AFPPD Parliamentarians Meeting on HIV/AIDS Legislation

Thailand: In cooperation with the UNAIDS Regional Support Team for Asia and the
Pacific, AFPPD will bring together 30 parliamentarians from Indo-China
sub-region and other ASEAN countries to discuss HIV/AIDS Legislations and look
for ways to improve them.

This focus group of parliamentarians will underscore the importance of creating
an enabling environment through legislative and policy action at the country
level.

This will be done through a review of existing laws, anti-discriminatory
measures taken to protect infected and affected population both in private and
public sectors and identifying the provisions which prejudice the vulnerable
population.

In this focus group, parliamentarians will examine how to best protect the
rights of PLWHA and vulnerable groups and address their diverse needs. The Focus
Group will also involve NGO representatives and will draw on the expertise of
UNAIDS and
  other UN agency staff. The focus group will be held in Bangkok Thailand during
21-22 April 2012.

___________________________
http://www.afppd-populationpolicies.org/

HIV/AIDS in South Africa

Reviewed by Joe Thomas
UNAIDS's Technical Support Facility for South Asia (TSF SA), Nepal

Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health
Volume 36, Issue 2, page 197,April 2012

HIV/AIDS in South Africa
By Salim Karim and Quarraisha Karim . Published by Cambridge University Press ,
Cape Town , South Africa , September 2005 , Paperback , 590 pages , plus index ,
ISBN 9780521147934 , RRP $165.95

This edited volume covers almost all aspects of HIV and AIDS in southern Africa.
It has been written by a highly-respected team of South African HIV experts,
mostly in the field of biomedical sciences, and provides a thoroughly researched
account of the epidemic in the region. The book comprises seven sections and 35
articles, the first of which covers the numbers behind the epidemic; both in
terms of evolution and in the current state. Sections following this include:
the science of the virus, its structure, diagnosis and spread; HIV risk factors
and prevention strategies, focal population groups and the impact of AIDS in all
aspects of South African life. The final sections examine treatment of AIDS, the
politics of AIDS, mathematical modelling and a discussion on the future of HIV
and AIDS in South Africa.

Nelson Mandela's forward to this book is fitting. He hopes and trusts this book
is a `call to action'.

This well-edited book should be read by HIV and AIDS policy makers, activists,
academics, public health administrators and students who want to understand more
about biomedical response to the HIV and AIDS pandemic in South Africa. This
book may also be of interest for Australians involved in international health
and development issues in general and particularly working on development issues
in Africa. Although this book does not challenge or break new grounds of our
knowledge about HIV and AIDS in South Africa, this is a timely and much-needed
resource which brings a vast array of knowledge together, covering most of the
critical issues in one edition.

The language and the information presented is more or less accurate and
sensitive to the unique circumstance of HIV and AIDS. However, the authors
should have been aware of some of the contemporary usage of terms. For instance,
Chapter 14 of the book has been titled `Intravenous Drug Use'. Instead of using
this word, the chapter author could have used the words `Injecting Drug Use', or
simply `People who Inject Drugs'. For some reason, the 2nd edition of this book
omitted Chapter 33 of the first edition, `A litany of errors post 1994' by
Nawaal Deane.

To become a definitive textbook for all aspects of HIV and AIDS in South Africa,
as claimed by the publisher, the editors should have added additional chapters
on social determinants of HIV infection and social, political and structural
response to HIV infection in South Africa. While the introductory chapter made
an effort to describe "South Africa's response to AIDS epidemic", it lost the
analytical rigor as it was attempted to be written from a biomedical
perspective.

AIDS response is increasingly analysed as a transnational social movement, based
on the premise of health and access to treatment – which are basic human rights.
South African HIV and AIDS activists have contributed significantly to this
movement.

Similarly, while Section Three attempts to address `HIV risk factors and
prevention strategies' and to cover `HIV vulnerability', the authors are
preoccupied with individual risk behaviours rather than looking into deeper
aspects of structurally derived vulnerability of people who are infected,
affected and likely to be affected by HIV/AIDS.

Section Four attempts to develop a discussion on `focal groups for understanding
HIV epidemic', covering heterosexual transmission, young people, female sex
workers and migrant population, however, the absent discussion of HIV infection
among men who are having sex with men is conspicuous.

A comprehensive discussion on HIV epidemic in South Africa needs a detailed
analysis on the HIV and AIDS policies, legal, structural and political dimension
of the epidemic, preferably analysed and contributed by authors with backgrounds
in the social sciences and public health.

South Africa has a complex `law and order' problem and an entrenched epidemic of
HIV. Therefore, this book could also have explored this interaction, the
interdisciplinary insights on the connections between law and order, human
security and the HIV epidemic. An analysis of gender and rights perspective is
yet another critical omission.
South Africa has made great strides in the response to HIV epidemic; however,
there are numerous challenges to addressing operational obstacles and fully
implementing proven strategies. Therefore, a chapter on facing the programmatic
(technical support/capacity development) challenges created by the HIV/AIDS
epidemic in South Africa would have been appropriate to include.

Overall, this book is a valuable and timely contribution to a growing body of
scholarship in the clinical, epidemiological and social contexts of AIDS
response in South Africa. If the editors could incorporate a section on social
determinants and social context of AIDS response in South Africa in the next
edition, the book would provide a more comprehensive understanding about HIV
pandemic and the response to contain this pandemic in South Africa and across
the globe.

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1753-6405.2012.00861.x/full

Press Release:

Dr. Joe Thomas is appointed as the new Executive Director of Partners in
Population and Development (PPD)

19th April 2012, Dhaka: Partners in Population and Development (PPD)  announces
the appointment of its new Executive Director, Dr. Joe Thomas.

Partners in Population and Development (PPD), an inter-governmental organization
comprised of 25 developing countries, is pleased to announce the appointment of
its new Executive Director, Dr. Joe Thomas, who took up the assignment on 16th
April 2012.

PPD, that has its permanent headquarter secretariat in Dhaka Bangladesh, was
established at the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD)
held in Cairo, Egypt in 1994 to promote South-South Cooperation in Reproductive
Health, Population and Development. The organization is a Permanent Observer at
the United Nations and has Diplomatic Status in Bangladesh.

