Tapiwanashe Kujinga
CEPA Partner, PATAM
The conference is slowly winding down, and the energy among the delegates is visibly sapped. I have been here attending the conference for 4 days and another 2 days in a pre-conference symposium, so I am about knackered.
Today we held a PATAM meeting to discuss the future direction of the movement. There have been a number of calls during the conference for the movement to take a more decisive role on the continent. I will compile the minutes and send them out later.
I have attended a number of interesting sessions. One cohort study found that 47% of partners in a sero-discordant relationship were women. This is quite startling especially given the fact that men are usually conceived as the drivers of the epidemin, especially in heterosexual settings. This study is likely to have a fundamental impact on social marketing that, hitherto, has largely targeted men.
The drive for a cure for HIV has been narrowed to focus on latent HIV reservoirs. Even with effective HAART and undetectable viral load, HIV can still persist by latently occurring in parts of the body where ARVs have low rates of penetration. The testes, for instance, can have up to 30% virus levels even viral load is undetectable. Therapies to penetrate and destroy HIV within these latent reservoirs will give us an answer to the cure.
A number of sessions focused on MSM, injecting drug use, commercial sex work, law & HIV and prevention.
As expected in such a large gathering, surprises never end. I was delivering some PATAM magazines to the Women's Networking Zone and found myself ducking under a line of women's underwear (bras, panties, G-strings etc) strung around the booth. The attendant informed me that these were surrendered by some women attending the conference in order to draw some attention to the booth.
"Thats what brought you here, isn't it?", she asked me.
"No, I'm actually here to leave these magazines".
Despite my evident haste to leave for a session, she detained me for a few minutes longer extolling the benefits of decriminalising sex work.
The TB demonstration was complete with an African drum, and I felt closer to home. The rhythm was distinctly Southern Africa.
The numerous stands in the Exhibition Hall and Global Village are laden with materials - books, magazines, CDs, posters, flash drives and other freebies. You can take all you want as long as you dont exceed your weight limitation on the place. I have duly taken all that caught my fancy (including hand sanitisers), and will deal with Lufthansa when I get to the airport.
Tapiwanashe Kujinga
CEPA Partner, PATAM
The dilemma that faces the conference-goer at IAC is which session to attend given the vast choices that are offered. At times, there are 3 interesting sessions running simultaneously and another two events being conducted in the Global Village, and the temptation to clone oneself is very real.
A little bit about the place. Vienna is a historical city and was the seat of the Austrian Empire ruled by the Habsburg monarchy in the 19th century. The empire was a successor to the Holy Roman Empire (that was once described as being neither holy nor Roman nor an empire). This city hums with typical Viennese efficiency, the trains and trams run on time, the subways and streets are clean and there are cultural events everywhere. Thus far, the conference has run without a hitch. One resident was unaware of the International AIDS Conference, and it is amazing that 20,000 people can descend on a city with nary a notice from the locals.
The conference itself is being held at the Reed Messe Wien Conference centre, a huge complex near the Messe Prater subway station. It has lots of meeting rooms, both large and small, and there are lots of restaurants and ample sitting space. Whilst we still have to take long walks to get from one session room to another, the venue is a far cry from Toronto where delegates toiled from the North Tower to the South Tower and back, leaving many gasping for breath.
The demonstrations by activists continue. The EU stand was taken over by protesters angry with the seizure of generic drugs by the bloc. I also saw another demonstration calling for the decriminilisation of sex work. In my country (Zimbabwe), if this type of protest is not stopped by the Police, the protesters are assured of a lynching by the public. Such events are always makes one think of the differences in attitudes and opinions amongst populations.
In the main hallway is this siren clad in a micro-skirt surrounded by condoms of all types, colours and flavours (I heard her mention 'mint'). She is always at her post of duty, demonstrating the use of female condoms using props and answering questions from the passing delegates. Of course, the stand has become vastly popular with its endless supply of T-shirts with the word 'CONDOMISE' boldly printed at he back, as well as its ample supply of condoms, including those of the exotic type. Almost everytime there are delegates shoving huge handfuls of condoms into their bags, and I have a sneaking suspicion that extra-conference activities are seriously competing with the serious business of the event.
Today is another full day, the plenary starts in an hour's time. After that comes the agonising choices of sessions.
Lisa Schechtman
Policy Director, GAA
One thing that always strikes me about the International AIDS Conference is how authentic people seem to be here. Lesbian, gay, transgender, HIV positive, HIV negative, drug user, sex worker, activist, bleeding heart—people are who they are, and everyone mingles together and thinks nothing of the things that make us different. Instead we are all here as one, for one reason, and those things that make us different are what pulls us together. There is more activism at this conference than in Toronto or Mexico City. I don’t know if that’s because the world has changed for the worse, or if it’s because things have been getting better and dashed hope is one of the hardest things in the world to deal with. But there is anger here this week, productive anger, as if we’ve finally reached our limits and we can’t be nice any longer. But even the protests are respectful and heartfelt—perhaps not “nice,” per se, but not mean, either.
I think I will never forget marching to the opening ceremony with friends who are living with HIV and hearing them chant: “Keep your promises. WE WANT TO LIVE!” That “we want to live” will keep me motivated, and remind me how much I want these friends to live, too, and the inspiration and motivation they give me to continue fighting for the universal human right to a safe, healthy and happy life that allows for choice and power. The theme of this year’s IAC is human rights, and I couldn’t find that more appropriate. It is the thing that makes it ok for us to be all those things that make us our unique selves and to still be able to come together and call for universal access to HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment and care, children born without HIV, universal access to quality education, an end to violence against women and girls, and comprehensive, affordable, accessible high-quality health care to address any and all health needs we have. We are all human, more the same than different. I think that’s the idea behind the “free hugs” crew here, too; they stand around the conference center with signs reading, you guessed it, “free hugs,” and when you accept their offer the hug you receive shows you that they really mean it. It is a tight, warm embrace, from one human being to another. They don’t ask if you are HIV positive, a sex worker or drug user, activist or government official. They just give hugs. From one person to another. The solidarity is astounding.
Tapiwanashe Kujinga
CEPA Partner, PATAM
Day 2 of IAC was a mixture of the good news, bad news and same old speeches, rhetoric and gobbledegook.
For the first time as I can remember at any IAC, a single presentation was oversubscribed with people packing the room to over capacity and spilling out to adjoining venues. The good news of the microbicide developed in South Africa triggered unprecedented applause, you could tell that this is what people want to hear in these conferences and not depressing news on funding cuts. The microbicide reduces the risk of HIV infection by 39%, and up to a maximum of 54% and provides a window of opportunity for further preventive tools.
There was bad news, however. A couple of presentations from Anand Grover and Vuyiseka Dubula highlighted the emerging dangers posed by the so-called free trade agreements between the North and developing countries, as well as the Anti-Counterfeit legislation being proposed in a number of African countries. The effect of the agreements and legislation will be to outlaw generic medicines. Africa and the bulk of the developing world depends on generic drugs, mostly from India, for treatment, and outlawing them will bring us back to the era when ART was for the uber-rich, and not for the masses. If there is anything that African activists ought to rally against, this is it.
On another note, the demonstrations have become a daily feature of the conference, and Eric Goodby, the PEPFAR czar, has borne the brunt. Bill Clinton felt that he deserves a Purple Heart for showing up. The Purple Heart is some decoration for brave military exploits. There is a lot of anger against the decision by the US to flatline PEPFAR and its contribution to the Global Fund. Eric Goosby, however, drew some applause when he announced that US funds can now be used for drug substitution therapy.
