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6 November, 2011
In this issue of the ICEM HIV/AIDS newsletter, we report on World AIDS Day 2011, occurring on 1 December, the Canadian CEP-sponsored HIV and AIDS project in Nigeria and developments at the Global Fund, as well as the HIV and AIDS situation in Argentina, host country of the ICEM World Congress.
World AIDS Day 2011
World AIDS Day this year is about “Getting to Zero”: Zero New HIV Infections, Zero Discrimination, and Zero AIDS Related Deaths.
ICEM affiliates are urged to join national campaigns to underline the role of unions and interventions at the workplace to get to Zero.
Backed by the UN, the “Getting to Zero” campaign runs until 2015 and builds on last year’s successful World AIDS Day “Light for Rights” initiative encompassing a range of vital issues identified by key affected populations.
World AIDS Day has been celebrated since 1988 and on 1 December each year around the world. It has become one of the most recognised health days and a key opportunity to raise awareness, commemorate those who have passed on. and celebrate successes such as increased access to treatment and prevention services.
This year’s slogan underlines that getting to Zero is a must. Only one third of the 15 million people living with HIV in need of life long treatment are receiving it. New infections continue to outpace the number of people starting treatment, while the previous upward trend in resources suffered a serious downturn this year. ”Zero New HIV Infections” and “Zero Discrimination” are equally as likely to spark high impact events from small scale community vigils to nation wide events. In the words of the World AIDS Campaign (WAC), for 1 December 2011 right up until 2015, it is envisioned that different regions and groups will each year chose one or all of the Zeros that best addresses their situation.
Material for World AIDS Day can be downloaded from the WAC website www.worldaidscampaign.org. On the ICEM website, www.icem.org a simple step-by-step guide can be found to help affiliates in planning their activities for World AIDS Day.
(Source: World AIDS Campaign website)
Nigeria: Success of CEP-sponsored HIV and AIDS Project
The second phase of the HIV and AIDS project in cooperation with ICEM affiliates NUPENG and PENGASSAN, and sponsored by the Humanity Fund of the Communications, Energy, Paperworkers (CEP) Union of Canada, has been a big success.
Prior to the second phase, some 210 peer educators had been trained. Prevention campaigns were mounted in 40 workplaces across the country. Some 20,000 individuals were reached with awareness and prevention messages. Voluntary counselling and testing was carried out at 20 sites with close to 10,000 individuals tested.
Specifically in 2011, two training workshops were organised with a total of 33 participants (11 men and 22 women). Eleven advocacy meeting were held and six VCT campaigns were organised.
With the advocacy campaigns, which target union branches and worksite where VCT campaigns are to be organised, a total of 388 (261 men and 127 women) were reached.
During the six VCT campaigns in 2011, which last for three to four days each, close to 11,000 people were reached with awareness, prevention, and behaviour change messages. Out of these, a total of 2,302 people (21%) were tested and counselled (1,986 men and 316 women). Some 10,000 leaflets and 10,000 handbills were also produced.
News from the Global Fund
The Board of the Global Fund has decided to extend the deadline for submission of Round 11 applications from 15 December 2011 to “at least” 1 March 2012. The decision appears to be primarily motivated by a substantial reduction in the amount of funding that the Global Fund estimates will be available for Round 11. This was initially estimated at US$1.5 billion. However, given the current global economic insecurity, the forecast of funding available for Round 11 has been lowered to “not more than” US$800 million and that even this amount might not be available until the fourth quarter of 2013.
The Fund also appears likely to take this opportunity to implement some of the changes to the applications process recommended by the High-Level Independent Review Panel on Fiduciary Controls and Oversight Mechanisms of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (see article in the October e-bulletin). At a special meeting on 26 September, the Board formally adopted the report of the High-Level Panel and its recommendations.
The Global Fund Board has formed a working group to examine options for changes to the application, renewal and approval processes for new and existing investments. For a comprehensive reaction on the observations and recommendations to the report by the Global Fund Observer and various organisations, see GFO No. 160 at the website below.
(Source: Global Fund Observer, Issue 159 and 160 of 28 September and 13 0ctober, respectively. GFO is a free service of Aidspan www.aidspan.org; to receive GFO send an email to [email protected])
Ghana: Homophobia Prevents Counselling and Treatment
Condemnation of homosexuality by political and religious leaders in Ghana has led to a climate of fear, preventing men who have sex with men (MSM) from accessing vital health services.
