Archives: Media Releases

By Dr Nastassia Rambarran and Joel Simpson, SASOD Guyana

SASOD Guyana was the local study partner for the Guyana Key Populations Viral Load Assessment.  Funding for this project was provided by the United States President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Global Fund to Fight Tuberculosis, AIDS and Malaria with technical support from MEASURE Evaluation in collaboration with the Ministry of Public Health’s National AIDS Programme Secretariat.

SASOD Guyana’s Public Health Consultant, Dr Nastassia Rambarran, and Managing Director, Joel Simpson led the fieldwork. The study surveyed 1082 Persons Living with HIV (PLHIV) who attended five care and treatment centres in Georgetown and collected blood for viral load (VL) testing in a subset of those surveyed. The enumerators were recruited from the staff of the five sites and were trained by the SASOD Guyana and MEASURE Evaluation research team.

The study showed that PLHIV reported almost no difficulty in accessing health services and that key populations (KPs) face elevated health, social and economic risks. For example, KPs in HIV treatment tended to be younger, more likely to be unemployed, engage in transactional sex and consume alcohol and illegal substances more than non-KP respondents.

In general, some PLHIV on treatment still engage in risky behaviour. It found that 19% of all clients did not use a condom at last vaginal sex, and 24% did not use a condom at last anal sex. This highlights the need for Pre-exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) among couples who do not have the same HIV status.

Among those who engaged in transactional sex, only 55% had used a condom at the last paid sex. The study also showed that the HIV information system in Guyana has incomplete information on VL testing and results with health facilities not meeting VL testing targets and therefore not being able to provide optimal HIV services to their clients. The data from the study could, however, be used by implementers to fill those gaps at the programmatic level and to estimate the viral suppression in Guyana with more accuracy.

To read the complete study on PANCAP.org click here.

The UNDP Caribbean Judges’ Forum on HIV, Human Rights and the Law created awareness of the need for members of the judiciary to look at cases and persons accessing justice through different lenses to ensure equal access by all persons.

The Forum, which targeted judges, was convened on 5 – 6 November in Port-of-Spain, Republic of Trinidad and Tobago with the following objectives:

• To discuss the latest international and regional guidance on HIV, human rights and the law.
• To discuss the latest scientific, medical and epidemiological evidence pertaining to HIV prevention, treatment and care.
• To discuss judicial and legislative responses to HIV and related law at national, regional and international level.
• To review the social and structural factors that increase the vulnerability of People Living with HIV and key populations, including evidence on HIV-related stigma and discrimination.
• To share experiences and challenges in the protection of rights in the context of HIV.

There was a strong recognition among the judges that such fora provide an excellent opportunity to bridge the gap between science and global developments in HIV and the application of laws. There was also increased awareness of the critical need for public health evidence, thus requiring public health practitioners to be proactive in sharing available data with the judiciary to enable them to increase access to justice to the most vulnerable.

The forum highlighted the need for emotionally intelligent judicial officers who can recognise the vulnerability of those seeking justice. It was agreed that the judiciary should be cognizant that people seeking justice are influenced by the behaviour of the judicial officers, clerks of the courts, bailiffs and other persons with whom they come into contact. It was underscored that people seeking justice should not be subjected to differentiated justice but should be recognized as persons with rights.

I was encouraged by the receptiveness of the judges to take into consideration the new developments in HIV when discussing legal case studies during the forum.

Several recommendations and commitments emanated from the forum, including:

• Magistrates should be invited to future fora given that the magistrate court is the first court of contact for people accessing justice.
• Convene a joint forum of judicial officers and senior police officers to create awareness among the police of the challenges people seeking justice encounter at the level of law enforcement officers.
• Continue and expand sensitivity training of police recruits and police officers by civil society organisations.
• PANCAP will encourage National AIDS Programme (NAP) Managers to liaise with the judiciary to provide up to date data as well as information on the global developments.
• PANCAP will share the contact list of NAP Managers and other national partners with the judiciary to enable judicial officers to obtain public health evidence.
• PANCAP will create a dedicated page on its website for the Judiciary and will include the judiciary in its Listserv.
• PANCAP will collaborate with UNDP and UNAIDS to synthesise information which will be placed on the Judiciary page.