Dr. Joe Thomas, who is not new to Bangladesh, is an accomplished social
anthropologist, public Health professor, author and researcher with over 20
years of international work experience in the Asia Pacific region, Australia,
China, Africa, Europe and East Timor. He has authored two books and published
more than 50 articles in peer reviewed journals. He is also the founder director
of Jodhpur School of Public Health (JSPH) in India, where he has lectured and
supervised masters and PhD students in Public Health as a visiting member of
faculty.

Dr. Joe Thomas is a visionary leader that has recently been awarded a
`meritorious award' for his exemplary contribution to the global HIV/AIDS
pandemic response. He has long and short term experience in the population and
development sector working with governments, the United Nations, International
NGOs, civil society organizations including faith based institutions in over 20
countries in the Asia and Africa regions.  He has vast experience in resource
mobilization, program development, ingenious networking, capacity building,
knowledge management, technical backstopping and impact evaluation.

Dr. Joe Thomas has a passion for rights and gender based reproductive health
programming in the context of the ICPD Program of Action and the Millennium
Development Goals to address the needs of the highly vulnerable and hard to
reach sectors of the population including women, children and adolescents.

Before joining PPD, Dr. Thomas served as the Director of the UNAIDS Technical
Support Facility for South Asia (TSF-SA) based in Kathmandu, Nepal providing
leadership to programs and staff in eight countries.

For more information about PPD and its offices in New York, China and Uganda,
please visit:   http://www.partners-popdev.org

Dear colleagues,

Please find the attached meeting report which documents the presentations and discussions made during the Making Global Fund Money Work for Communities: Community Partnership Consultation held in Pattaya, Thailand on 7-8 December 2011.

The report aims to draw attention to the issues associated with how current approaches to Global Fund proposals and grants management processes have hindered grantees’ abilities to inclusively develop and effectively implement rights-based programmes that best serve their communities. The report provides a wide array of recommendations for the Global Fund Secretariat, Board, Local Fund Agents and Global Fund technical partners.

Representatives from over 30 community-based organizations and individuals from key affected populations and people living with HIV representing Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, Eastern Europe and Latin America attended the meeting. The participants had substantive experience and have played key roles during various phases of Global Fund multi-country grants, including proposal formulation, grant negotiation, programme implementation and evaluation. The Global Fund Secretariat and UN-based partners were also represented.

The consultation took place only two weeks following the Global Fund Board meeting of November 2011. At that meeting, serious shortfalls in funding were revealed leading to the cancellation of Round 11, a withdrawal of further support to G20 countries, the development of a Transitional Funding Mechanism and revised guidelines for Phase Two renewals. The Board also approved a new proposal development and review process that left unanswered many questions about if and how multi-country proposals can be developed and supported. Finally, the Board approved a specific Human Rights Strategic Objective intended to: (a) Integrate human rights considerations throughout the grant cycle; (b) Increase investments in programmes that address human rights-related barriers to access; and (c) Ensure that the Global Fund does not support programmes that infringe human rights. This consultation provided an important first opportunity for community representatives to hear about these Board decisions, discuss their impact and develop advocacy strategies in response.

One overarching recommendation is the need to document the effectiveness of multi-country grants in serving key affected populations. Services and advocacy provided for and by key affected populations is an essential component of success in the response to HIV, TB and malaria. By documenting the results of these programmes, the Global Fund and other funding mechanisms will be encouraged to further expand support for these efforts.

To download the report please visit:

http://www.snap-undp.org/elibrary/Publication.aspx?ID=644

This global consultation of key populations was jointly organized by UNDP Asia-Pacific Regional Centre (APRC), Open Society Foundations (OSF) and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (GFATM) Secretariat in close partnership with UNAIDS Asia-Pacific Regional Support Team, KHANA International AIDS Alliance and the Coalition of Asia Pacific Regional Networks on HIV/AIDS (7 Sisters).

Best regards,

Edmund

The International Center for Development Communication (ICDC) is conducting a
Study Tour on HIV/AIDS Policy on 7-14 June 2012.
 
The deadline for application  is on 18 May 2012. Attached are the course flier
and the application form.

For more information please contact the Director at

icdc.eto@... 

or visit
our website at www.icdc.eto.ku.ac.th.






















 

Prasada Rao appointed as UN Special Envoy for AIDS in Asia Pacific

[UNAIDS PRESS STATEMENT]

GENEVA, 1 May 2012—United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon has appointed
J.V.R. Prasada Rao as his Special Envoy for AIDS in the Asia Pacific region. Mr
Rao will take over the position in July this year from Dr Nafis Sadik who served
in the role since 2002.

Mr. Rao has demonstrated his strong leadership of the AIDS response for 14
years,” said Mr Ban. “I am confident that as my Special Envoy he will help
to achieve an HIV-free generation in the region.”

Mr Rao began his engagement with HIV issues when he became Director of India’s
National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO) in 1997. During his time with NACO he
successfully made India’s response to the epidemic truly multi-sectoral by
engaging a broad range of international partners.

He also put into place a surveillance system for tracking the epidemic in India,
the first of its kind in Asia and the Pacific. Later he became India’s
Secretary for Health and Family Welfare, where he played an instrumental role in
drafting India’s AIDS Prevention and Control Policy.

His experience and contribution to the AIDS response led him to being appointed
as the Director of the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS’ (UNAIDS)
Regional Support Team in Asia Pacific and subsequently as Special Advisor to the
Executive Director of UNAIDS. He served as Commissioner Secretary of two
Independent Commissions on AIDS in Asia and the Pacific whose recommendations
have strongly influenced the political thinking of countries in the region.

He is also the Commissioner Secretary of the Global Commission on HIV and the
law, constituted by the United Nations Development Programme, which is mandated
to provide recommendations to countries and regional and global agencies for
creating a more supporting legal framework to eliminate HIV related stigma and
discrimination.

Prasada is an excellent and experienced champion for the AIDS response,” said
Michel SidibĂ©, Executive Director of UNAIDS. “He has an expert understanding
of the dynamics of the epidemics in the region and we look forward to working
with him in his new role and combining our efforts to end AIDS in Asia and the
Pacific.