Carol Bergman
Deputy Executive Director, GAA
What a beautiful city Vienna is; I just hope I have a little time to explore it while I'm here. When I see road signs to Prague, and the commuter boat on the Danube to Bratislava, I am reminded again of how closely people in this part of the world live to their neighbors in other countries.
One of the best parts of the IAC is running into people -- old friends and colleagues of course. But one of the things I really like is being able to spend time with folks from Washington with whom I work very closely but almost never see. We do so much these days on email and conference calls, and never seem to find the time to actually sit down together. Here - in one place - there is time to have coffee and really talk with colleagues. Though we may be pulled in lots of different directions here, none of us is rushing back to the office.
I also like having the time to get to know our staff in a different way. I rarely take the time to sit and talk over a meal in DC , and learn about the lives my colleagues have outside of work. Having the opportunity to travel and work together always provides an interesting perspective that I welcome.
July 2010 * Vienna, Austria
The fight to end the global scourge of HIV/AIDS must include a commitment to end violence. As with HIV/AIDS, violence is a human rights catastrophe.
Women and children who experience sexual violence are significantly more likely to be exposed to and test positive for HIV/AIDS. Boys who witness or experience violence are more likely to engage in behavior that increases the risk of HIV and are more likely to become perpetrators of violence as adults. Violence is both a cause and consequence of HIV/AIDS.
That is why the Global AIDS Alliance is calling on the global community to end violence by Dec. 31, 2015. We ask all stakeholders – individuals, governments, multilaterals and civil society advocates – to take a leadership position by signing the petition below and joining us in these 7 pillars:
Join the fight. Sign the petition. Read the comprehensive report, “Political Breakthrough: Mobilizing Accelerated Action to End Violence Against Women and Girls by 2015.” Without addressing violence, we will fail to meet the U.N. Millennium Development Goals by year-end 2015.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
JULY 21, 2010
Recent policies and programs on violence against women and girls from three major AIDS donors and normative agencies – UNAIDS, PEPFAR and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria -- are opening up new ways to address global HIV/AIDS. Iconic African musician Yvonne Chaka Chaka called for a massive effort to scale up these comprehensive programs.
“We’ve waited long enough! The time for action is now!” said Yvonne Chaka Chaka, who also serves as the United Nations MDG Envoy for Africa and as an UNICEF Ambassador. “We will fail to reach universal access or achieve the MDGs if we do not eliminate and mitigate the impacts of violence against women and girls.”
Global AIDS Alliance’s new report, Political Breakthrough: Mobilizing Accelerated Action to End Violence Against Women and Girls by 2015, examines important new policies from the three agencies on stopping violence against women and girls. The report highlights the impact these new policies and funding streams are having in addressing HIV/AIDS.
“This political breakthrough provides us a long-awaited beachhead for further action,” said Lisa Schechtman, Policy Director for Global AIDS Alliance. “Donors and normative agencies must continue to show increasing leadership on scaled-up multisectoral violence against women and girls programs, both in context of HIV/AIDS and as a human rights catastrophe in its own right.”
The report highlights progress made, the contributions of civil society, and the importance of political will in tackling violence and HIV/AIDS. It also make recommendations for how PEPFAR, the Global Fund, UNAIDS and global and local civil society must work together to ensure this opportunity is not wasted, but leads to successful, multisectoral and scaled-up lifesaving responses.
Globally, it is estimated that one out of every three women will be beaten, coerced into sex, or otherwise abused over the course of her lifetime. At least one in five women will be raped or experience attempted rape. Nearly 50% of all sexual assaults are committed against girls aged 15 years or younger.
Violence against women and girls is a primary barrier to achieving universal access to HIV/AIDS prevention, care and treatment. Indeed, without addressing violence against women and girls, the multibillion dollar fight against AIDS is sure to fail.
"Violence takes away the ability of women and girls to protect themselves from HIV and to access critical HIV services,” said Dr. Jantine Jacobi, Team Leader, Women, Girls and Gender Equality, and Director, Global Coalition on Women and AIDS, UNAIDS. ‘Violence robs women and girls of their dignity, affecting generations to come".
“Central to the fight against HIV/AIDS is a fight against violence,” said Ntombekhaya Matsha-Carpterntier, Senior Civil Society Officer for the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. “As such violence must be dealt with head on through effective programming and effective funding of those programs. The Global Fund as a major finance engine in fighting HIV/AIDS supports this initiative to put an end to violence.”
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For more information, contact Jove Oliver at +1 646-373-4702 or jove.oliver@gmail.com.
Dr. Paul Zeitz
Executive Director, Global AIDS Alliance
As I sat down to write about my experiences on the first day of this year's International AIDS Conference, I realized I couldn't describe it all better than Tapiwanashe Kujinga, one of GAA's CEPA partners, did in the below email:
Dear all
So the International AIDS Conference roared into life today in Vienna.
The opening ceremony held last evening was filled with drama as hundreds of treatment activists demonstrated and disrupted the opening ceremony. The protests were centered around the funding gap and criminilisation of sex work. Apparently, someone witheld the mike, so there was no speech by the activists. Activists were scathing against Obama, accusing him of lying about increasing funding for HIV. "Obama lies, people die." For a man who was swept into the White House on a massive groundswell of popular support, this must rank as his ultimate anticlimax.
In his opening speech, Julio Montaner, the AIDS 2010 Chair, decried the lack of funding for AIDS. "Leaders can find money to bail out their corporate friends", he said, "yet when it comes to global health, their pockets are empty." The last G8 meeting in Canada was a disappointment, he added, and hoped that the next one, to happen in France, will be more concrete in terms of funding pledges. He also stressed that the vertical approach to treatment and prevention should be discarded. "It is no longer treatment and prevention, but treatment as prevention." The May Lancet report has conclusively proved that this is effective.
In the first plenary today, former US President Bill Clinton took a more placatory approach. The cutbacks in funding, he said, were not dictated by a reversal of Obama's policies, but by the global economic meltdown that occurred just before he took office. He felt that Obama never lied, but that the money pledged was reduced in line with the austerity measures taken after the economic crunch.
As is the case with such conferences, today is filled with numerous parallel sessions, poster presentations, side meetings and what not.
We are still waiting to see whether any really good news will come out of this whole kaleidoscope.
Regards
Tapiwa
Vienna -- A global alliance of international organizations, including the heads of UNICEF, UNAIDS and The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria as well as other NGOs including the Pan African Treatment Access Movement, Health GAP, Ugandan Pediatric Association and the Global AIDS Alliance today agreed to take concerted action to eliminate pediatric HIV/AIDS over the next five years, preventing nearly 400,000 children annually from beginning their lives infected with the virus that causes AIDS.
Every day, almost 1,000 babies are infected with HIV and without diagnosis and treatment, half of these babies will not live to see their second birthdays, said Anthony Lake, UNICEF Executive Director. If we are committed to saving children's lives, we must be committed to the effective elimination of mother to child transmission of HIV.
Currently, in resource poor settings, over 2 million children less than 15 years of age are living with HIV/AIDS around the world. In 2008, less than half of all pregnant HIV positive women received drugs for prevention of parent-to-newborn transmission. By scaling up this intervention, parent-to-newborn transmission could be reduced to fewer than 5%.
In 2009 I called for the virtual elimination of mother to child transmission of HIV. This is the route to eliminating pediatric AIDS, said Mr. Michel Sidib, UNAIDS Executive Director. In addition, children living with HIV must have a secure future and have full access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support services.
Many groups are already working intensively on pediatric AIDS. However, it is essential that the international community overcome bottlenecks and ensure that the necessary resources are available to fund the interventions needed to prevent, treat, and care for children with HIV/AIDS.
