He wonders how civil society involved in HIV action in Myanmar can raise its voice about universal access to treatment.
Four key questions below have been bolded for your consideration. Join in!
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Press Release: Civil Society Consultation on Universal Access
ICASO
18 January 2006
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Your guidance and experience is needed – a civil society consultation on Universal Access.
This is an email-based consultation with civil society organisations and networks to provide direct input into a Global Steering Committee on Universal Access (see below). All feedback should be sent to the email: universalaccess@icaso.org
In 2005 the G8 and UN Member States committed to "developing and implementing a package for HIV prevention, treatment and care with the aim of coming as close as possible to the goal of universal access to treatment by 2010 for all those who need it, including through increased resources..(sic)".
Based on this commitment, a global initiative on 'Scaling Up Towards Universal Access' has been established. UNAIDS states that the process aims to be driven by rapid, inclusive and country-owned processes for setting country-specific goals and targets to be achieved by 2010. It will involve country and regional consultations to identify priorities, opportunities and obstacles to universal access (see note at end).
A Global Steering Committee, co-chaired by UNAIDS and the UK government, has been established to initiate the process, explore global-level solutions to common obstacles, and compile country and regional inputs into a global framework for consideration by the 2006 UN General Assembly Special Session on HIV/AIDS (see the following website for more information http://www.unaids.org/en/in+focus/topic+areas/universal+access.asp). The ultimate aim is to come up with action plans and clear commitments to address obstacles to universal access at the country, regional and global levels.
There are eight civil society representatives who were invited by UNAIDS to participate in the Global Steering Committee. They are:
* Elizabeth Mataka, ZNAN, Zambia
* Gregg Gonsalves, GMHC , US
* Rodrigo Pascal, GNP+, Chile
* Susan Chong, APCASO, Malaysia
* Bob Vitillo, Caritas Internationalis, Switzerland
* Raminta Stuikyte, CEE-HRN, Lithuania
* Lillian Mworeko, ICW, Uganda
* Anandi Yuvaraj, India HIV/AIDS Alliance, India
These civil society representatives are looking for your critical guidance and input into this process to ensure that your issues are addressed directly in the Global Steering Committee. This email consultation is being run by ICASO as part of support being provided to these representatives.
The representatives are looking for your guidance and input based on the following key questions:
1. There is no agreed understanding of what is meant by universal access to prevention, treatment and care (e.g.100% access to all, access to all those that need services). What do you understand universal access to mean in your country?
2. What are the key barriers to scaling up responses to HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment and care to achieve universal access in your country by 2010? How can these be overcome?
3. Specifically, what kinds of actions are required, and by whom, in your country to overcome the barriers to addressing the following:
a) Financing and macroeconomic constraints (e.g., TRIPS, patents, budget ceilings);
b) Human resource capacity and health and social service systems constraints;
c) Access to affordable commodities and low-cost technologies (e.g., condoms, ARVs, clean needles);
d) Human rights violations, stigma and discrimination, and lack of equity (including gender).
4. What are the 5 key targets (quantity and quality) that need to be set to reach universal access to prevention, treatment and care in your country by 2010? (e.g., xxx,xxx people on ARV therapy, $x million committed to AIDS by government, compulsory license secured, civil society included in coordinating authorities).
Wherever possible, for each question please provide short descriptions of an actual experience or problem and how it was or could be overcome, and send by email any supporting materials, reports or policy statements that help support your responses to the questions above.
All feedback should be sent to the email universalaccess@icaso.org by Monday 30th January 2006.
Additional note on important dates:
* Country and Regional Consultations: December 2005 - March 2006 (you should contact the UNAIDS country and regional offices for details of these consultations http://www.unaids.org/EN/geographical+area/by+country.asp)
* 9-10 January 2006: First Global Steering Committee meeting
* 21-22 February 2006: Second Global Steering Committee meeting
* 27-28 March 2006: Third Global Steering Committee meeting
* 31 May - 2 June 2006: UN General Assembly on HIV/AIDS
For more information, please contact: universalaccess@icaso.org
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