Stacking stock 2005-2012: Africa Campaign on Disability and

HIV and AIDS

Muriel Mac-SeingHIV and AIDS Technical Advisor, Handicap International

Disability Networking Zone, Global Village19th International AIDS Conference, Washington DC, July 25,

2012

From the UNGASS report of 2010

People living with HIV, people with disabilitiesand transgender people have been added

to the list of key populations.

For the first time inUNAIDS’ Strategy 2011-2015…

“When social support and other programmesfor persons with disabilities are delivered in

an HIV-sensitive manner, they contributeto overcoming the historic neglect of HIV prevention and support to persons with

disabilities.”

The Political Declaration on HIV and AIDS:Intensifying our efforts to eliminate

HIV and AIDS (June 2011)

… recognizes the need to take into account the rights of persons with disabilities as setforth in the UN Convention on the Rights

of persons with disabilities, in particular with regard to health, education, accessibility and

information, in the formulation of our global response to HIV and AIDS.

Outline of presentation

Background Objectives of the Africa Campaign on

Disability and HIV and AIDS Guiding principles Main actors involved Main activities undertaken with parallel at

the international level Kampala Declaration Example of spill over effects in specific

countries where Handicap International is working on HIV and disability

Lessons learned Ways forwards

Background Co-founded by the Secretariat of the African Decade for

Disabled Persons (1999-2009) and Handicap International in 2006

Rationales for such a campaign: Persons with disabilities made up around 10% of country’s

population at that time (now around 15% according to WHO/WB, 2011)

In Africa, they face the same, and in some cases higher, risks to HIV infection, compared to their non-disabled peers

The rights of persons with disabilities to access HIV information and services as a citizen of their country are being violated

An unifying umbrella composed of disabled people’s organisations (DPOs), people with disabilities, organisations of PLHIV, NGOs, AIDS organisations, WHO, researchers and activists

Launch of the Campaign in 2007 in Cape Town, South Africa

Steering Committee of Campaign dissolved at the end of 2010 to allow full ownership of various countries who have decided to work on disability and HIV at national level

Objectives of the Campaign

To create global awareness of the fact that HIV and AIDS affect persons with disabilities, too

To broaden and strengthen the knowledge and skills of persons with disabilities in Africa to participate in the local response to HIV

To mainstream HIV and AIDS into all areas of the disability sector

To mainstream disability into HIV and AIDS strategies, programmes and guidelines both nationally and internationally, and participation of persons with disabilities in the process behind these documents

To ensure equal access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support services for persons with disabilities

Guiding principles of the Campaign

Full participation of disabled persons in actions that involve them

Greater involvement of disabled and non-disabled persons living with HIV

Equal right to HIV and AIDS information and services for every African, including disabled Africans

Non-discrimination Gender equity Partnership development Emphasis on in-country and grassroots advocacy Capacity development of disabled persons themselves

for sustainable action Achievement of change at the grassroots level to

improve the lives of persons with disabilities

Secretariat of the African Decade of Persons with Disabilities (1999-2009)

Handicap International TASO NUDIPU A.B.B.E.H. Burkina Faso CBM VSO SHIA Advantage Africa Dutch coalition on

disability and development International Deaf

Children’s Society UK AIDS and Human

Rights Project

HEARD DHAT LVCT ADD PHOS, PROGESSIO Light for the World DPOP Power International A.F.D.B. Blind But Like You CCBRT Tanzania ECDD Ethiopia National DPOs WHO

Main actors involved

Key milestones related to disability and HIV

Decision to work

on advocacy following

evaluation of HI’s HIV project in

MozambiqueBurundi

and Kenya

2005

Meetings in Maputo, London

and Abuja

Cape Town: Launch of the

Africa Campaign on disability and

HIV by the Secretariat of

the African Decade of PWD

and HI

2007

Elaboration of the

Campaign strategy

2007-2011

Kampala declaratio

n

Dakar: Pre-ICASA meeting

Dakar: ICASA 2008

(sessions)