The UN Secretary-General announced the appointment in Mr Rao’s home country,
India, where he was on an official visit to further his efforts to improve women
and children’s health around the world.

Contact

UNAIDS Geneva | Sophie Barton-Knott | tel. +41 22 791
1697 | bartonknotts@...

UNAIDS Bangkok| Beth Magne-Watts | tel. +66 2680 4127 | magnewattsb@...
www.unaids.org

The demise of Global Health Council: What lessons for AIDS Community action?

The following article presents an interesting analysis of  the demise of Global
Health Council. The demise of Global Health Council is an interesting case study
of the growth and changing relevance of membership organizations and how they
adapt to external changes. This case study may give some clues to  some of the
AIDS organizations as well..

Joe Thomas
___________________________

Why the Global Health Council folded, and what's next

By Jaclyn Schiff on 04 May 2012

Twenty-twelve marks an important year for the Global Health Council — 40 years
since it was founded.

But instead of celebrating that milestone, GHC will shut its doors in the coming
months and forgo its annual conference for the first time since 1973.

The council's announcement Friday, April 20, that it will cease operations
leaves a vacuum in the global health community. Described as the professional
association for groups involved with global health and the convener of the
community, GHC members will be left without a neutral broker, inviting questions
about what went wrong and what comes next.

The simplest explanation for why the council is shutting its doors is money.
GHC's operations were largely funded by membership dues in the 1980s and '90s,
but the organization relied more heavily on grants over the last few years,
including a three-year Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation grant that made up the
majority of GHC's budget.

Changing priorities at the council and the Gates Foundation made it clear that
the grant wouldn't be renewed once it ended last year, insiders say. So to make
up the shortfall, the council approached organizations like the Macarthur and
Hewlett foundations as well as its own members for funding, according to Susan
Higman, GHC's director of research and analysis who became interim co-CEO last
August.

"We heard a lot of positive responses, but it was hard to have that translate
into dollars," Higman says. Initial donations would have been used to go ahead
with the conference.

Writing on the wall?

Why the council ended up in such a desperate financial situation has to do with
a leadership void after its former CEO and President Nils Daulaire left at the
beginning of 2009, some industry experts suggest. Under his leadership, GHC
helped groups work together with U.S. policymakers.

His replacement could not replicate that success, says Laurie Garrett, a senior
fellow for global health at the Council on Foreign Relations.

"Sadly, GHC could not survive [Daulaire's] departure," she says.

  Asked if he thought his successor mismanaged the organization, Daulaire points
to Obama administration ethics rules, noting that his current role as director
of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Office of Global Health
precluded interacting with his former employer.

"Looking after the business of keeping the GHC viable and sustainable was a
24-hour-a-day job when I was there," he says. "I really can't say what went
wrong afterwards."

But Daulaire acknowledges the "loss of internal capacity" — due to management
decisions — played a role in the council's demise. He says after the membership
staff was let go, it became increasingly difficult for GHC to focus on its bread
and butter.

Some in the global health community also say GHC suffered from a lack of focus
in recent years. Between the conference, advocacy round tables and other
efforts, the council might have been spread too thin.

Daulaire readily admits there was some miscalculation while he ran the show, but
he says that comes with the territory.

  "Any organization that is going to succeed is going to misfire," he says, "but
you have to learn and adjust quickly."

Jeffrey Sturchio, who succeeded Daulaire at the council and left in August 2011,
and members of GHC's board of directors did not respond to interview requests
for this article.

GHC, for its part, has pointed to the general shift from a "broad-based health
agenda" toward disease-specific approaches as a reason for its shutdown.

"The fundamental shifts in the health landscape have led the Board to revisit
the relevance of the organization and determine that the Council's current
operating model is no longer sustainable," the press release on its imminent
closing reads.

Higman, who joined GHC in 2007, acknowledges the council might not have done
enough to adapt over the years.

"Organizations can get locked into their own way of doing things," she says. "To
some extent, that happened with the council."

What next?

But perhaps the biggest question in the aftermath of GHC's announcement is what
— if anything — will bring the community together like the council did. At this
stage, the answer is elusive. Everyone consulted for this article was either
unsure which group would assume this responsibility or suggested that a new
group or a coalition needs to form.

"It is not always easy to see the value of membership organizations — until they
are gone," says David Olson, who was the director of policy communications at
the council until last August.

  Jack Chow, a U.S. ambassador on global AIDS during the Bush administration,
suggests a group like GBCHealth or Friends of the Global Fight Against AIDS,
Tuberculosis and Malaria might be in a good position to fill a broader convener
role.

The American Public Health Association's international health section is also a
contender. Just one day after the council's announcement, there was discussion
on the APHA IH listserver about obtaining GHC's membership list, according to
Kate Tulenko, deputy director of CapacityPlus.

It's a decent option, but APHA is a different beast, Tulenko notes.

  "One of the main challenges is that GHC had positioned itself as a global
organization (hence the change form National Council on Internal Health to
Global Health Council) whereas the APHA is obviously American," she says.

While that may still be a reasonable fit for some of GHC's members, the fate of
the council's individual members is perhaps even murkier.

"There is a great need for a place to mentor young global health specialists,
especially those who may find themselves in institutions not wholly devoted to
global health," Tulenko says, adding that she encountered "wonderful" members
when she first joined GHC as a young medical student in 1994.

Higman said the council is "looking at some possible things and trying to figure
out which organizations might be willing to pick up certain components of the
council," but would not name which groups have been approached.
____________________________

Jaclyn Schiff
  Jaclyn Schiff is a Washington-based correspondent for Devex. Her focus is on
global health and professional development. Jaclyn is also the managing editor
of the Brazen Careerist's blog, and she has written for the U.N. Dispatch,
allAfrica.com, CBSNews.com, National Public Radio, PBS MediaShift and other news
sources. She is the founder of MediaSchiff, which provides real-time social
media services for events and conferences.

http://www.devex.com/en/news/why-the-global-health-council-folded-and-what-s/781\
50?mkt_tok=3RkMMJWWfF9wsRolvarJZKXonjHpfsX66%2BssW66zlMI%2F0ER3fOvrPUfGjI4AS8JgI\
%2FqLAzICFpZo2FFcH%2FaQZA%3D%3D

Bayer challenges Nexavar generic license order in India

(Reuters) - Drugmaker Bayer said on Saturday it had challenged an Indian patents
office order that allowed domestic rival Natco Pharma to sell a cheap generic
version of the German firm's liver and kidney cancer drug Nexavar in India.