I congratulate UNDP for convening this important forum and for a very thoughtful agenda that stimulated spirited discussion and increased the judges’ awareness of the needs of vulnerable people who access justice and the need for data and information on global developments to inform decisions.

25 November marks the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women and kicks off 16 days of activism to stop gender-based violence (GBV). The Caribbean Family Planning Affiliation (CFPA) joins the rest of the world in calling for governments to take urgent action to ensure discriminatory laws and practices are reviewed, and to implement policies and mechanisms to enable women to access justice, support and provide the necessary tools to combat this horror that plagues their lives, families and the entire region.

Violence against women remains pervasive and far too often a fatal phenomenon across the Caribbean with severe consequences for women and children, and also negatively impacting men, some of whom commit suicide, after murdering their partners and /or their children. GBV has harmful effects on a child’s mental, emotional and physical health with long term impact, which can result in boys modelling the abusers’ behaviour and becoming perpetrators of GBV.

GBV is most commonly committed by an intimate partner or family member. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that globally 35% of women have been victims of physical and/or sexual violence at some point in their life, typically by an intimate partner. As of December 2014, the total number of women who were murdered in Latin America and the Caribbean had increased to 1,906 cases (ECLAC) with 38% of the cases resulting from domestic violence (WHO).

GBV has serious health challenges for women, whose vulnerability can increase, losing their ability to control their reproductive health. Women who live in abusive situations often have less ability to negotiate the use of condoms or other contraceptives in order to protect themselves.  They become exposed to sexually transmitted infections (STIs), including HIV and unwanted pregnancy.

A woman who has been raped carries the trauma of the violence and often has to deal with an unwanted pregnancy. With the exception of Barbados and Guyana, women in the English speaking Caribbean are further violated by restrictive laws and policies, which limit their reproductive choices and put them at severe health risks and high susceptibility to a never-ending cycle of violence.  A woman with an unwanted pregnancy, especially resulting from rape, usually has an urgent need to terminate her pregnancy, even if safe and legal abortion options are unavailable. In this situation, she is put at high risk for complications, including debilitating injuries and death.

The Caribbean Family Planning Affiliation, which is a member of the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF), has a high priority on the right of a woman to choose and decide what to do with her body. Ending gender-based violence and reproductive injustices are key steps in transforming the lives of women and girls. Family Planning Associations across the region work to provide women, girls and also men and boys with quality rights-based services, counselling and education, including age-appropriate comprehensive sexuality education.

Today, we join with women and girls who cry out from the terror of GBV and gender injustices, calling on our governments to accelerate actions towards the 2030 Agenda, with attentiveness to gender justice and equality goals that address critical issues affecting the lives of women and girls, such as gender-based violence, sexual and reproductive health and rights, adolescent pregnancy, the feminization of poverty, including unpaid care work, and climate justice.

Women’s Rights and Youth Organisations need to be strengthened to take leadership in transforming the region’s unjust heteronormative and patriarchal social norms which police and stigmatize women’s sexuality, and prevent women and girls from seeking and accessing the information and services they need to protect themselves and live a healthy life.

The advancement of our societies will be quashed if we fail to ensure that women and girls are assured of a life free of violence, and are free to fully exercise their sexual and reproductive rights.

#stopgenderbasedviolence #standagainstrape

GENEVA – The Board of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria approved funding decisions for ambitious investments over the next three-year period to significantly increase impact against HIV, TB and malaria and to build resilient and sustainable systems for health.

At the Board’s 42^nd meeting, coming one month after a successful Sixth Replenishment that secured pledges of over US$14 billion for 2020-2022, Board members expressed appreciation for the collective efforts that led to such a strong mobilization of resources, calling it a compelling affirmation of commitment toward achieving greater social justice all over the world.

Peter Sands, Executive Director of the Global Fund, expressed determination to use the unprecedented level of resources to maximum effect, within a coordinated approach by partners to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 3, good health and well-being, with a special focus on reaching the most vulnerable people so that no one is left behind in efforts to end epidemics.