The Global Fund is committed to improving the quality of programs to prevent transmission of HIV from mother to child so that no child is born with HIV by 2015 and so that the health of HIV-positive women is prioritized, says Michel Kazatchkine, Executive Director of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. ARV regimens being offered to pregnant women, newborns and families must be optimal and accessible; resources for HIV transmission prevention and pediatric AIDS must be increased and current funding in this area must be used effectively and efficiently. We can reach the goal of an HIV-free generation by 2015, but not unless we continue to invest resources.
A new status report on ending pediatric HIV/AIDS was also released today by the Global AIDS Alliances Campaign to End Pediatric AIDS (CEPA). The report provides evidence of how intensified efforts to reduce pediatric HIV/AIDS globally and in six key countries in sub-Saharan Africa (Kenya, Mozambique, Nigeria, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia) are succeeding.
"Children in Africa are living with this debilitating disease and dying needlesslyand this is both a tragedy and an outrage, said Graa Machel, Chairperson of the CEPA Leadership Council. How can we stand back and watch the suffering of our children when we know that the world has the necessary means -- medical, financial, intellectual-- to end the destruction that is pediatric HIV and AIDS?"
The report highlights how, in the past year, a new approach to HIV/AIDS involving local stakeholders in sub-Saharan African countries has accelerated efforts to overcome bottlenecks to going to scale with pediatric HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment services. Childrens lives can be saved by reaching 80% coverage of comprehensive programs to prevent parent-to-child transmission (PPTCT+) and provide lifesaving HIV/AIDS medicines to children already HIV infected.
Pediatric HIV/AIDS has been virtually eliminated in the global North. The heads of UNICEF, UNAIDS and the Global Fund agreed to take every necessary action--as a collective joint force--to overcome seven critical bottlenecks blocking progress to end pediatric HIV/AIDS by December 31, 2015: Advancing family centered care and nutrition; accelerating early infant diagnosis & treatment; ensuring access to appropriate medicines and commodities; meeting financial requirements; mobilizing political and programmatic action; overcoming human resources crisis; and overcoming stigma and discrimination.
To date, the Agreement has been signed by Mr. Anthony Lake, Executive Director of UNICEF, Mr. Michel Sidib, Executive Director of UNAIDS, and Professor Michel Kazatchkine, Executive Director of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, & Malaria, as well as the following global leaders: Mrs. Graa Machel, Chairperson, Leadership Council, Campaign to End Pediatric HIV/AIDS (CEPA); Ms. Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, Global Ambassador, Born HIV Free Campaign; His Excellency, and Mr. Festus G. Mogae, Founder, Champions for an HIV-Free Generation.
The agency heads are also calling on other global leaders to commit to taking this action.
This announcement was made in conjunction with a press conference at the 18th International AIDS Conference in Vienna. In addition to the heads of UNICEF, UNAIDS, and the Global Fund, the press conference featured Rolake Odetoyinbo, Civil Society Leadership Representative, CEPA Action Team, and Dr. Elly Katabira, President-Elect, International AIDS Society. The next International AIDS Conference will take place in Washington D.C. in July of 2012.
# # #
For more information, contact Jove Oliver at +1 646-373-4702 or jove.oliver@gmail.com or Kate Donovan, UNICEF New York, +43 699 195 405 08 or +1 917 378 2128, kdonovan@unicef.org.
The Campaign to End Pediatric HIV/AIDS (CEPA) is committed to the universal goal of ending pediatric HIV/AIDS by Dec. 31, 2015. But we cannot do it alone. Your help is vital to the efforts of CEPA and the Global AIDS Alliance to scale-up prevention and treatment services for an additional 300,000 children worldwide. Zero new pediatric HIV infections means ending parent-to-child transmission permanently.
To help us get there by year-end 2015, we ask all stakeholders -- individuals, governments, multilaterals and civil society advocates -- to take a leadership position by signing the petition below. You are acknowledging that every child is important, and that all children deserve to live free of HIV. You are acknowledging that the time to seize this opportunity is now, and that we will not let bottlenecks hinder progress to end pediatric HIV/AIDS. You are acknowledging the importance of these 7 core objectives:
To join in the commitment to end pediatric HIV/AIDS by year-end 2015 please visit: http://www.globalaidsalliance.org/page/s/CEPAIAC
The Global AIDS Alliance will release a new report in its Zero Tolerance Campaign to address violence against women and girls and HIV/AIDS. The report, Political Breakthrough: Mobilizing Accelerated Action to End Violence Against Women and Girls by 2015, examines important new policies from three major HIV/AIDS donors and normative agencies, PEPFAR, the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, and UNAIDS, and analyzes and makes recommendations to enable lifesaving opportunities in a new political environment and addresses gaps left unfilled.
The report will highlight progress made, the contributions of civil society, and the importance of political will in tackling violence and HIV/AIDS. It will also make recommendations for how PEPFAR, the Global Fund, UNAIDS and global and local civil society must work together to ensure this opportunity is not wasted, but leads to successful, multisectoral and scaled-up lifesaving responses. Violence against women and girls is a primary barrier to achieving universal access to HIV/AIDS prevention, care and treatment. Indeed, without addressing violence against women and girls, the multibillion dollar fight against AIDS is sure to fail.
WHEN: Tuesday, July 20th at 1 p.m.
WHERE: Press Conference Room 3, International AIDS Conference Media Center
WHO: Yvonne Chaka Chaka, United Nations MDG Envoy for Africa Dr. Sabrina Bakeera-Kitaka, President of the Uganda Pediatric Association
Lisa Schechtman, Policy Director, Global AIDS Alliance
Dr. Jantine Jacobi, Team Leader, Women, Girls and Gender Equality, and Director, Global Coalition on Women and AIDS, UNAIDS
Ntombekhaya Matsha-Carpterntier, Senior Civil Society Officer, The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria
WHAT: Release of the new report Political Breakthrough: Mobilizing Accelerated Action to End Violence Against Women and Girls by 2015 and a panel discussion on the importance of stopping violence against women and girls, and discussion of implications of new policies and funding streams for improved impact on HIV/AIDS.
WHY: Around the world, one in three women will be beaten, raped or coerced into sex, or otherwise abused in her lifetime. Evidence has shown that in the majority of cases the perpetrator is a trusted male relative or member of her community. Violence against women and girls is both a cause and a consequence of HIV/AIDS around the world and, much as HIV requires a multisectoral, multi-stakeholder response, so too does violence against women and girls.
Linda Kasonka
CEPA Country Team
The opening plenary of the Children and HIV: Family Support First Symposium was from 08:30 – 10 :00 in Vienna at the Austria Centre. The moderator Dr Natalia Kanem, president of the ELMA Philanthropies opened the session, welcomed everyone to the important pre aids conference symposium, and gave a brief of the symposium. She then introduced the first speaker Elizabeth Mwenya from the Zambian Network of people Living with HIV and AIDS to speak on behalf of the civil society. In her address Elizabeth gave a moving address of her personal experience as a person living with HIV. She told the audience that she had been living with HIV for close to 11 years and said it has not been an easy journey as she has had to do a lot of learning about the disease. She told the house that through the PPTCT programmes, she had children who are HIV negative. She told the house that she started showing symptoms in 1997 but did not have the courage to go for testing. She said her condition worsened in 1999 during her second pregnancy and the doctors advised her to go for a test and she was diagnosed to HIV positive. She underwent the PPTCT programme and had a child who is HIV negative and 11 years old now.
Elizabeth said she decided to disclose her status to help the many women who were afraid to take the bold step of going for testing and going through the PPTCT programme. She said she got a lot of support through the support group she joined and was able to mobilise a lot of other women and encourage expectant mothers to go for testing and PPTCT for those who required the service. She said the approach used in her area is to encourage both the men and women to go for testing during the antenatal visits. She said her group is involved in a lot of sensitisation through drama, door-to-door, radio etc.