In March, the patents office stripped Bayer of its exclusive rights to sell
Nexavar, saying most Indians could not afford it.
It told Natco Pharma to sell the generic drug significantly more cheaply and pay
Bayer a 6 percent royalty on sales.

Bayer said it had appealed against the ruling. "We will rigorously continue to
defend our intellectual property rights, which are a prerequisite for bringing
innovative medicines to patients," a company spokesman said.

India's decision on Nexavar was seen as a precedent that could extend to other
treatments, including modern HIV/AIDS drugs, in a major blow to global
pharmaceutical firms.

Separately, Bayer is suing another Indian drugmaker, Cipla, (CIPL.NS) for patent
infringement over Nexavar. Cipla has been selling generic Nexavar in India and
it has slashed the price of the drug by 75 percent to 6,840 Indian rupees a
month.

(Reporting by Kaustubh Kulkarni in Mumbai; Editing by Alistair Lyon)
http://in.reuters.com/article/2012/05/05/india-bayer-idINDEE84405E20120505

Holiday sex with HIV hookers

Steve Pennells,

The West Australian Updated May 12, 2012, 3:00 am

"Australians are not good," Lily says, sitting on the floor of a small room in
Sanur surrounded by cheap glamour photos taken of her in a bikini.

The young ones are always "mabuk", she explains, using the Indonesian word for
drunk.

And they are often rough.

"I see it at Paddys Bar all the time. They are drunk, stupid and fighting," she
says.

She has sex with at least one Australian tourist each night, picking them up at
the iconic Paddys Bar where she pays the staff RP50,000 ($5.43) to get inside
and flirt with the tourists.

When she goes back to their hotel, many refuse to use a condom.

And she never tells them she is HIV positive. It's bad for business.

She is 27 and pretty.

A lock of hair rests across her forehead, covering a small lesion the size of a
10ą piece. When she is at Paddys, it is barely noticeable in the dim light and
drunken haze.

Lily is one of more than 500 HIV-positive sex workers in Bali who work out of
brothels in Sanur or trawl the clubs of Jalan Legian or Double Six, either as
paid waitresses serving drinks or as party girls on the pretence of a night out.

A _Weekend West _investigation has uncovered a large network of HIV-positive sex
workers who work the island's most popular tourist strip and regularly have
unprotected sex with Australian tourists and fly-in, fly-out workers.

In the bars of Kuta, one in four sex workers is HIV-positive.

In Gatsu, on the edge of town, considered the end of the road for sex workers
past their prime, the HIV rate is between 49 and 60 per cent and the girls
charge between RP30,000 and RP50,000 an hour.

"It fits in with what we've been hearing," AMA WA president Dave Mountain said
last night. "People have their guard down but we've warned that Bali is a
particularly high-risk destination for tourists.

"There are all the ingredients there for a significant home-grown epidemic of
STDs and maybe HIVs in the future."

Bali's sex workers are based either in brothels in Sanur or "karaoke bars"
across the island, small cafes with a karaoke machine, beer and rooms.

Some have a glass window, like a fishbowl, where clients can peer through and
see girls by their number. Others work the streets.

Then there are the ones in Kuta who blend in with the bar crowd, either as
waitresses or "customers" flirting with tourists.

"Some of the guys think they are picking up a girl. They think it's a natural
attraction in a bar" says Emily Rowe, the Australian project co-ordinator at the
Kerti Praja Foundation, an HIV clinic in Denpasar. "Some will be with them for
one night. Some will be with them for a week and think they're having a
relationship.

"But these are sex workers."

According to the foundation's statistics, one in four of these girls in Kuta is
HIV-positive.

"Lots of these women are supporting family or it's time to pay the rent or
they've got to pay off the motorbike so they'll take risks," Ms Rowe says. "Or
they've had 10 guys that night and can't be bothered to go through the whole
negotiation thing and will have unprotected sex. It can be quite exhausting for
them, especially if the guy is drunk and doesn't want to listen."

On the second floor of the clinic, Bunga, a 31-year-old bar girl from Sanur,
says she found out she was HIV-positive in 2009.

"I was really shocked. But then I realised that was a risk of the job," she
said.

Did you keep working?

"Yes."

She was employed as a waitress in a bar in Sanur, earning RP200,000 a month.

She could earn three to five times that in one night if she went home with a
tourist.

Lily says she has two children who live with her family in Java.

She sends them money every week. With her poor education, the best she could
hope for otherwise was a cleaning job worth RP500,000 a month. It would not be
enough to support her extended family.

This is why she doesn't stop, she says, even when she is weak from her
infection.

It is 1.30am on Kuta's famous bar and nightclub strip. Several of the girls are
staggering down Poppies Lane, just near the monument to the Bali bombing, each
with an Australian on their arm.

Eddie Bronx, a chubby bald Javanese man who sells magic mushrooms on the corner
says it is a nightly procession.

The girls are cheaper the later it is in the night, he says.

There are two losmens just off Poppies Lane - cheap, dirty but rentable by the
hour.

"Australians," he laughs, "they always want girls".

http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/a/-/breaking/13665360/holiday-sex-with-hiv-hook\
ers/

Dear colleagues,

Today, on the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia (IDAHO), UNDP Asia-Pacific Regional Centre and the Asia Pacific Transgender Network (APTN) jointly released the Lost in Transition: Transgender People, Rights and HIV Vulnerability in the Asia-Pacific Region. The report aims to provide a research framework to guide governments, civil society, donors and key stakeholders to design and produce relevant research as part of collective effort to reduce the extreme vulnerability of transgender people to HIV, while protecting their rights in the Asia-Pacific Region. The conceptualization and development process underlying this report arose out of two meetings: the Asia Pacific Regional Dialogue of the Global Commission on HIV and the Law held on 17 February 2011 in Bangkok, Thailand and the Men Who Have Sex With Men and Transgender Populations Multi-City HIV Initiative Regional Action Planning Meeting held on 6-9 December 2010 in Hong Kong. During both meetings transgender participants called for increased targeted research relating to transgender persons, human rights and access to health services.

