Position papers and guidance

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All you need to know for PLHIV Stigma Index implementation in one document!

The PLHIV Stigma Index Implementation Guidelines: A handbook to support networks of people living with HIV to conduct the PLHIV Stigma Index 2.0. The Implementation Guidelines provide step-by-step guidance on all phases of implementation and link to many helpful templates and tools that can be used throughout the process. They are now available in English, French, Russian, and Spanish.

On behalf of the Love Alliance, seven organizations representing community organisations working with Aidsfonds and the Global Network of People Living with HIV (GNP+), and endorsed by the Communities Delegation, we submit the below priorities ahead of the Extraordinary Board Meeting on the Strategic Framework for the Global Fund’s Strategic Framework for 2023-2028. We build our comments on the paper that the Love Alliance submitted with the Communities delegation ahead of the 15th Strategy Committee in March 2021 called Mission Critical.

This guide was created to support civil society to engage and contribute more effectively during the 2021 High-Level Meeting on HIV and AIDS (HLM). Unlike other HLM processes the majority, if not all, of the HLM activities, will be virtual. This means that it is especially important for advocates to find solutions to build their capacity, strengthen their networks and engage in advocacy virtually. This guide includes some important engagement opportunities and places to start on this journey.

The Global Network of People Living with HIV (GNP+) demands Universal Health Coverage that:

Puts the last mile first – placing the needs of the poorest and most marginalised members of society at the start and centre, and transforming ‘leave no one behind’ from rhetoric to reality.
Builds comprehensive, people-centred and community-led and based systems for health – moving beyond narrow ‘health systems’ to a holistic approach that maximises and resources the unique role, reach and impact of community responses.
Embodies rights and equity – with legal and policy frameworks that address the full range of, and barriers to, social determinants of health, especially for key and affected communities.
Puts key and affected communities in the driving seat – listening to their needs, respecting their experience, and providing concrete opportunities to shape plans, packages and fiscal mechanisms.

UNITAID is an innovative global health initiative that uses its long-term sustainable funding to support projects that positively impact the market for medicines, diagnostics and other health products for HIV/AIDS, TB and Malaria.

This handbook describes the mission and vision of the delegation and the Terms of Reference of the different delegation members.

The Board of the Global Fund is considering a policy that will cause the Global Fund to transition out from some countries in the CARICOM region and other Upper Middle Income Countries. Together with the Caribbean Regional Network we appeal to the Global Fund to preserve their financing. With high HIV prevalence and significant gaps in access to prevention, treatment, care and support, especially for key population living with HIV, cutting financing risks severely undermining the gains made in the HIV response.

The letter below was today delivered to the Global Fund Board.

The United Nations will gather for the High Level Meeting on HIV on 8-10 June 2016. Many say this may be the last High Level Meeting on HIV ever. This also depends on whether member states dare to give the HIV response teeth with greater political commitments to fight stigma and discrimination, protect human rights and fundamental freedoms and ensure universal access to treatment, care and support for all people living with HIV.

This is our chance to move members states to come to an unequivocal agreement with clear, time bound targets that ensure the rights and protection of people living with HIV and key populations.

A ‘Zero Draft’ of the political declaration, developed by co-facilitators Switzerland and Zambia was just released. This key document lays the foundation of the negotiations towards the High Level Meeting this upcoming June.

This summary contains the key messages and principles we demand from our national delegates.

The AIDS and Rights Alliance for Southern Africa (ARASA), Prévention Information Lutte contre le Sida (PILS) and the undersigned civil society organisations call on the Prime Minister of Mauritius to stop the deportation of a young woman from Cameroon solely on the basis of her HIV status. We urge policy makers in Mauritius to review and amend the Immigration Act which specifies that persons afflicted with any infectious disease are prohibited from entering the country.

As part of her study permit application, the female student was tested for HIV upon arrival in Mauritius. After testing positive for HIV, she received a notification letter from the Passport and Immigration Office informing her that the application for her study visa had been denied and that she would be deported from the country.
The determination that the student be deported on the basis that her HIV status is a contagious infection, as provided for in the Immigration Act, is discriminatory. Scientific and medical developments in the last three decades have proven that effective HIV treatment has significantly reduced AIDS-related deaths and has transformed HIV infection from a condition that inevitably resulted in early death to a chronic manageable condition.