“Donors have responded magnificently to our challenge to step up the fight,” said Sands. “We must now convert those funds into a step change in lives saved, a sharp acceleration in progress toward ending the epidemics, and turbocharged progress toward SDG3.”

Donald Kaberuka, Chair of the Board, underscored the importance of moving swiftly to escalate efforts toward ending epidemics within the next ten years. “Time goes by fast,” said Dr Kaberuka. “We have to extend and improve our work to make the greatest difference, and to deepen country ownership as a foundation for sustainability that includes greater domestic resource mobilization and fiscal space for health.”

Roslyn Morauta, Vice-Chair of the Board, stressed the need to remain focused on reaching the most vulnerable and marginalized with effective interventions. “We must keep sight of our mission,” said Lady Roslyn. “All our investments in health should have a relentless focus on value-for-money, outcomes and impact.”

The Board approved a decision that translates pledges made at the Replenishment Conference into funding for country allocations for the 2020-2022 period, as well as certain catalytic investments that can further enhance impact in priority areas. The Global Fund plans to finalize the allocation and inform countries in December 2019.

The Board also approved a decision to advance the development of wambo.org, an innovative online tool that gives in-country procurement teams the power to search, compare and purchase quality-assured products used by health programs. The Board’s decision allows wambo.org to be made available for non-Global Fund-financed orders by governments and nongovernment development organizations on a variety of products.

During Board discussions, several members highlighted the need to improve data quality, timeliness and granularity, an essential element in improving planning, decision-making and oversight of health programs.

Several Board members also welcomed plans announced by the Global Fund’s Executive Director to establish a Youth Council to facilitate greater engagement of young people in finding solutions, since people under 25 are disproportionately vulnerable.

Peter Piot, Director of the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, addressed the Board in a special discussion session on the SDG3 agenda, giving his personal reflections and insights from a rich career in global health. He stressed the importance of keeping a long-term view, of working collaboratively with partners, of embracing innovation faster.

“There are certain things that the Global Fund cannot lose,” he said, and then listed several, including a laser focus on measurable outcomes; prioritizing people-centred services, human rights and a commitment to social justice; and preserving a passion for saving lives.

“I love the language of SDG3: Good health and well-being,” he said. “It’s not just adding years to your life, but adding life to your years.”

The Caribbean Regional Network of People Living with HIV and AIDS (CRN+) has been challenged to sustain its operations in an environment of reduced donor funding. To establish a foundation for sustainability and growth, the leadership of CRN+ has embarked on a multi-prong initiative which included the development of an organisational development (OD) strategy and action plan and a resource mobilisation strategy.

In light of available funding, CRN+ agreed to maintain the current organisational structure with the addition of a dedicated Finance Officer and to recruit volunteers who could support CRN+ Programmes.  The organisation will also seek to establish an independent oversight committee for governance and accountability.

Sustainability

The goal of the CRN+ Resource Mobilisation Strategy is to diversify the organisation’s resource base for sustaining the network’s response which will be guided by the CRN+ Strategic Plan and costed operational plan.

The Resource Mobilization strategy adopts a dual approach – mobilising resources for operating costs (rent, staff salaries, maintenance costs, utility bills, etc.) through fundraising activities, and mobilising programme costs from conventional donor sources. A mapping of donors and funding agencies was conducted to identify and engage with potential donors to secure resources for CRN+ to continue its advocacy for People Living with HIV (PLHIV) and key populations’ access to prevention, treatment, care and support services, and to strengthen national networks.

In September 2019, the Spouses of CARICOM Leaders Action Network (SCLAN) hosted two side events during the 74th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York.

“Ensuring Access and Equity in Adolescents, Children and Women’s Health” was attended by First Ladies as well as other guests who support innovative initiatives to ensure access and equity to health at country and global levels by adolescents, children and women.