The regional HIV epidemic among transgender people is strongly linked to stigma and prejudice. This review, focusing on the literature post-2000, seeks to examine literature on laws, regulations, policies and practices that prompt, reinforce, reflect or express stigma and prejudice towards transgender people. It seeks to identify vulnerabilities to HIV and barriers to access or uptake of HIV related healthcare services, and attempts to establish a research agenda aimed at providing the sort of data that will enable a reduction in future risk, as well as better access to treatment, care and support for transgender people living with HIV.

For your reference, I have attached the Press Release. You may also download the report at http://www.snap-undp.org/elibrary/Publications/HIV-TG-people-rights.pdf.

Best regards,

Edmund

Dear all,

I am sharing an offensive article published by UNAIDS, I'm sure this article is
intentioned and comes in a good way but taking in to consideration the use of
male gender pronouns when talking about someone who is a transgender and who
says she wants to live as a woman is really unacceptable in this article and
something come from an agency like UNAIDS is putting the community identity of
Transgenders in  wrong picture.

This is the case of  something from UN agency who are major policy makers not
making the differentiation in the language used is sad.

I am also writing to  UNAIDS to respond to this...


Regards


Laxmi
___________________

HIV programmes for MSM and transgendered people gradually being scaled up in
India
17 May 2012

Rupali always felt he was different. Born as a boy in India, he liked wearing
girls’ clothes and finally at the age of 20, decided to disclose to his family
his gender orientation. He declared he wanted to live as a woman.

When I first decided to tell people about my sexual orientation and gender
identity, I was scared, said the 22-year-old. But eventually I told everyone”my
family, relatives, neighbours and friends.

Rupali did several jobs, but found it too difficult to live openly as a man who
has sex with men and work in a mainstream office. So, for the past two years he
has been a sex worker in New Delhi.

With the money he earns from his clients he supports his mother and younger
brother. His mother has had a heart problem for several years and Rupali needs
to pay for her costly medicines every month.

But his job threatens his health as Rupali has a high risk of HIV infection.

In India, the HIV epidemic is seriously affecting men who have sex with men
(MSM) and transgendered people. Among this population, 427 000 (in 2010) are
considered at higher risk because they have multiple sex partners and many
receive money in exchange for sex.

When a customer is drunk, it is often difficult to convince him to use condoms,
said Rupali.

While sex work pays his bills, Rupali has been attacked several times. Like many
transgendered people, Rupali finds it challenging to be fully accepted by his
family and community. The local thugs keep us in a constant state of terror. We
fear them striking our faces with blades or brutally beating us up. But we fear
the police even more,” said Rupali.

In India, the prevalence of HIV among MSM reached 7.3%, which is 20 times higher
than among the general population. Recent data shows that HIV prevalence among
transgender people in major cities like Mumbai and Delhi has soared even higher
to nearly 25%. HIV programmes for MSM and transgendered people are gradually
being scaled up.

The Pahal Foundation in Faridabad gets funding from the Haryana state government
to provide HIV testing, treatment for sexually transmitted diseases, counselling
and condoms to 750 MSM and transgender people, but hundreds more use their
facilities every month.

Many of us MSM try our best to appear straight, but eventually we get ˜outed. I
know several people who lost their jobs because they were severely discriminated
against by their co-workers
Manoj Kumar Verma, Outreach Worker at Pahal Foundation
Everyone needs a support system. Without the support of their families and
society, men who have sex with men and transgendered people often take their own
lives or run away from home, said Maksoom Ali, Project Manager at Pahal.

The Foundation has found that only a handful of the people they support are open
about their HIV status with their families.

Employment is a real problem for MSMs and transgender people, said Manoj Kumar
Verma, Outreach Worker at Pahal. “Many of us MSM try our best to appear
straight, but eventually we get ‘outed’. I know several people who lost
their jobs because they were severely discriminated against by their co-workers.


There has been some progress in India for men who have sex with men and
transgendered people. In the next phase of India’s National AIDS Control
Programme (NACP4), there are plans to develop and implement programmes focused
on the specific needs of transgender people. Three years ago, the Delhi High
court decriminalized sex between adult men in a historic judgement.

Rupali is involved with an organization for MSM in West Delhi and he said he
wants to contribute to his community. “Everyone has dreams but not all of them
come true,” said Rupali. “That’s true for me too but I want to do
something for my community and I want to be a better person.

http://www.unaids.org/en/resources/presscentre/featurestories/2012/may/20120517m\
smindia/

--
Astitva

(An organisation for the Support and Development of Sexual minorities)
Project Office :
Gala No : 44,
Dadoji Kondev Stadium,
Kartan Road, Thane West,
Pin : 400606

PH : 91 9819018274 / 9892182184
e-mail: <astitvasm@...>

Dear Laxmi

Re: http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/AIDS_ASIA/message/2115
 
Thank you for sharing it with all of us. It is true that not only UNAIDS there
are people who are working with us last many years and they are the policy
makers also still do such kind of mistakes.

They have to understand that they should not use "HE" for Transgender/Hijra
people.
 
Thanks and regards

Sanjay Ram (Sanjana)
Executive Director
Koshish
Ram Niwas (Head Office)
77/A, Raja Ram Mohan Roy Road,
Near Ganabani Sangha Club
Kolkata-700008, West Bengal, India
Mobile: 9830023153/9609609316
Kolkata Office No. 9830023868
Asansol Office No. 9609609627

Re: Dear all,

http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/AIDS_ASIA/message/2115

It seems UNAIDS heard our complaints and has changed Rupali's pronoun to ˜she

http://www.unaids.org/en/resources/presscentre/featurestories/2012/may/20120517m\
smindia/

Mandy

Mandy Slutsker, MPH
Senior Project Associate
RESULTS Educational Fund | ACTION
1730 Rhode Island Ave. NW – Suite 400 | Washington, DC 20036
202.783.4800 x106
Skype: mandy.slutsker

Twitter: @Mandy4Action<http://www.twitter.com/RESULTS_Tweets> |
Facebook<http://www.facebook.com/pages/RESULTS/21879314600>
www.results.org<http://www.results.org> | www.action.org<http://www.action.org>

USAID-CAMBODIA-RFA-442-12-000003

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID), is seeking
applications (proposals for funding) from Local Organization to provide
technical support to USAID/Cambodia HIV/AIDS program entitled "HIV/AIDS
Flagship.