It is well accepted that states may not discriminate against people living with HIV or members of groups perceived to be at higher risk of HIV infection on the basis of their actual or presumed HIV status. International human rights law guarantees the rights to equal protection before the law and freedom from discrimination on any ground. The rights to equality and non-discrimination in the context of HIV has in addition been interpreted as imposing an obligation on states to review and repeal any laws, policies and practices to exclude treatment based on arbitrary HIV-related measures. The provisions of the Immigration Act which permit deportation on the basis of HIV status are discriminatory and there is no evidence that laws of this nature protect public health.

The deportation of this student on the basis of her HIV status only is not only contrary to fundamental international human rights, but will undoubtedly fuel the already high rates of stigma and discrimination against people living with HIV in Mauritius. All persons have the right to education and this right extends to people living with HIV. States should ensure that people living with HIV are not discriminatorily denied access to education, including access to schools, universities, scholarships and international education or subject to restrictions solely based on their HIV status.

We appeal to the Mauritian government to make progressive efforts to increase awareness and education on HIV, law and human rights for the general public, government agencies, services providers within key sectors and law enforcement officials. Comprehensive anti-discrimination law that protects people against discrimination on the basis of real or perceived HIV status should be adopted.

Respecting human rights in the implementation of the VCT@WORK initiative: Operational guidelines

Access to VCT is part of a comprehensive workplace response to HIV. The VCT@WORK initiative seeks to address the needs of large and small businesses, as well as workers in the informal economy. These operational guidelines provide guidance on respecting human rights in the implementation of the VCT@WORK initiative, with a particular focus on the following.

consent
confidentiality
counselling
connection to care
gender equality and women’s empowerment
meaningful engagement of people living with HIV
inclusion of key populations

In all workplace settings, staff HIV awareness is crucial to reducing HIV stigmatization and discrimination. Information should be made available to ensure that all workers know where they can go to seek voluntary and confidential HIV testing, and how to access HIV prevention, treatment, and care and support services.

A workplace policy with clearly defined principles to protect the rights of workers and to ensure non-discrimination and gender equality, as described in ILO Recommendation No. 200, is essential for the implementation and success of the VCT@WORK initiative. Of equal importance is the need for a truly representative HIV workplace committee, which should serve as a mechanism for the development and review of the workplace policy and programmes – including the VCT@WORK initiative.

The principle of Greater Involvement of People Living with HIV (GIPA) is central to the implementation of the VCT@WORK initiative. A growing body of evidence shows that programmes implementing GIPA achieve better, and more sustainable, results. Globally, organizations such as the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria continue to invest in the involvement of people living with HIV at all levels. At the local level, GIPA facilitates the creation of an environment that enables people living with HIV to fulfil their potential as employees, leaders and active members of society; it reduces stigma and contributes to the elimination of judgmental attitudes and discrimination. The guidelines further reinforce the need to:

a. build strong partnerships between workplaces involved in the initiative and employers’ and workers’ organizations, PLHIV networks and national governments, and, in particular, national AIDS commissions and VCT service providers;

b. provide adequate infrastructure and facilities for VCT to be conducted with respect for confidentiality and privacy, and aligned principles; and

c. establish good referral links with other service providers, to ensure that the needs of all PLHIV (women, men and transgender people) working with an organization are met.

The operational guidelines were developed following data collection from three country-level consultations with networks of PLHIV in India, Nigeria and South Africa – the three countries in the world with the highest numbers of people living with HIV. The inclusion of policy makers and decision makers from the business community in country-level discussions allowed them to express their concerns with regard to the implementation of HIV testing in and through the workplace.

GNP+ is proud to present Driving the HIV response: A community guide to the WHO 2013 Consolidated Guidelines on the Use of Antiretroviral Drugs for Treating and Preventing HIV Infection.

The Global Network of People Living with HIV (GNP+), the International HIV/AIDS Alliance and STOP AIDS NOW! developed this Community Guide in response to the World Health Organization (WHO) 2013 Consolidated guidelines on the use of antiretroviral drugs for treating and preventing HIV. It aims to assist community leaders and civil society organisations to:

better understand the new WHO recommendations and guide country-level discussions on priorities (within civil society and between civil society and government)
ensure the meaningful participation of communities most affected by HIV in national decision-making and planning
advocate for any changes or further research necessary to adapt recommendations to suit their country context
mobilise and prepare communities for the implementation of new recommendations.

The guide is designed to be updated regularly, and extra modules will be added as further guidelines are issued by WHO, such as those on key populations and adolescents.

You can download the modules here.

Download here:

“Whoever designed the guide deserves a round of applause because it is really great and we will be putting it to use right away. The question is how can we use this simplification as a model for getting information such as this to the commmunity.”

Dr Rose Wafula, PMTCT co-ordinator at NASCOP (National AIDS and STI Control Program) Kenya