She said the programme has been a success and a lot of individuals have been responding to the power of personal testimonies. As a result more women are accessing PPTCT and fewer babies are dying. She then highlighted the challenges still being faced in rural communities where she came from such as the distance barriers and well as the low literacy levels and the challenges in the infant feeding options. She ended by supporting the family centred approach as the best approach in ending paediatric HIV.
Dr Stefan Germann from the World Vision international then gave opening remarks on behalf of the Autrian first lady who could not attend due to other commitments and then called upon Mr. Michel Sidibe, Executive director of UNAIDs to give the keynote address.
Mr Sidibe welcomed everyone to the meeting and said the gathering was timely and topical. He emphasised that what was important was to achieve universal access. He told the gathering that society needs to build a society where there is no discrimination. He acknowledged that the number of children accessing medication was increasing and the PPTCT as well but said more still needs to be done to ensure zero new infection amongst children and universal access to children infected. Mr Sidibe called for the elimination of paediatric HIV by 2015. He also told the participants that integration was the magic bullet that would be cost effective and bring returns on investment. He called for the continuum of care approach, which is a family centered approach.
He ended by saying that UNAIDS was committed to
• Promoting child oriented programmes
• Assuring access to treatments for children
• Developing new treatment for children
• Strengthening economic base of family and caregiver which is critical to family centred approach.
Left to right Dr Stefan Germann- world Vision international,Dr Natalia Kanem (moderator) President, ELMA Philanthropies,Elizabeth Mwenya Network of Zambian people living with HIV and AIDS and Mr. Michel Sidibe, executive Director UNAIDS
Our awesome CEPA partner and blogger, Linda, giving the CEPA Zambia update during the CEPA Civil society dialogue meeting.
2010 Status Report on Ending Pediatric HIV/AIDS to be Released
The heads of UNICEF, The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, and UNAIDS will issue a call to action to end pediatric HIV/AIDS and agree to take every necessary action— individually and collectively—over the next five years to overcome critical bottlenecks blocking progress. A new status report on ending pediatric HIV/AIDS will be released.
Pediatric HIV/AIDS has been virtually eliminated in the global North. There is no reason this cannot be true globally. Effective treatments and technologies exist, and there are commitments in place at the country, regional, and global levels to prevent pediatric HIV/AIDS, nonetheless, key policy, implementation and funding bottlenecks are threatening progress.
WHEN: Monday, July 19th at 2 p.m.
WHERE: Press Conference Room 2, International AIDS Conference Media Center
WHO: Anthony Lake, Executive Director, UNICEF
Michel Sidibé, Executive Director, UNAIDS
Michel Kazatchkine, Executive Director, The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria
Elly Katabira, President-Elect, International AIDS Society
Rolake Odetoyinbo, Civil Society Leadership Representative, CEPA Action Team
Dr. Paul Zeitz, Global Campaign Strategy Officer, Campaign to End Pediatric HIV/AIDS (Moderator)
WHAT: Unprecedented call to action to end pediatric HIV/AIDS and the release of a new status report on the issue.
WHY: Despite international efforts over the past decade to ramp up programs to combat HIV/AIDS in resource poor settings, more than 400,000 children are born with HIV each year and worldwide there are over 2 million children less than 15 years of age currently living with HIV/AIDS.
Georgina Bukenya
CEPA Global Goordinator
The 2010 international AIDS conference is going to be HOT! Not only because is is HOT in Vienna, but because of the anticipation and interesting hot topics that will be up for discussion. From the energy and commitment of civil society and global leaders to eliminate pediatric HIV/AIDS worldwide, to the up-coming Global Fund Replenishment cycle and the establishment of a Medicines Patent Pool to drive the production and supply of cost-effective, efficacious fixed dose combination HIV/AIDS drugs for children and adults.
But it's not only topics that are up for discussion that make this a HOT International AIDS Conference, but activities that will unite the global health, HIV/AIDS and human rights activists around world on universal access to prevention, treatment and care of HIV/AIDS as a human right. The Human Rights March and Rally is planned for July 20th and various activists including Annie Lenox will participate in this call for renewed commitments to universal access and zero tolerance to new HIV infections.
Yes, this will be a HOT international AIDS conference and civil society is poised for action to engage world leaders to re-prioritize HIV/AIDS. Stay tuned for the victory that awaits us!
Have you ever wondered what happens when HIV/AIDS activists all converge on one place for a week? Now is your chance! GAA has sent most of our staff to Vienna, Austria for the XVIII International AIDS Conference. Our staffers in Vienna will be posting blog updates, tweets and facebooking their experiences at IAC and sharing the inspiration they find on the way. In addition to our staff – some of our Campaign to End Pediatric AIDS (CEPA) partners will be blogging as well. We are also hosting an IAC action Center that will house news articles, events, and pictures from the conference. Come join in the conversation around the 10th International AIDS Conference and get to know the team that is there.
IAC Action Center: http://www.globalaidsalliance.org/page/s/IAC2010
GAA and CEPA Blog Team:
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| Paul Zeitz Executive Director |
Carol Bergman Deputy Executive Director |
Michael Riggs Director of Government Relations |
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| Lisa Schechtman Policy Director |
Georgina Bukenya CEPA Global Coordinator |
Linda Kasonka CEPA Country Team |
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| Gloria Nyamuzuwe CEPA Country Team |
The Campaign to End Pediatric HIV/AIDS (CEPA) is an advocacy campaign that seeks to increase coverage rates for comprehensive prevention of parent-to-child transmission (PPTCT+) and high-quality pediatric treatment services from the current average of 45% to the globally agreed-upon target of 80%. Launched in 2009, CEPA is initially focusing on six sub-Saharan African countries: Kenya, Mozambique, Nigeria, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia.
In conjunction with the XVIII International AIDS Conference in Vienna, Austria, the Campaign to End Pediatric HIV/AIDS has issued two new publications:
Based on input from CEPA's country-level partners, the CEPA Status Report provides a snapshot of pediatric HIV/AIDS globally and in CEPA's initial focus countries. It examines issues that are being prioritized by CEPA, which when reviewed together provide a measure of progress to date and highlight ongoing challenges. In addition, the status report offers specific recommendations for action by a range of stakeholders, including national governments, the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria, the U.S. and other donor governments, and the Coordinated Procurement Planning Program, among others.
The CEPA Status Report highlights concrete progress and bottlenecks to achieving these priority goals:
Download the CEPA Status Report at http://www.globalaidsalliance.org/page/-/PDFs/CEPA_Status_Report_July_2010_FINAL.pdf.
The CEPA Advocacy Toolkit is designed for civil-society organizations or other groups that want to replicate CEPA's approach and undertake advocacy campaigns to end pediatric HIV/AIDS. It provides a step-by-step guide to developing national-level advocacy action plans that reflect a clear focus on achieving well-defined advocacy outcomes, and incorporate systems for monitoring progress and evaluating impact. Among the key steps described in the toolkit are (1) building a national action network; (2) identifying key stakeholders, partners, and targets; (3) conducting a situation analysis; (4) identifying and prioritizing bottlnecks; and (5) and identifying specific advocacy outcomes and outputs, as well as Key Performance Indicators for monitoring progress.
Download the CEPA Advocacy Toolkit at http://www.globalaidsalliance.org/page/-/PDFs/CEPA_Advocacy_Toolkit_July_2010_FINAL.pdf.