Please refer to the Program Description (RFA Section I) for a complete statement
of goals and expected results.

http://www.grants.gov/search/search.do;jsessionid=VnbvP74QFSLwQcRj1Sp597nqn53Qlq\
n4pl2rm0shlG7CcVc4hnq0!1140575579?oppId=171713&mode=VIEW

The New Facebook Timeline: A Tool in Response to HIV

By Mindy Nichamin, AIDS.gov New Media Coordinator

It's estimated that 96% of Facebook users never revisit fan pages1 once they hit
the "like" button. We at AIDS.gov hope this changes with the new features of the
Facebook timeline for Facebook Pages.

Three months ago, Facebook announced that Facebook Page owners had a month to
update their profiles to the new timeline format . Brands could enable the new
timeline at anytime, and on March 30 brand pages were automatically converted to
the timeline.

Some of the Facebook timeline features include:
  •a cover photo, a larger photo spanning the top of the page
  •right-hand timeline navigation
  •milestones and events
  •featured apps and customization
  •highlighted posts
  •more administrative options and direct messages

With this announcement, we did a lot of planning to figure out how to best use
our page given the new timeline format. Since AIDS.gov joined Facebook in
November 2007, Facebook has been a successful social network for us, where we've
seen dialogue among our 15,000 followers (and growing) blossom. Our new media
team discussed the vision for our page and how to continue to engage and reach
users with blog posts and other federal HIV/AIDS updates.

We started by looking at what other brands were doing with their timelines and
planned what our options were for each new feature. We decided to utilize the
timeline to feature not just a history of AIDS.gov, but of the AIDS epidemic in
the U.S. since 1981.

Using the new milestone feature, we repurposed content from our 30 Years of AIDS
Timeline, (http://aids.gov/hiv-aids-basics/hiv-aids-101/overview/aids-timeline/)
and added new media milestones such as the launch of the AIDS.gov blog and our
first tweet. Other timeline examples in the HIV community include Chat PDX , POZ
Magazine , The Well Project , Greater Than AIDS , and The Red Pump Project who
are using their pages to link to external content and other social network
spaces.

Since converting our Facebook page to the new timeline format at the end of
March, users continue to engage on our page and our follower base continues to
increase. We hope the new page offers a unique educational opportunity where
users spend more time exploring and sharing feedback. We're excited to continue
engaging our audiences through highlighted/featured wall posts, especially
around HIV/AIDS awareness days and AIDS 2012 this summer.

We encourage you to visit the AIDS.gov Facebook page and the fan pages of the
groups listed above to get ideas for modifying your Facebook page. Check in with
your users and find out what changes they would like to see. Please check out
our Facebook Page to go back in time (to 1981) to explore the history of
HIV/AIDS in the U.S.

Are you a follower? If you already are, take the time to revisit our page. If
not, we encourage you to like our page if you haven't already.

1. Jeff Widman, brandglue.com
https://www.facebook.com/AIDS.gov

Who Should Lead the Global Fund?

A meeting of the Board of the Global Fund in early May launched a selection
process for choosing a new Executive Director. "This is probably one of the most
strategic things we will do as a Board," said Simon Bland, Board Chair, as he
opened discussion of the topic.

After lengthy consideration, the Board chose six people for a nominations
committee, and decided that three additional independent members will join the
committee as well.

The committee will evaluate any candidates for the position, and will then
narrow the field down to a shortlist of up to four candidates, to be considered
by the entire Board. A key moment occurred when Mireille Guigaz, who represents
France on the Board and who is one of six members chosen for the nominations
committee, argued persuasively that the Board insist the short list include as
many women as men. "If we do not firmly say that we will be able to find women,
if we don't say that openly, we will not get the result that we want," she said.
An alternate suggestion was that the committee produce "at least one woman" on
the shortlist, while keeping open the possibility of two. Non, said Mireille.

"We know how women are absolutely fundamental in the success of health
initiatives," she said firmly. "We have to be exemplary." The Board agreed, and
specified that the shortlist must include as many women as men. The nominations
committee began work right away, and expects to provide a shortlist to the Board
at its next meeting in September, with a final decision expected by a November
meeting.

Issue 02 - 24 May 2012
Global Fund News Flash

 
The Communities Delegation to UNITAID is seeking applications for a new
Alternate Board Member (unpaid position).

Please note the revised application deadline: Friday 8th June 2012

Full terms of reference for the role, and an application form, are
attached. Please send completed applications to UNITAID Civil Society
Delegations Liaison Officer, Jessica Hamer: jhamer@...

Women living with HIV are encouraged to apply.

UNITAID is an international drug-purchasing facility, intervening for
market impact to scale up access to prevention, diagnostic, and treatment
products for HIV and AIDS, TB and malaria in developing countries.

UNITAID raises money through a combination of taxes on airline tickets and
long-term government funding.  UNITAID is also a vehicle to encourage follow-on
innovation, to ensure medicines are available in formulations and combinations
that are best suited to the target populations and treatment conditions in
developing countries.

For more information on unitaid, please see www.unitaid.eu

The Position: The Communities delegation to the Executive Board of
UNITAID, representing Communities affected by HIV/AIDS, TB and malaria, is
looking to appoint a new Alternate Board Member (Alternate) to represent
Communities.

The Alternate will work with the Communities board member, liaison officer  and
delegations? stakeholder groups (including Communities Support Team and Contact
Group) to work to represent not themselves or their organisation, but the whole
constituency of Communities affected by the three diseases. 

Applicants must be living with HIV, or affected by TB or
malaria, and must be willing to commit 25% of their working time to the
position.

Applicants must have the support of their organisation for the
role and time commitment.

The term of service is 2 years (July 2012-July 2014). Due to the revised
deadline, a handover will now take place with the current Communities Board
member and Alternate at the International AIDS Conference, in Washington D.C.,
22nd-27th July.

