITPC, actual operating costs, fundraising strategies and the strategic direction of ITPC-related initiatives (HIV Collaborative Fund, Treatment Monitoring Project, World Community Advisory Board and others). This meeting was attended by all seven board members with Sarah Zaidi and David Barr in ex-officio attendance as staff members. The Terms of Reference of the TSG were agreed, and work priorities established.
While it is anticipated that the new permanent board is to be set up by the end of 2010, the TSG was put in place in late 2009 for one year to develop a governance structure, provide oversight and, on a temporary basis, fulfil the role of a board.
The TSG made commitments of engagement as TSG members for their one-year term and plans to meet again in September to coincide with the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) meeting in New York to advocate for continued commitment to country universal access targets.
Meet the ITPC Transitional Steering Group members
Alessandra Nilo,
Gregg Gonsalves,
Ian Mcknight,
John Rock,
Rolake Odetoyinbo,
Patricia Asero,
Dr. Toku Yeptomi,
Click here to download TSG biography
While it is anticipated that the new permanent board is to be set up by the end of 2010, the TSG was put in place in late 2009 for one year to develop a governance structure, provide oversight and, on a temporary basis, fulfil the role of a board.
The TSG made commitments of engagement as TSG members for their one-year term and plans to meet again in September to coincide with the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) meeting in New York to advocate for continued commitment to country universal access targets.
Meet the ITPC Transitional Steering Group members
Alessandra Nilo,
Gregg Gonsalves,
Ian Mcknight,
John Rock,
Rolake Odetoyinbo,
Patricia Asero,
Dr. Toku Yeptomi,
Click here to download TSG biography
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