Sponsored:
A Plenary Panel Discussion of Children and HIV: Family Support First - Working Together to Achieve Universal Support and Access to Treatment Symposium
Date and Time: Friday July 16th 3:30-5:00pm
Location: The Austria Center (note: requires registration to Symposium to attend)
Speakers: Ms. Georgina Bukenya, Global Coordinator, Campaign to End Pediatric HIV/AIDS (CEPA), Global AIDS Alliance; Ms. Morolake Odetoyinbo, Project Director, Positive Action for Treatment Access, Nigeria; and Ambassador Jimmy Kolker, Chief, HIV & AIDS, UNICEF Headquarters. Moderated by Dr. Sabrina Kitaka, Mulago Hospital/Makerere University Medical School and Uganda Pediatric Association. With video address by Ms. Graça Machel, President of the Foundation for Community Development and Chair, Leadership Council of the Campaign to End Pediatric HIV/AIDS
Session overview: This session will stimulate a lively discussion that will challenge stakeholders to generate practical solutions to overcome existing bottlenecks to scaling up prevention, treatment and care of pediatric HIV/AIDS with the aim of eliminating vertical transmission. The discussion will be moderated by CEPA network partner Dr. Bakeera-Kitaka and will feature Ms Rolake Odetoyinbo from Nigeria and Mr. Jimmy Kolker of UNICEF.
Date and Time: Thursday July 22, 2:45-4:00pm
Location: Women’s Networking Zone, Global Village
Co-sponsors: Advocates for Youth, Global Action for Children & Global AIDS Alliance
Speakers: Mr. Ken Odumbe, ActionAid International Regional HIV&AIDS Coordinator, Kenya; Ms. Tina Musuya, Executive Director, Center for Domestic Violence Prevention; and Mr. Jaevion Nelson, Jamaica Youth Advocacy Network (JYAN)
Session overview: School-related violence (SRV) undermines efforts to achieve gender parity and universal primary education, to eliminate discrimination and violence against lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, and transgender (LGBT) youth, and to reverse the spread of HIV/AIDS by 2015. SRV itself increases vulnerability to HIV, and is often cited as a leading cause of school drop-out. Though SRV affects millions of children, especially girls, worldwide each year, comprehensive programs to counter, prevent, and respond to such violence are largely absent from both national education plans and the international community’s funding priorities. HIV/AIDS, violence, and lack of educational opportunities are part of a vicious cycle. In this interactive session, various stakeholders will share testimonies of SRV and programs designed to respond, and we will discuss strategies for a collective way forward.
Other Events:
Also appears on the Huffington Post at http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-paul-zeitz/fathers-can-stop-violence_b_617431.html
Dr. Paul Zeitz
This weekend I, like many other fathers in this country, had the joy of celebrating Father's Day with my family. As Dad to five sons, I take special pleasure in helping them to become positive forces in the world. One of the things I have tried to teach them--through my behavior, my words, and my work--is that we men have a role to play in the empowerment of women and girls. Gendered power dynamics contribute to so many of the world's ills, from HIV/AIDS to poverty, from lack of access to health services to poor quality education. But one of the worst manifestations of gender norms is also a consistent barrier to our multibillion dollar efforts to address these other human rights challenges: violence against women and girls.
Around the world, one in three women will be beaten, raped or coerced into sex, or otherwise abused in her lifetime. In the vast majority of these cases, the perpetrator is a man known to the woman or girl. To my great sadness, this perpetrator is often her father, or another trusted male relative. As a father, I feel it is my responsibility to model for my sons how we can help reduce the negative impacts of gender norms. As a human rights activist focused on the global HIV/AIDS pandemic, I know it is my duty to advocate for policies around the world that help ensure safety for women and girls, so they can be healthy, educated, productive members of their families and communities. This is why my organization, the Global AIDS Alliance, and I are supporting the International Violence Against Women Act (I-VAWA), currently making its way through both chambers of Congress with bipartisan support.
Violence against women and girls is both a cause and a consequence of HIV/AIDS, in this country and everywhere. It is a cause because violence or the fear of violence can prevent women from negotiating safe sex, from asking if her partner knows his HIV status or has other sexual partners, from seeking HIV testing, returning for her results, or taking antiretroviral treatment to slow the progression of the disease. Studies have found that men who are violent toward their intimate partners are more likely to have multiple sexual partners at the same time, a major risk factor for the spread of HIV; and that women who have been abused are more likely to use condoms inconsistently than women who have not experienced violence.
Violence is a consequence of HIV for many reasons, too. For example, women living with HIV often experience stigma; stigma may lead to violence, which can prevent women from seeking services they need to stay alive out of fear that it will make their HIV status more apparent and expose them to further risk. Ultimately, research tells us that women living with HIV experience more violence in their lifetimes than HIV-negative women, and women who have experienced violence may be up to three times more likely to acquire HIV than women who have not.
Three of the key champions of the International Violence Against Women Act--Senator John Kerry (D-MA), Representative Bill Delahunt (D-MA) and Representative Ted Poe (R-TX)--are also fathers who recognize how essential male partnership is in ending violence against women and girls. While I-VAWA will support engagement of men and boys in creating gender equality and making the world safer for women and girls, it will make many other improvements to U.S. international development and global health programs, as well.
I-VAWA will build off U.S. leadership on HIV by ensuring that we are also addressing violence, both as it relates to HIV and as a human rights violation and barrier to U.S. foreign policy goals in its own right. Much as HIV/AIDS requires a comprehensive response, so too does violence against women and girls. So I-VAWA will mandate the creation of a comprehensive multisectoral strategy in a set of focus countries, where programs will be supported to reform the health, legal, and education sectors, increase women's economic opportunity, and change social norms that enable violence against women and girls to continue. Improved coordination across the Department of State, USAID and other U.S. agencies implementing overseas programs, and increased attention to the role of sexual violence in armed conflict and humanitarian crisis situations are also on the I-VAWA agenda. I-VAWA will increase the efficiency and efficacy of our foreign assistance dollars, and make the world a better place for everyone--men and women, boys and girls.
This Father's Day I was reminded yet again how fortunate I am to have such a wonderful family--and how important it is that I take that opportunity to make the world a more just, healthy, and peaceful place. By working to address the twin pandemics of HIV/AIDS and violence against women and girls, I know I am taking a step in the right direction. I encourage you--whether or not you are a father too--to urge your Members of Congress to co-sponsor I-VAWA and pass it swiftly. The best gift this father could get is a safer world for this generation and the next.
Follow Dr. Paul Zeitz on Twitter: www.twitter.com/@paulzeitz
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In April 2010, the Global AIDS Alliance (GAA) board of directors approved moving forward with establishing a new Global Peace Action Network (GPAN) that will catalyze the creation of innovative "campaign networks" that can respond to complex, interrelated global challenges. Utilizing a strategic political advocacy model that builds on the lessons learned from GAA's decade of experience in shaping policy and funding on global HIV/AIDS and related issues, GPAN will focus on holding donors and country-level decision-makers and implementers accountable for achieving measurable results
or people-level impacts that reflect local priorities and needs. GPAN's initial partnerships focus on
(1) advancing global climate stabilization and food security, and (2) preventing and mitigating the impact of mass atrocities and genocide.
Reporting to GAA's Executive Director-and in collaboration with GAA's Deputy Executive Director of Management and Development Director-the Senior Development Consultant will spearhead fundraising efforts to support GPAN's growth.
Position Overview
The Senior Development Consultant is responsible for helping to attract significant foundation grants, and for the design of new strategies to ensure sustained support for a growing portfolio of GPAN initiatives. We are seeking an entrepreneurial, results-oriented, mission-driven development professional with a demonstrated track record of accomplishment.
Duties and Responsibilities
Develop, implement, and participate in all aspects of the fundraising process, including strategy and case statement development; prospect research and identification; donor engagement and cultivation; gift solicitation; proposal development, submission, and tracking; and design and implementation of a relationship management system for institutional and outcomes-based reporting.