Image: Ms Kim Simplis Barrow, First Lady of Belize and Ms Sandra Granger, First Lady of Guyana with other members of the panel

At the second event, SCLAN collaborated with New York University’s College of Global Health and HealthRight International in a panel discussion on the theme, “No health without mental health: Time to act and invest in adolescents.”

The goal was to highlight the current status of global mental adolescent health, best practices/innovations and the need for harmonised donor investment.

Image: Ms Kim Simplis Barrow, First Lady of Belize and Ms Sandra Granger, First Lady of Guyana with guests from the New York University’s College of Global Health and HealthRight International

For more information contact info@sclan.org

Image: CRN+ Board of Directors

Mr Tyrone Ellis was installed as Chair, and Ms Renatta Langlais as Vice-Chair of the Caribbean Regional Network of People Living with HIV and AIDS (CRN+) during the organisation’s Board Meeting convened at the Courtyard by Marriott Hotel, Bridgetown, Barbados, on 26 – 27 September 2019.

Attendees included the CRN+ Board of Directors, Technical Advisory Group and Secretariat Staff. In addition to electing a new Chair and Vice-Chair, the meeting facilitated a review of the CRN+ Global Fund Grant which ended 30 September 2019. Another objective of the meeting was to further evaluate and update the organisation’s strategy to remain relevant within the Region’s changing HIV landscape.

Addressing the Board for the first time as Chair, Mr Ellis stated “the meeting was important for CRN+ to further review and update its strategic direction to remain relevant within the changing HIV landscape in the Region. CRN+ must perform better, especially with a significant reduction in funding. With the development of an organisational development strategy, CRN+ will be guided on the best way forward. We need action!”

Yesterday was World Polio Day, a global awareness-raising day on the need to complete the job of polio eradication, and here at the World Health
Organization (WHO) headquarters, it was my great honour to make a truly phenomenal announcement: that wild poliovirus type 3 has been certified as globally eradicated, by the Global Commission for the Certification of Poliomyelitis Eradication.

This is the second of the three types of wild poliovirus to have been globally eradicated. Only wild poliovirus type 1 remains in circulation, in just two countries worldwide. Africa has not detected any wild poliovirus of any type since September 2016, and the entire African Region is eligible to be certified free of all wild poliovirus next June.  Global wild poliovirus type 3 eradication is a tremendous achievement and is an important milestone on the road to eradicate all poliovirus strains. This shows us that the tactics are working, as individual family lines of the virus are being successfully knocked out.

But the job is not finished until ALL strains of poliovirus are fully eradicated – and stay eradicated. We must achieve final success or face the consequences of renewed global resurgence of this ancient scourge. We must eradicate the remaining strains of WPV1 and also address the increasing circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus outbreaks, in particular in Africa.

And here too we are making strong inroads. New strategies are helping us reach the most vulnerable populations, particularly in the remaining reservoir areas.  New tools, including a brand-new vaccine, are being developed, to ensure the long-term risk of vaccine-derived polioviruses can be comprehensively addressed.  But these tools and tactics only work if they are fully funded, and fully implemented.

And so today, on the day after this tremendous announcement, I really have two messages for you.  The first is a simple and wholehearted “thank you”. Thank you for making a  world free of wild poliovirus type 3 a reality. Thank you to all countries, to all donors, to all stakeholders, partners, advisory and oversight groups, policymakers, Rotarians. Most importantly, thank you to all communities, to all parents. To all frontline health workers. They are the real heroes of this achievement.

And my second message is: please do not stop now. The Reaching the Last Mile Forum, hosted in the United Arab Emirates this November by His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, will provide an opportunity for many of our stakeholders to recommit their efforts to a polio-free world. I urge all of you to stay committed and redouble determination in this final push to the finish line.

Together, the partners of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) – WHO, Rotary International, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,  UNICEF, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance – stand ready to support this global effort. But it will take collective and global collaboration, from all public- and private-sector stakeholders, to ensure every last child is reached and protected from all polioviruses.

Together, let us achieve history: let us ensure that no child anywhere will ever again by paralysed by any poliovirus.

Thank you.

Image – Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus, Chair, GPEI Polio Oversight Board and Director-General, WHO and his team.