AEGiS-14IAC: Survival is the first freedom: The application of democracy &governance tools to HIV/AIDS prevention, care and treatment.

14th International AIDS Conference

Barcelona, Spain - July 7-12, 2002

Survival is the first freedom: The application of democracy &governance tools to HIV/AIDS prevention, care and treatment.

Int Conf AIDS 2002 Jul 7-12; 14:(abstract no. G12557)

Craun-Selka P, Groelsema R, Birke A, Syengo T, Brenny P, Liswaniso BM, Lunga L
Pact Washington, Washington DC, United States

ISSUES: At this juncture in the pandemic it is critical to ensure links between human rights and democratic processes and HIV/AIDS interventions. Such linkages will stimulate and directly support community-led multi-sectoral responses and HIV/AIDS prevention, care and treatment.

DESCRIPTION: Pact has developed, through support from the US Agency for International Development, an innovative toolkit which builds upon international best practices, uses widely available and accessable technology, and is grounded in the principle of partnerships between governament, the community, and the private sector. The toolkit addresses the interrelationship between HIV/AIDS and civil society with the goal of empowering and fostering efforts to scale-up responses to the pandemic and increase access to prevention, care and treatment services. The Toolkit focusses on the empowerment of community and civil society actors, improving community-level services and gender equality, and the mobilization of the wealth of community resources potentially available for responses to the pandemic.

ISSUES: Emphasis upon basic democracy and governance principles (human rights, citizen participation, transparency and accountability) mobilizes communities and improves services at the community level. Emphasis upon gender equality leads to positive evolutions in gender relationships. Emphasis upon improved information and knowledge through partner networks improves interventions, disseminates best practices, and improves collaboration between diverse partners.

RECOMMENDATIONS: Greater attention and investment needs to be focussed upon the empowerment of communities to apply basic principles of democracy and governance to the prevention, care and treatment of STIs and HIV/AIDS.

Keywords: AEGIS, Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome, HIV Infections, HIV Seropositivity, Democracy, Freedom, Human Rights, Health Services Needs and Demand, Human, prevention & control, therapy, mortality

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