Expand GPAN's foundation and corporate funding sources by developing and executing a comprehensive and effective identification, qualification, cultivation, and stewardship process to solidify donor relationships in order to secure multi-year awards.
In partnership with the Executive Director, senior staff, and board members, define annual and
multi-¬year fundraising strategies as part of GPAN's current three-year strategic planning process.
Serve as a persuasive advocate for GPAN with a variety of constituents.
Qualifications
Bachelor's degree required. Advanced degree preferred with significant achievement and demonstrated success in the not-for-profit or private sector and experience working in a fast-paced, dynamic, and entrepreneurial environment.
A strong strategic thinker with abundant energy, creativity, intellectual curiosity, and passion.
Superior written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills.
Excellent organizational and time management, including the ability to manage multiple projects and meet deadlines.
Ability to build, cultivate, and leverage personal and professional networks; develop and deliver successful presentations; and collaborate, negotiate, and solicit effectively.
A team player with a passion for GPAN's mission and vision.
How to Apply
Qualified applicants should send a current resume, salary history, and one-page letter describing your track record of accomplishment to jobopenings@globalaidsalliance.org. No calls please.
The Senate Appropriations Committee will soon decide how much funding to allocate to International Affairs programs. They can choose to follow the Budget Committee's misguided recommendation, or they can fully fund these vital programs at $58.5 billion. That's just 1.4 percent of the total federal budget. If the International Affairs budget is cut, critical global health, basic education, microcredit and other anti-poverty programs may suffer. This funding is critical for our shared prosperity and security.
A bipartisan group of senators have initiated a new sign-on letter to assure that International Affairs is fully funded. The deadline for this letter will come quickly, so write your senators today and ask them to sign this letter to the leadership of the Appropriations Committee.
In order to fulfill our commitment to the world, the US must fully fund both our fair share of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria and PEPFAR. Both these programs save millions of lives every year and literally, people cannot live without them. Clinics have already begun to wait list people as funds run out.
Email your Senators now in support of full funding.
It is critical that we provide life-saving medicines, family planning services and educational opportunities to people around the world. This is not possible without our financial commitment. Full funding is essential for the success of our global health programming because without these much needed funds even more people will die unnecessarily.
GAA is looking for a committed, hard-working intern to support our Campaign to End Pediatric HIV/AIDS (CEPA); a dynamic advocacy campaign to scale up prevention, treatment, and care of pediatric HIV/AIDS in six focus countries in Africa: Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Zambia, Nigeria, Mozambique.
The CEPA intern will serve primarily as a research assistant, and will carry out the following activities:
The ideal candidate will:
Be familiar with international HIV/AIDS, child and maternal health (particularly in Africa); have experience in conducting literature reviews; have strong writing, research, and analytic skills; ability to work independently and with flexibility, a self-starter who can work with minimum supervision. Background in policy advocacy and knowledge of Microsoft Office applications essential.
GAA is unable to offer a stipend to interns. Internship is 15-20 hours per week.
To apply, please email your resume and a brief writing sample to Stephanie Asare at sasare@globalaidsalliance.org, along with a cover letter explaining why you're interested in global HIV/AIDS and what you feel you could contribute to the CEPA team.
Please note the Global AIDS Alliance is no longer accepting applications for Summer 2010 internships.
GAA is looking for a committed, hard-working intern to support our policy team. Policy Interns conduct research in support of GAA's policy analysis and advocacy, media and public education, grassroots organizing, and coalition-building activities. Interns assist with a range of activities, including:
The ideal candidate will have strong writing, editing and analytic skills, as well as experience conducting internet research. Background in policy advocacy, grassroots organizing, or media relations is preferred. Knowledge of Microsoft Office applications is essential.
GAA is unable to offer a stipend to interns. Internship is 15-20 hours per week.
To apply, please email your resume and a brief writing sample to Stefanie Ostfeld at sostfeld@globalaidsalliance.org, along with a cover letter explaining why you're interested in global HIV/AIDS and what you feel you could contribute to GAA's team.
The Global AIDS Alliance is no longer accepting applications for Summer 2010 internships.
The Global AIDS Alliance, a small non-governmental organization focused on US and global advocacy to reverse the spread of HIV/AIDS around the world is looking for a committed hard-working intern to support and expand GAA's grassroots presence in the US. The grassroots intern will participate in a wide scope of activities such as:
Strong community organizing, internet research and organizational skills are a must. Background in community, internet, political or advocacy organizing or media relations a plus. Working knowledge of MS Word and Excel required.
GAA is unable to offer a stipend to interns. Internship is at least 15-20 hours per week.
To apply for an internship with the Global AIDS Alliance, please email your resume and a brief writing sample, along with a cover letter explaining why you're interested in global HIV/AIDS and what you feel you could contribute to GAA's team.
GAA's core priorities are to (1) achieve universal access to HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment, and care; (2) advance children's well-being, with a focus on prevention and treatment of pediatric HIV/AIDS, accelerating universal basic education, and ensuring comprehensive care and support for orphans and vulnerable children; (3) advance women's equality, with a focus on integrating sexual and reproductive health and HIV services and preventing violence against women; and (4) secure increased financial resources and ensure they are utilized to maximize on-the-ground results for people affected by HIV/AIDS and at risk of HIV infection. To learn more, please visit our website at www.globalaidsalliance.org.
Position Summary: The Director of Strategic Communications will lead the development and implementation of GAA's strategy for effective communication to the media, allied organizations, GAA supporters, and the general public in order to advance policy change and organizational branding. In collaboration with Advocacy and Policy staff, the Director will monitor the external environment for developments on global AIDS, poverty, and related issues, and be responsible for shaping and delivering GAA's message to take advantage of opportunities and respond to challenges.
Duties and Responsibilities:
Public Relations
• Daily review of news coverage of AIDS and related issues; monitor policy developments.
• Pro-active media engagement via pitch calls to reporters and bookers, e.g., organize press conferences and media conference calls; brief editorial writers and columnists; respond to media inquiries and requests for interviews; represent GAA in media interviews; select and prep other staff as needed.
• Write op-eds and letters to the editor and solicit same from outside experts.
• Write and issue press releases; work with Policy staff to create issue briefings and backgrounders.
• Supervise Communications staff; convene weekly planning meetings and ensure full coordination with Advocacy and Policy staff.
• Edit action alerts, activist toolkits, online content, and other messages to grassroots supporters as needed.
• Collaborate with allied organizations and seek out new opportunities for movement building and partnerships.
• Collaborate with Development staff to ensure that GAA's newsletters, brochures, and other print publications are accurate and foster grassroots engagement.
• Identify speaking opportunities for GAA staff.
New Media
• Draft, post, and update website stories, blog posts, and other online content.
• Assist in developing effective e-communications and managing new media campaigns.
• Create and write content for online social media platforms (e.g., blogs, Facebook, Twitter), tagging and titling content with an understanding of the impact on search traffic and rankings.
• Manage Facebook and Twitter interactivity with followers (e.g., updates, responses, monitoring).
• Strategize with and educate the management team and other staff about incorporating relevant social media techniques into GAA's culture.
• Enliven online content with appropriate images, video files, audio files, and other interactive, rich media features.
• Design and implement strategies to build a global network of advocates using innovative electronic tools.
• Design and implement online campaigns using a broad range of new and old media tools.
Web Design and Infrastructure
• Oversee the redesign of GAA's current website, with a focus on enhancing interactive and social marketing functionality.
• Work closely with program staff to ensure that GAA's sites are updated, dynamic, and user-friendly and conform to standards of usability and accessibility.
• Understand the interworkings of web 2.0 information sharing across site and platforms, including APIs, cross-postings, mashups, RSS, etc.