2008 2009 2010 2011

UNAIDS policy brief on

disability and HIV 2009

UNCRPD 2006

Vienna: IAS 2010 (disability zone and sessions)

2012

Addis: ICASA

2011and pre-ICASA

(ISC, disability

zone, sessions with

UNAIDS, peaceful

demonstration,

accessibility)

Framework on disability inclusion in NSP with UNAIDS

Washington IAS 2012

(disability zone,

sessions with

UNAIDS, accessibilit

y)

Nairobi: taking

stock of HIV and disability advocacy

UNAIDS strategy on

HIV and disability

+ Presentatio

n on inclusive

Framework with

UNAIDS

Political Declaration on HIV and

AIDS including disability

2004

Global survey on disability and HIV (WB and Yale U)

UNGASS report 2010

UNAIDS strategy 2011-2015

In 2008, the Kampala Declaration on Disability and HIV and AIDS was adopted and disseminated at ICASA Dakar 2008 in French, English and Portuguese

Key recommendations on the inclusion of disability in HIV policies and programming for African governments, AIDS organisations and services providers, AU, UN agencies, donors, researchers, universities and DPOs

After 2008-2009, many countries which were involved in the African Campaign decided to “indigenize” the Campaign at the national level, e.g. Kenya, Uganda, Mozambique and South Africa

Kampala Declaration

Spill over effect where HI is working on HIV and disability

National campaign

on disability and HIV

National campaign

on disability and HIV

National platform on

disability and HIV

National platform on

disability and HIV

Disability inclusion in American HIV NGOs

Buy in of UNAIDS and

UNWOMEN

Inclusion of persons

with disabilities

in NSPInclusion of

persons with

disabilities in NSP

Inclusion of persons

with disabilities

in NSP

Inclusion of persons

with disabilities

in NSP

Lessons learned The Campaign was composed of many various

organisations and entities; it was complicated at times to get all moving together

Leadership roles among steering committee members needed to be better defined to avoid responsibilities falling on same members

Strong coordination and communication crucial when many people from different organisations from different countries are involved

Commitment to the Campaign should have been also at institutional level and not only at individual level

Global Campaign strategy should have been clearly broken down into annual action plans with defined deliverables

Lessons learned (cont’d) Monitoring of the Campaign processes and evolutions

should have been budgeted through all Campaign members and not only relying on a few

At least one paid Campaign coordinator would have been strategic to globally coordinate and monitor Campaign activities

Campaign activities were heavily dependent on HI’s HIV projects; financial diversity is a must

It would have been strategic/important for all campaigners to systematically include the Campaign activities/budget into their own projects; hence increasing financial resources and decreasing dependency on one/few organisations

Finally, the Campaign was a great catalyst for many DPOs, NGOs and even research institutions to work on HIV and disability and spread the importance and necessity to address the rights of persons with disabilities in HIV policies and programming at national level in different Sub-Sahara African countries

Ways forwards… Since the Campaign has been already indigenized in and

adapted to the needs of many countries, it would be strategic to undertake an evaluation of its impacts

Strategic alliances on HIV and disability can be more focused by being composed of a few actors: NGO, DPO, research institute and UNAIDS, each complementing one another (not competing)

Continuity activities of this Campaign can focus on specific messages such as: Disability-related needs of PLHIV Rehabilitation services (cognitive, physical, etc.) for PLHIV

(disabled or not) Improve the inclusion of disability in national AIDS strategic

plans (NSP) and monitor the progress during the course of its implementation and at review periods, by using the Framework on disability inclusion in NSPs

Support and work closely with UNAIDS on the operationalisaiton of their strategy on HIV and disability (2012)

Lobby mainly USAID, PEPFAR, Global Fund nationally, in enhancing the reach of their “vulnerable groups/populations” by including women, men, children and youth with disabilities in relation to HIV and AIDS funding

Thanks!

Merci !

Gracias!