Applicants should be able to attend this if possible. Please note: the Alternate
Board member will be offered the Board member post (for a further two years) at
completion of term, pending satisfactory performance evaluations.

Please note this is an unpaid position but travel costs will be covered by the
UNITAID Secretariat. Some support towards telephone and other office costs will
also be provided.

Full Terms of Reference for the position, details of selection criteria, and
instructions on how to apply are attached.

Applicants will be assessed through CV and application form, and will be asked
to participate  in a telephone interview if shortlisted. Please contact
jhamer@... should you have any queries on the process.

We thank all applicants in advance for their interest. Results of the
appointment will be circulated on listservs, in July 2012.

Thanks and best wishes,

Esther Tallah (Cameroon Coalition Against Malaria, Communities Board
Member (Outgoing))

Nelson Otwoma (National Empowerment Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS in
Kenya, Communities Alternate Board Member)

Jessica Hamer (Liaison Officer, Civil Society Delegations to UNITAID)

Jessica Hamer
Liaison officer, Civil Society Delegations to UNITAID Board
Telephone: +44 (0)1865 473508
Mobile: +44 (0)7879 474766
Email: JHamer@...
Skype: 'jessica.hamer'

It is strange; IAS is not announcing the details of the total votes polled. IAS
Election result smacks election fraud and hypocrisy.

IAS should have shown some basic courtesy to it’s members. Announcing the
details of the total  votes polled and number of votes received by each
candidates would have been a minimum requirement to demonstrate that IAS believe
in transparency and accountability.

IAS must urgently announce the details of the votes received by each candidates
(AAeF)

________________________________
The following candidates were elected to the IAS Governing Council:
 
Africa
Linda-Gail Bekker, South Africa
John Idoko, Nigeria
Faustine Ndugulile, Tanzania (re-elected)
 
Asia and the Pacific Islands
Andrew Grulich, Australia
Adeeba Kamarulzaman, Malaysia
Sai Subhasree Raghavan, India (re-elected)
 
Europe
Jens Lundgren, Denmark
Jürgen Rockstroh, Germany
 
Latin America and the Caribbean
Celia DC Christie-Samuels, Jamaica (re-elected)
Horacio Salomon, Argentina
Luis Soto-Ramirez, Mexico
 
United States and Canada
Judith Auerbach, United States
Marina Klein, Canada
  
International AIDS Society (IAS)
http://www.iasociety.org
 

Congratulations Mr. Shiv Khare (Editor AIDS ASIA)


AFPPD Executive Director Receives Recognition of Distinguished Service Award

Istanbul: Mr. Shiv Khare, Executive Director of the Asian Forum of
Parliamentarians on Population and Development (AFPPD), was honoured for his
contributions in shaping the regional and global parliamentarians’ movement on
population and development at the 5th International Parliamentarians’
Conference on the Implementation of ICPD Programme of Action (IPCI-ICPD) in
Istanbul, Turkey on 25th May, 2012.

Since 1993, Mr Shiv Khare has been the main organizer of the UNFPA-sponsored
international parliamentarians’ conferences on population and development in
Cairo, Copenhagen, Geneva, Tokyo and Bangkok. It is therefore as a direct result
of his actions that we are all here,” said Honorable Yvonne Herta Gilli
Stocker, MP from Switzerland, while presenting at the awards ceremony.

Shiv has also been responsible for the development of AFPPD – the Asian Forum
of Parliamentarians on Population and Development - in last 19 years. This is
EPF’s sister network - the organization building parliamentary support for
ICPD issues across Asia. Mr. Shiv Khare, a national of India, has also been
responsible for the formation of regional parliamentarian forums on population
and development, specifically the Asian Forum of Parliamentarians on Population
and Development.

Shiv can safely be said to have shaped the face of parliamentary advocacy for
population and development issues, both across Asia and around the world. As a
result of his strategic efforts in parliaments across Asia countless standing
committees & other similar bodies exist today that have been formed as a result
of his work.

The model set by his work has been exported and recreated elsewhere in the world
– in Europe, the Americas and in Africa. In 2010 the Asian Forum of
Parliamentarians on Population and Development (AFPPD) received the United
Nations Population Award - an honor for an inspirational organization well
deserved.

Now it’s time to honor the man behind this inspirational organization. Please
join me as we all show our recognition for the vital role that Shiv Khare has
played in advancing the ICPD Agenda throughout his distinguished career” she
said.

The award was given by EPF at the event which was attended by over 300
parliamentarians from all regions.

The 5th IPCI-ICPD was organized by the European Parliamentary Forum on
Population and Development (EPF) and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)
from 24 to 25 May, 2012 in Istanbul.

JOB OPPORTUNITY

Executive Director of the NGO Forum on ADB

The Manila-based NGO Forum on ADB (Forum), is looking for an Executive Director
for immediate hiring. Forum on ADB is an Asian-led network of community
organizations and civil society groups which has been critically monitoring the
Asian Development Bank since 1992. NGO Forum on ADB is not a body or agency
under the ADB.

The position is based in the Philippines. The Forum encourages nationals in all
Asian ADB member countries to apply for this position.

Apply before 30 June 2012.

JOB DESCRIPTION:

The Executive Director is responsible for:

• lead the network through the Forum Secretariat in the network's advocacy,
research and networking activities in regard to ADBpolicies and Projects;
• Management of day-to-day functions of the Secretariat based in Manila;
• Provide leadership over advocacies and/or campaigns led by or which involve
the Forum;
• Fund-raising to sustain the advocacy and capacity needs of the network.
• Maintain updated institutional power analysis of ADB (directly or through
Secretariat Staff) in order to strategically inform and advise network's
activities towards the ADB
• Maintain high-level communication with ADB for the same purpose as ED of the
Forum
• Support and strengthen network through strategic planning and systematic
involvement of network members, e.g. in the form ofForum Annual Meetings and
other opportunities.
• The Forum's Executive Director is expected towork closely with the Forum's
International Committee (IC), which provides oversight of the Forum Secretariat.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Knowledge of and experience in international networks, especially Asian-led
network, including an understanding of democratic development decision-making
processes.
• Strong analytical and communication skills and the ability to work fluently in
English.
• Campaign experience and experience in planning (especially on Multilateral
Development Banks) and broad understanding and familiarity with development
issues and community struggles in Asia.
• Willingness to travel where required.
• Demonstrated experience in fund raising
• Cross Cultural Awareness and gender sensitivity

CONTRACT DURATION: Two years and renewable

SALARY: A competitive salary and will depend upon the qualification and
experience of the candidate.  All benefits required under the Philippine laws,
including a one-time relocation cost, medical and housing allowance, and an
annual round trip ticket in case the applicant is a non-Filipino citizen or a
non-Manila resident.

