PHA-Exchange> Asian People?s Alliance for Combating HIV/ AIDS (APACHA)

[Joe Thomas]

Asian People’s Alliance for Combating HIV/ AIDS (APACHA)

 

The battle against HIV/AIDS in Asia received a new boost with health activists, people living with HIV/AIDS, social workers, trade unions, student movements and professionals from across Asia launching a new multi-sectoral Asian voluntary initiative to combat HIV/AIDS.

 

The new initiative, Asian People’s Alliance for Combating HIV & AIDS (APACHA), aims to bring together positive people’s networks, NGOs, International NGOs, trade unions and other associations in a multi sectoral partnership. 

 

At the end of a  day-long meeting over 60 participants from across the world representing various organizations and networks unanimously approved the formation of APACHA.

The participant of this meeting were from Bangladesh, China, Cambodia, India, Vietnam, Iran, Palestine, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Nepal, Pakistan, East Timor, the Philippines, Thailand and Australia. Besides, there were representatives of Ecuador, the UK and Zimbabwe who took part in the meeting. 

 

A working group was empowered to develop a work plan and appropriate structures and by laws to take this initiative forward. The working group was asked to present a detailed work plan and recommendations on an appropriate organizational strategy at a follow up meeting to be held in December. 

 

APACHA is envisaged as an Asian alliance that amplifies the voice to marginal groups who bear the brunt of the HIV infection. “In this violent world, we feel powerless as individuals. But we can feel empowered when we see that issues that worry us become a common concern,” said Prof Surichi Wun Gaeo of Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, who chaired the meeting.

 

The meeting was jointly organized by People’s Health Movement (PHM) and ActionAid Asia. “PHM will be an enthusiastic partner. We promise to work in countries like Camboida, and other places where we have a live network,”  said Dr Prem Chandran John, a senior PHM representative from India.

 

“HIV/AIDS is a deeply political issue,” said John Samuel, Director (Asia) of ActionAid International. “Unequal and unjust equations are perpetuated while dealing with this issue, and discrimination in its worst forms are practiced.”

 

“HIV/AIDS is closed linked with poverty. Poverty contributes to it and it, in turn, perpetuates poverty. It denies peoples’ right to equity, right to live in dignity and it deepens the divides along caste, gender and class lines.”

 

“It is a historic moment,” said Joe Thomas, an AIDS expert currently working in Australia, one of the initiators of the APACHA concept. “This regional multi sectoral response to HIV/AIDS is historical in many aspects by developing new alliances hitherto were not part of regional/National HIV/AIDS response, new understanding about public health practice, and placing health as a basic human right.”

 

“HIV/AIDS is a health equity issue. The question is how we can challenge and break institutional barriers and inertia,” Dr. Thomas said.  “We are trying to develop a multi sectroal regional HIV/AIDS response by  providing a galvanizing space for people living with HIV/AIDS, student movements, trade unions, mainstream health activists, human rights activist, and community groups” Thomas added.

 

According to Mr. Elango, the representative of Indian network of people living with HIV/AIDS, who participated in the conference, “a regional multisectoral response to HIV/AIDS is imperative”. APACHA is filling this much needed community response to HIV/AIDS in Asia

 

The newly formed alliance is planning to host country specific membership drive and programs focusing on access to treatment, AIDS governance and  addressing the issue of HIV vulnerability in it’s broader  gender, social, political structural, policy context.

 

The participants of the APACHA meeting endorsed a people’s charter on HIV/AIDS as it’s campaign tool. The charter is a consensus document that amplifies the voices of the people affected, infected, living with and suffering from HIV/AIDS.

  

Immediately after the meeting on 9th July  and again on 13th July the 24 member regional working group met to discuss about the follow up activities. The working group discussed about the work plan including the proposed structures and membership of APACHA, modalities of inviting additional members, developing terms and references of the working group, developing national representative structures of APACHA and the details of the follow up meeting. Three sub-committees for communication, work plan and membership and co-ordination were formed. 

 

For further details of APACHA, proposed follow up, expression of interest of membership  please contact the ad-hoc coordinators of APACHA though the following e-mail

 

hiv at phmovement.org

apacha at iche.org.au

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