• Stay up-to-date on new technologies and opportunities that can benefit GAA
CEPA Network Communications
• Develop and launch the CEPA (Campaign to End Pediatric HIV/AIDS) online platform as part of GAA's redesigned website.
• Work with CEPA Communications Working Group to drive CEPA's communications strategy.
Tracking Online Presence
• Monitor and report on the social media activity of GAA-related projects.
• Manage and track link-building campaigns on popular relevant blogs and sharing sites like YouTube and Flickr by adding comments and links.
• Create and update reports that analyze campaigns and translate data into recommendations for revising the social media strategy.
• Develop and implement processes for analyzing site traffic and evaluating site effectiveness.
Qualifications:
• Bachelor's degree required; advanced degree preferred.
• Three years experience in media and communications required; experience working with an advocacy organization preferred.
• Outstanding verbal and written communication skills.
• Ability to work on multiple projects and meet deadlines.
• Strong track record as a team-builder.
• Ability to work independently, in a team, and in partnership with other organizations.
• Knowledge of HIV/AIDS and/or related global health and development issues preferred.
• Willingness to travel within the US and overseas.
• Strong interpersonal skills, flexibility and a sense of humor.
• A demonstrated commitment to social change and political activism.
Salary and Benefits: Competitive salary and benefits package commensurate with experience.
How to Apply: Qualified candidates should send a current resume and a one-page cover letter via email to jobopenings@globalaidsalliance.org or via fax to 202-789-0715. No calls, please.
The Global AIDS Alliance seeks to build and advance a broad coalition of voices in order to mobilize a comprehensive and compassionate response to the global AIDS crisis. Women, minorities, and people who are HIV-positive are encouraged to apply.
The Global AIDS Alliance is currently seeking a Budget Manager to join our growing team.
Duties and Responsibilities:
Budget Management
Grants Accounting & Management
General
Qualifications
Salary and Benefits: Competitive salary and benefits package commensurate with experience.
How to Apply: Qualified candidates should send a current resume, one-page cover letter addressing experience, and salary requirements via email to jobopenings@GlobalAidsAlliance.org with the subject line Budget Manager or via fax to +202-789-0715. Applications will be accepted until the position has been filled. No calls, please. EOE M/F/D/V More information on Global AIDS Alliance can be found at www.globalaidsalliance.org.
In 2009, GAA, along with regional and national partners in sub-Saharan Africa -- launched the Campaign to End Pediatric HIV/AIDS (CEPA). The Campaign to End Pediatric HIV/AIDS (CEPA) seeks to increase coverage rates for prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) and pediatric treatment to the globally agreed-upon target of 80% and ensure high-quality services. The campaign will work to expand and activate in-country advocacy networks that can help catalyze reforms at the national and global levels; hold governments and other decision-makers accountable for tangible progress toward their commitments; and overcome key policy and implementation bottlenecks to scaling up pediatric prevention, treatment, and care. The expected outcomes are improved program delivery results and increased impact of ongoing investments from international donors and national governments. CEPA will focus on six high-burden countries in sub-Saharan Africa where large-scale PMTCT and pediatric HIV/AIDS programs are being implemented: Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Nigeria, and Mozambique.
We are currently seeking an Africa Coordinator for the Campaign to End Pediatric AIDS (CEPA) to join our growing team. The CEPA Africa Coordinator is a new position designed to help support our network's efforts on the ground. The position entails leadership responsibilities for organizing multiple partners across several African countries to achieve a series of campaign results over the next three years and includes oversight of media relations, performance measurement and other aspects of campaign management. The CEPA Africa Coordinator is part of the CEPA management team, reports to GAA's Executive Director based in Washington D.C. and supports the work of several consultants. The position is based in Africa and the location is negotiable.
Duties and Responsibilities:
Qualifications:
How to Apply: Qualified candidates should send a current resume and one-page cover letter addressing past advocacy work via email to CEPA_Coordinator@globalaidsalliance.org with the subject line CEPA Coordinator or via fax to +202-789-0715. Applications will be accepted until the position has been filled. No calls, please. EOE M/F/D/V More information on Global AIDS Alliance and the CEPA Campaign can be found at www.globalaidsalliance.org.
Obama Administration Step to Improve Policy in Global Fight HIV/AIDS, TB and Malaria
April 30, 2010 - Washington, DC - The Global AIDS Alliance (GAA) applauded the decision of the Board of Directors meeting of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, in Geneva, Switzerland, as the Board decided not to impose an arbitrary cap on funding and to immediate launch the 10th Round of funding for countries in urgent need of additional resources on May 20. This decision allows the Global Fund to maintain its commitment to countries requesting support for their fights against HIV/AIDS, TB and malaria and to continue leveraging successes in halting and reversing the spread of the three diseases and contributions to maternal and child health.
"We're glad to see the Obama administration's shift in policy as they stop pushing for funding caps and ultimately support the launch of Round 10," said Dr. Paul Zeitz, Executive Director of the Global AIDS Alliance and member of the Developed Country NGO Delegation to the Global Fund Board. "For our security and that of our global neighbors, we cannot allow people and communities to suffer because lifesaving medications are limited to the few."
Continued Zeitz, "We see this as a possible sign that the U.S. will reconsider recent policy decisions and we look forward to seeing this commitment further demonstrated in a U.S. fair share of 2 billion dollars in fiscal year 2011 appropriations in support of the Voluntary Replenishment of the Global Fund occurring later this year. Each dollar the Obama Administration provides can leverage an additional two dollars from other donors, as U.S. law requires that the U.S. provide no more than one-third of total annual contributions to the Global Fund."
Earlier this week, GAA and HealthGAP called on donor governments to clarify publicly that they do not endorse a funding ceiling. They warned that the establishment of a ceiling would deny lifesaving services to those facing HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria, and would represent a fundamental shift in the principles of the Global Fund that risks reversing the important gains made fighting these diseases that have been led, in large part, by the United States. Had a ceiling been imposed, donor countries would have been breaking their commitments to attain universal access to AIDS treatment, a commitment made at the 2005 G8 Summit and the United Nations. According to UNAIDS, less than one-third of those who currently need emergency HIV treatment receive it.
"Today's decision preserves the Global Fund's innovative demand-driven model, which matches donor resources with developing countries' ambition in expanding access to life-saving health services," said Dr. Zeitz. "Importantly, it also enables countries to make increased headway on all the health Millennium Development Goals, by ensuring there are sufficient funding opportunities to maximize synergies between maternal and child health and AIDS, TB and malaria."
The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria has paid for two-thirds of the people who are currently receiving HIV/AIDS treatment. Additionally, the Global Fund provides essential support for Millennium Development Goals #4 (child survival) and #5 (maternal health), which are integral to the success of the Global Fund's efforts. The Global Fund will hold its replenishment pledging conference in October 2010, and requires a minimum of US $20 billion in pledges for 2011-2013 in order to ensure universal access to critical lifesaving programs.
"The Global AIDS Alliance is horrified by the decision to cut $4 billion from President Obama's FY 2011 International Affairs Budget request. This announcement by Senate Budget Committee Chairman Conrad threatens the progress that the U.S. has made in fighting HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria, while simultaneously threatening our best weapons for promoting national security.
"Just last month, Dr. Peter Mugyenyi, a leader in the HIV/AIDS research community who was instrumental in the implementation of one of the largest PEPFAR funded programs in Uganda testified to the Congress about how he is already turning away patients from clinics in Uganda and how the present FY 2011 budget would effectively flatfund HIV/AIDS treatment and prevention programs. Said Dr. Mugyenyi, ‘Currently, my institution, which pioneered antiretroviral therapy in Africa and treats a large proportion of AIDS patients in Uganda, is not taking new patients due to lack of funding. We are forced to turn away desperate patients daily-often 15 to 20. And most of those who come to us will have been turned away from a number of other clinics.'