NGOs are alarmed at the threats of arrest and report a steady decline of participation in safe sex education and support programmes. At one site, regular peer HIV education programmes had to be stopped as nobody turned up anymore for fear of arrest. In another region, the distribution of condoms and safe sex information to MSMs was also abandoned.
An estimated 25% of Ghanaian MSMs are HIV positive. According to the WHO, since the beginning of the epidemic, MSM have been disproportionately affected by HIV. Male-to-male sexual relations are a crime in Ghana. Considered a misdemeanour, it carries a sentence of up to six months in prison.
(Source: IRIN News, 1 August)
Zimbabwe: HIV Survey Reveals Women most Affected
Women and girls account for 62% of the 1.2 million people living with HIV and AIDS in Zimbabwe, a recent survey revealed. The survey also showed that only 20% of the adult population knew their HIV status.
Socio-economic, cultural and religious factors increase women’s vulnerability to HIV. Stigma and discrimination associated with an HIV positive status and fear of violence from partners deterred women from acting on prevention and treatment.
Although Zimbabwe has managed a steady decline of the HIV prevalence rate from a peak in 2003 of 32% to the current 14.2%, the relative prevalence rate of women has gone up.
(Source: The Herald, Harare, 16 September)
HIV and AIDS in Argentina
According to UNAIDS, the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS, Argentina has an HIV prevalence rate of 0.5% in the age group 15 to 49 years. While this is a relatively low rate, it has gone up steadily over the years. The number of people living with HIV is 110,000 of whom 36,000, or one-third, are women. Deaths due to AIDS stood at 2,900 in 2009, the latest available figure.
The Ministry of Health leads the national AIDS response and the national strategic planning process. The response is mainly focused on the provision of antiretroviral treatment. In 2007, there was a review of the National Strategic Planning on HIV and AIDS with more broad-based participation of civil society and consideration of most-at-risk groups and a clearer gender perspective.
The Global Fund had approved two HIV/AIDS grants in Round 1 for a total of US$25 million. These grants have been implemented and no further grants were extended.
(Source: UNAIDS and Global Fund websites)
News from Global Unions
The International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF – www.itfglobal.org), in its latest HIV/AIDS Update 114 of 15 October, reports on the launch of its 2011 World AIDS Day campaign – Getting to Zero. As in the past, the ITF has prepared campaign material for its affiliates. The ITS documentary on HIV and AIDS in the transport sector, called “Being Positive,” received an award at the Delhi Development Film Festival.
The September Newsletter of the Swedish Workplace HIV and AIDS Programme (SWHAP), jointly run by the International Council of Swedish Industry (NIR) and the Swedish Industrial and Metalworkers’ Union (IF Metall), reports on its annual Southern Africa Regional Conference which was attended by 87 participants representing 31 companies from eight countries. Articles on community outreach, VCT campaigns and peer education can also be found in the newsletter.
Five Years Ago: From the November 2006 Issue (No. 13)
The first issue of the ICEM HIV/AIDS e-bulletin was published in October 2005. In current issues, we refer to an article from the same month five years ago and reflect on developments.
In the HIV/AIDS e-bulletin of November 2006, we reported on the preparations for World AIDS Day, on a meeting of the Global Union AIDS Programme in Nairobi and on the Round 6 grant approval of the Global Fund. Then, the Board approved 85 grants with a cost of US$846 million over the first two years and US$2.52 billion over the full five-year grant period. For comparison, Round 10 grants, approved in December 2010, come at a cost of US$1.73 billion for the first two years and US$ 4.72 billion over five years. For how much the situation has changed now, read the article on the Global Fund above.
At that time, UNITAID also became operational as a drug purchasing facility for the treatment of AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. It was established during the UN General Assembly Special Session; its secretariat is hosted by the WHO. UNITAID generates money through an airline ticket levy first introduced by France on 1 July 2006. Founding members of the initiative were Brazil, Chile, France, Great Britain, and Norway, with the Clinton Foundation facilitating bulk purchase of drugs at lowest prices. UNITAID is now supported by 29 countries and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Ninety-four countries receive UNITAID funding.
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