TO APPLY: Applicants should send the CV and a cover letter stating the
applicant's intention and why the applicant believes she/he is qualified for the
position. The letter should not be more than two pages. A samples of written
and/or published work can be attached. Please send your application to 
icconvenor@...

ABOUT THE FORUM: Please visit Forum website: www.forum-adb.org to learn about
the Forum.

NGO FORUM ON ADB|85A, Masikap Extension, Central District, Quezon City, 1101,
Philippines |
PHONE/FAX: +632 921-4412

EMAIL: secretariat@...

WEBSITE: www.forum-adb.org

Fund Number: 4539: Fund Title: HIV/AIDS Flagship

Fund Category: HIV/AIDS

Description:

Grant Amount: Approximately $30,000,000 total for this planned 5 year activity
under this RFA.

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID), is seeking
applications (proposals for funding) from Local Organization to provide
technical support to USAID/Cambodia HIV/AIDS program
entitled "HIV/AIDS Flagship."

USAID/Cambodia proposes a comprehensive and innovative 5-year HIV/AIDS program
that will focus on technical innovation and capacity building.

This flagship innovation/capacity building project will focus on reducing costs
and maximizing impact through:

(1) developing technical innovations to enhance impacts and reduce costs of
quality targeted HIV prevention for MARPs;
(2) improving the quality and integration of HIV care and treatment services;
(3) increasing the use of strategic information including surveillance,
monitoring, evaluation and data utilization; and
(4) promoting local technical leadership and capacity building to strengthen the
quality and impact of prevention, care, and treatment services.

In efforts to transition PEPFAR in Cambodia from support for direct services to
sustainable country programs, USAID/Cambodia will support the flagship project
which aims to test critical service delivery models within the HIV/AIDS
continuum of prevention to care and treatment (COPCT), transition selected
PEPFAR-supported services to the Royal Government of Cambodia (RGC) and Global
Fund management and financial support, and establish stronger technical
collaboration to build the capacity of the RGC and Cambodian civil society and
other stakeholders to scale-up and provide innovative, quality, and
cost-effective services for People Living with HIV/AIDS (PLHIV) and MARPs.

Sponsor(s):
US Agency for International Development/ Bureau for Global Health

Funder's Fund ID: USAID-CAMBODIA-RFA-442-12-000003

Web Page:

www.grants.gov/search/search.do;jsessionid=nn11P6KL51GRFvD6PdVsmJW50GQb1TgMpZyBJ\
hmhrqtP7C1HYHRn!1571115659?oppId=171713&mode=VIEW

Application Due Date: 07/05/2012

Project Start Date: 10/01/2012

Fund Duration: 5 years (from on or about October 1, 2012 - September 30, 2017).

Application Process:

Applicants may submit their applications electronically on www.grants.gov or by
e-mail attachment formatted
in Microsoft Word (up to 2 MB limit per email) and must also submit hard copies
by the due date.

Please see Section IV of the RFA for detailed instructions regarding submission
of applications via email. Applications
and modifications thereof shall be submitted with the name and address of the
Applicant and the RFA number
(referenced above) inscribed thereon, via email, to sprak@... and copied
to rwhite@....

Applications must be submitted in two separate parts: (a) technical and (b) cost
or business application.

An original and five hard copies of the technical application and an original
and one hard copy of the cost application must be submitted in addition to the
electronic submission.

Any prospective Applicant desiring an explanation or interpretation of this RFA
must request it in writing to Ms. Rebecca White, Regional Agreement Officer, via
email to rwhite@... by June 04, 2012, 4:00 pm Phnom Penh time. The
questions and answers (Q&A) will be posted as an amendment to the RFA on
www.grants.gov.

Oral explanations or instructions given before award of a Cooperative Agreement
will not be binding. Any information given to a prospective grantee concerning
this RFA will also be furnished to all other prospective grantees as an
amendment to this RFA, if that information is necessary in submitting
applications or if the lack of it would be prejudicial to any other prospective
grantees.

Award Notes:
Subject to the availability of funds, USAID intends to provide approximately
$30,000,000 total for this planned 5 year activity under this RFA. The
distribution of this total funding will depend upon the application(s) selected
for award. USAID reserves the right to fund any or none of the applications
submitted.


Eligible Locations:
- National


Application Contact Name:

Mealea S Prak
Title: Acquisition & Assistance Specialist
Application Contact Address:
United States
Email: sprak@...
Phone: -
Fax: -

Technical Contact Name:

Craig Riegler
Title: Contracting Officer
Technical Contact Address:
United States
Email: sprak@...
United States
Email: criegler@...
Phone: -
Fax: -

Support Types:
- Cooperative Agreements

Subject Areas:
- Cost Management
- Health Care Programs/Services
- HIV/AIDS Prevention
- Medical Treatments and Therapies
- Technical Assistance

Audiences:
- Government Agencies
- Health Planners
- Health Professionals

Eligibility:
- Commercial Organizations
- Consortia
- International Agencies
- Nonprofit Organizations

Eligibility Notes:

USAID policy encourages competition in the award of grants and cooperative
agreements. U.S. or non-U.S. non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and/or
consortia are eligible to submit applications. For the purposes of this
solicitation, NGOs include any incorporated entity, either non-profit or
for-profit, other than a governmental organization. Applicants may form
partnerships with other academic institutions, private sector entities, or NGOs
in submitting applications. As stated in Section I.1.IV.C it is strongly
encouraged that an Applicant form a consortium consisting in local and
international partners who have demonstrated expertise in the planning, design,
implementation, monitoring and dissemination of State-of-the Art technical
innovations
and organizational capacity building.