"The Obama FY 2011 budget already flatfunds U.S. global health commitments and GAA continues to call on Congress to protect U.S. international global health commitments. We cannot turn flatfunding of essential HIV/AIDS, TB and malaria programs to flatlining the lives of patients suffering from these diseases, their families and their communities.
"It's not only the moral thing to do, but global health programs are an essential component to U.S. security strategy. The U.S. Global Leadership Coalition raised the fact that this 7% cut is the only cut to the entire discretionary budget and this would ‘neglect vital components of our national security.' Ensuring that global health programs are fully funded and that "Development" becomes an equal partner -- alongside "Defense" and "Diplomacy" - will go a long way towards improving people's lives overseas and increasing national security at home.
"Fully funding foreign development assistance is critical to this changing role; and crucial to national security."
April 21, 2010 - Washington, DC - The Global AIDS Alliance (GAA) thanks Congresswoman Nita Lowey (D-NY) on her leadership in introducing the "Education for All Act of 2010" which promotes a Global Fund for Education. GAA calls for swift passage of the legislation.
"Rep. Lowey is providing the Congressional leadership necessary to expand access and quality of education for children around the world," said Dr. Paul Zeitz, Executive Director of GAA. "Education is a key in the global fight against HIV/AIDS and is a cost effective prevention strategy."
If every child received a complete primary education, 700,000 cases of HIV could be prevented each year. When girls are in school, the onset of sexual activity and marriage is often delayed, giving them better life skills and more confidence to say no to sexual activity. Education is also critical in mitigating the impact of the pandemic on orphans and vulnerable children.
Continued Zeitz, "If we can't provide all children with a basic education so they can reach their potential, we are squandering the billions of dollars that the U.S. has invested towards international development. Education is foundational to alleviating poverty and achieving all of the Millennium Development Goals."
The Lowey bill calls for assistance to expand access to school, improve education quality, reach marginalized and vulnerable children, and build country ownership and capacity to create and implement their national education plans. It also urges the U.S. to support initiatives like the Global Fund for Education.
"It is our moral obligation to give every child the very best education possible," said Most Rev. Desmond Tutu, an honorary chairman of the Global AIDS Alliance in today's Huffington Post. "We must be willing to do more than talk and put universal education on the fast track to break the cycle of illiteracy and poverty running rampant in regions around the world."
During his campaign, President Obama committed to establish a Global Fund for Education with at least $2 billion. But under present U.S. law, all funding goes through bilateral channels. The Lowey legislation would allow the U.S. to support multilateral international education initiatives, such as a Global Fund for Education.
The Global AIDS Alliance is a founding member of the U.S. Chapter of the Global Campaign for Education and is committed to the creation of a Global Fund for Education.
Imagine being 8 years old and getting ready for school. Instead of that iconic long yellow bus pulling up to your neighborhood and taking you to a building filled with teachers, books, cafeterias and chalkboards; you have to walk several miles to sit in a room without enough books and with ill-trained teachers, while fearing violence on your trek to and from school and in the school yard. Unfortunately the second scenario is reality for millions of children worldwide.
Join Representative Nita Lowey (D-NY) in saying this is not acceptable.
Education is a basic human right. Right now, 72 million primary-aged children are not in school and millions more will drop out before grade five because schools are overcrowded, unsafe, poorly equipped, poorly managed and have inadequately trained teachers. According to UNESCO, if current trends continue, 56 million children will still be out of school in 2015. None of these children will be equipped to survive in the 21st century without a quality basic education. We are setting our future up to fail.
Let's give these kids a chance and support the Education for All Act.
This morning Representative Nita Lowey introduced the Education for All Act. The bill seeks to call on the U.S. to provide resources and leadership to ensure a successful international effort to provide all children with a quality basic education. It calls for assistance to expand access to school, improve education quality, reach marginalized and vulnerable children, and urges the U.S. to support initiatives like the Global Fund for Education.
Tell your Congressperson you support the Education for All Act.
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The White House and Congress should embrace a financial speculation tax, an idea whose time has come because it would help curb excessive speculation and raise billions of dollars for critical needs, a diverse array of groups said at a press conference today, Tax Day.
The groups - which included Wall Street and economic experts, labor leaders, and consumer, development and global health advocates - called on President Barack Obama and Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner to support the financial speculation tax, and on Congress to move swiftly to enact it.
"Wall Street should pay to clean up the economic mess they made - that's why the AFL-CIO and the global labor movement support a financial speculation tax that encourages long term investment that creates jobs," said Damon Silvers, director of policy and special counsel for the AFL-CIO.
Added John Fullerton, a former managing director at JPMorgan, who also spoke at the press conference, "Short-termism is now widely recognized as a core illness in our financial system. The financial transactions tax is not a cure all for this or any disease, but at the margin it will shift capital allocation away from short-term speculative activities toward longer-term investment while improving system resilience and raising much needed revenue in the process."
U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) said that "At a time when the deficit is rising, we must find ways to reduce the debt without putting a heavy burden on average Americans or cutting necessary services. A small transaction tax can raise substantial funds with virtually no effect on middle-class families. And it has the added effect of dampening down overly speculative trading, which is partially to blame for the recent economic crash."
A financial speculation tax, also known as a financial transactions tax, is a very small levy on financial short-term transactions. It would curb excessive speculation by big banks, but with minimal impact on long-term investors. It also would raise an estimated $100 billion a year for creating jobs, important public investments like rebuilding our nation's crumbling infrastructure, providing global health and development aid, and mitigating the impact of climate change. Other countries have a form of the tax, and the U.S. had it until the mid-1960s.
"It makes sense to tax what we don't like," said Robert Weissman, president of Public Citizen. "A speculation tax promises to slow the dangerous churning on Wall Street, pare down an oversized financial sector and raise $100 billion annually in a very progressive fashion. That's a winning formula, and why a speculation tax is likely to become the law of the land, despite intense Wall Street opposition."
"Greed and negligence led to a deep economic recession that thrust 100 million people around the world into absolute poverty," said Raymond C. Offenheiser, president of Oxfam America. "The financial speculation tax would not only help prevent the next crisis, but also help raise much needed funds to help pick up the pieces of the millions of people around the world who suffered the consequences and invest in the resiliency of communities on the front lines of climate change."
Added Paul Zeitz, executive director of the Global AIDS Alliance, "In countries hardest hit by poverty and disease, especially in Africa, many rely on the public health sector for health care. But, the economic crisis has put access to these services in jeopardy. In addition to
fighting for full funding of U.S. government global health commitments, we must also look to innovative financing mechanisms, like a financial speculation tax, to help continue providing life-saving medicines to treat the growing impacts HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria and expand access to treatment of long neglected diseases."
Momentum for enacting a financial speculation tax is already strong in Europe. It will be on the agenda at G20 finance ministers' meeting in Washington, D.C., on April 23 and the G20 leaders' meeting in Canada in June.
"The reckless behavior of a severely bloated financial sector has given us the worst economic downturn in 70 years," said Dean Baker, co-director of the Center for Economic and Policy Research. "A tax on financial speculation would raise close to $100 billion a year, while downsizing the financial sector and restoring it to its proper role in the economy, which will help ensure that this sort of calamity does not happen again."
Added Sarita Gupta, executive director of Jobs with Justice, "Jobs with Justice will be in the streets today in over 40 cities demanding that Congress tax Wall Street to pay for jobs. Wall Street bankers recklessly gambled away our economy, and they should be made to pay for recovery programs like the Local Jobs for America Act."
