PHA-Exch> Citizens' Campaign TOWARDS UNIVERSAL ACCESS in Asia AIDS

[Claudio Schuftan]

From: Vern Weitzel <vern.weitzel at gmail.com>
crossposted from: "[health-vn discussion group]" <health-vn at cairo.anu.edu.au
>

From:   AIDS ASIA<AIDS_ASIA at yahoogroups.com>



Global AIDS Week of Action 18-24 May, 2008. Keep the Promise of
Universal Access by 2010

Citizens' Campaign TOWARDS UNIVERSAL ACCESS in Asia

The United Nations High- Level meeting on HIV&AIDS, which is one of
the important high level political meetings on HIV&AIDS, is around
the corner. The 2008 high-level meeting on AIDS will take place at
the United Nations headquarters in New York on 10 - 11 June. It will
review progress made in implementing the 2001 Declaration of
Commitment on HIV&AIDS and the 2006 Political Declaration on HIV&AIDS.

In the context of Asia, beside series of commitments, the entire Asia
is facing an unprecedented challenge of HIV & AIDS, with possibly
huge economic and social consequences. Despite series of claims and
commitments of the governments, donors and civil society groups, a
large number of people in the region continue to face a series of
crisis. People are dying from AIDS related deaths because they have
no access to food, care, support and medicine. Those who are
struggling to escape the jaws of death are compelled to put up with
stigma, discrimination and inhuman treatments: a mockery of democracy.

The debilitating human rights condition, increasing democratic
deficit, unabated conflicts and increasing religious fundamentalism
in most of the countries in Asia pose great challenges to address the
causes and consequences of HIV & AIDS. To add, increasing
inequalities, mass exodus and exacerbating violence, particularly
against women make the issue of HIV & AIDS more complex. The
fundamental question haunting us today is, are the key stakeholders
sincere enough in fighting the epidemic?

What is GAWA?

Global AIDS Week of Action (GAWA) is an organized citizen's campaign
that takes places from 18-24 May to demand urgency, accountability
and more resources in the fight against HIV & AIDS. For the past two
years during the Global AIDS Week of Action, activists have organized
actions in over 30 countries to hold world leaders accountable on
their landmark commitment to fight AIDS made at the United National
General Assembly Special Session on AIDS (UNGASS) in 2001.

The Global AIDS Week of Action from 18-24 May 2008 is an opportunity
for activists around the world to stand together, generate political
pressure and demand action from our leaders. The week starts with the
International AIDS Candlelight Memorial Day on 18 May "a Sunday when
the world recognizes and remembers those who have died of AIDS. The
week of action is just two weeks before a high level meeting at the
UN discusses the progress made by each of our governments in the
fight against AIDS.

The Universal Access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support
by 2010 is still a distant dream. Thus, the Asian People's Alliance
for Combating HIV&AIDS (APACHA) urges government, donors and civil
society groups to meet their commitments to the Universal Access by
2010. As in the past APACHA encourages its partners, country
chapters, alliance members, and all like minded actors to actively
participate in the GAWA campaign to have our say and make the
concerned agencies more accountable. APACHA is also part of global
coalition on GAWA Campaign.

...we call...

• Governments to immediately introduce humanitarian relief programs
for PLHA in poor families in Asia.

• To redefine and implement long term development programs that
address the structural causes of the epidemic and to allocate enough
resource.

• To strengthen public health care systems with special focus to HIV
& AIDS treatment and care.

• To ensure just and democratic governance in HIV & AIDS related
interventions from global to local levels.

• To ensure political and meaningful participation of PLHA and other
communities in decision making processes.

• To ensure the governance mechanism of CCM through the transparent
and democratic processes.

• To strengthen monitoring and evaluation systems to ensure the
effectiveness of the ongoing programs, their transparency and
accountability. Promote social audits.

• Governments and donors to promote development strategies based on
the needs and experience of people and local realities. We call for
strengthening of national policy making, based on nationally defined
needs and priorities that are decided through the political
participation of PLHA, vulnerable communities and civil society.

• Governments to fully recognize the centrality of gender equality
and equity in over all HIV & AIDS planning, implementation and
monitoring processes. We call for donors and governments to promote
women's rights and end violence against women.

• Governments for a commitment for the reduction in military
spending, and give priority to public health and HIV & AIDS.

• To end stigma and discrimination and ensure legislative measures to
protect the rights of PLHA and other marginalized communities to lead
a dignified life.

• Provide responsible care and quality treatment to persons living
with HIV & AIDS.

• International donors and governments to take immediate action for
fair and transparent aid, and to meet the commitments of debt
cancellation.

• For the increase in financial support for the Universal Access
Target by 2010. In addition, sustained and predictable funding for
the Global Fund to fight AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria must be
assured.

• No TRIPS. Guarantee the free access of HIV & AIDS related medicines
including ART for people living with HIV & AIDS. Ensure public health
rights take precedence over pharmaceutical patents.

• Governments to take actions for the reform of the multilateral
system of governance and the strengthening and democratization of the
United Nations a reform of the World Bank, IMF and other
International Financial Institutions, together with the WTO to adhere
to these principles.

• Governments to ensure that engagement with civil society in the
process of decision making - nationally, regionally and at the
international level - is effectively facilitated.

• Governments to ensure the rights of migrant workers

• To promote multi-sectoral approach ensuring enough resource,
capacity and coordination. As MDG provides a ground to systematically
develop links among eight goals, it could be one of the best possible
alternatives.

• Civil society, business sector, political parties, religious
leaders, trade unions, student unions and all other networks and
individuals to reflect, and realize the urgency of the epidemic and
to take immediate actions to mobilize themselves and their respective
constituencies to protect the rights of the people and to make a
better Asia, a citizen's Asia.

Asian People's Alliance to Combat HIV and AIDS (APACHA)
e-mail: secretariat.asia at apachanet.org
www.apachanet.org
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