HRH and UNAIDS Special Representative, the
Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway during her
arrival to the Xochiquetzal Foundation with the
Director of the organization, Mrs. Hazel Fonseca. 

As part of an official visit to Nicaragua to learn more about the impact AIDS is having on women, UNAIDS Special Representative, HRH the Crown Princess of Norway visited a grassroots AIDS organisation working on issues of human rights and the sexual and reproductive rights of women and children.

The visit to Fundación Xochiquetzal was part of a four-day advocacy mission to the region for the Crown Princess during which she will be engaging with different groups and individuals involved in the AIDS response and participating in events organised at the 5th Central American Congress on AIDS (CONCASIDA). The visit aims to raise awareness about how AIDS is increasingly affecting women and girls in Latin America and the Caribbean and to help step up efforts to eliminate the widespread stigma and discrimination against people living with HIV in the region.

During her visit to the foundation, the Crown Princess talked to the group members about her concerns regarding gender inequalities and poverty present in Central America and expressed her support for the foundation’s efforts to raise awareness and educate people about HIV.

HRH and UNAIDS Special Representative, the
Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway sharing with
children of the San Jose Oriental Neighborhood
during her field visit to the Xochiquetzal Foundation.

Fundación Xochiquetzal was created as a non-profit organisation in 1990, and focuses on education and research about HIV, social communication, HIV prevention and care and support for people living with HIV. Programmes are aimed at both young women and men, children and adolescents in situations of commercial sexual exploitation, people living with HIV, sex workers, men who have sex with men, staff of state institutions, non-governmental organizations and the private sector.

HRH the Crown Princess expressed her appreciation the Xochiquetzal Foundation’s work to support people living with HIV and heralded the commitment and professionalism of the members working for the organisation.

She also reiterated the importance of community participation in the AIDS response and called for efforts to help women have a stronger voice and more presence at the leadership level.

More on Fundación Xochiquetzal

During the past 16 years, Fundación Xochiquetzal, has undertaken a wide range of social projects in the cities of Managua, Estelí, Somoto, Ocotal, Jinotega, Matagalpa, Masaya, Granada, Carazo, León y Chinandega.

Xochiquetzal also provides legal advisory support, defending and promoting the human rights of people living with HIV. Its strategy focuses on coordinating and advocating with different sectors in order to promote free sexuality and respect of human rights for people living with HIV, as well as developing studies whose evidence leads to a better perception of risk and behavioural change among target populations in regards to sexually transmitted infections including HIV.

The impact of HIV in Central America: The United Nations Report
United Nations agencies and programs are committed to taking all the necessary measures to intensify Central America’s response to the HIV epidemic. This announcement was made by the Regional Directors for Latin America and the Caribbean of UNAIDS and UNICEF, participating in the 5th Central American Congress on HIV – CONCASIDA 2007.
Read press release ( en | es )

UNAIDS Executive Director's opening speech

UNAIDS Executive Director Dr Peter Piot gave one of the key note speeches at the official opening ceremony of CONCASIDA. During his speech he highlighted the need to deal with the tough issues that lie at the core of the AIDS epidemic in Central America and called for strong and exceptional leadership on AIDS.
Read UNAIDS Executive Director's opening speech ( en | es )
Listen to UNAIDS Executive Director's opening speech (mp3, 2.2 Mb, recorded on location)
View photo gallery

Princess of Norway visits grassroots AIDS organization

As part of an official visit to Nicaragua to learn more about the impact AIDS is having on women, UNAIDS Special Representative, HRH the Crown Princess of Norway visited a grassroots AIDS organisation working on human rights and the sexual and reproductive rights of women and children.
Read more
View photo gallery

Second meeting of the Americas on AIDS, prisons and confinement

One of the key meetings taking place in the framework of the V Central American Congress on AIDS (CONCASIDA) was the Second meeting of the Americas on AIDS, prisons and confinement which was held in Managua on 4th and 5th November. Read more

CONCASIDA 2007

The 5th Central American Congress on HIV is being held in Managua, Nicaragua, from 4-9 November. Over 1,500 participants are expected to attend the Congress including representatives from governments, the United Nations, people living with HIV, women’s organizations, religious groups and the private sector. Read more

One of the main aims of the Congress
will be to evaluate the progress made
on the ‘San Salvador declaration’

The 5th Central American Congress on HIV (CONCASIDA) is being held in Managua, Nicaragua, from 4-9 November.

The 1,500 participants attending the congress include Dr Peter Piot, Executive Director of UNAIDS, UNAIDS Special Representative HRH the Crown Princess of Norway, people living with HIV, regional Health Ministers, representatives from civil society, women’s organizations, religious organizations and the private sector. Dr Piot will give a keynote speech during the official inauguration ceremony.

As well as a strong focus on scientific developments, sharing lessons learnt and best practices, one of the main aims of the Congress will be to evaluate the progress made on the ‘San Salvador declaration’—a commitment signed in November 2005 by seven Central American countries pledging to ensure that AIDS is included as a high priority on regional agendas. 

Other meetings taking place within the framework of CONCASIDA include the Council of Central American Health Ministers who will meet to discuss policies and strategies to strengthen the AIDS response in the region and the 5th Central American Meeting of People Living with HIV which is being held over two days and where participants will share experiences and debate on issues pertinent to the AIDS response including human rights, children, stigma and discrimination, gender, sexual diversity, nutrition, communication and ethics.

The CONCASIDA congress will provide an important platform for discussion on AIDS in the region ahead of the 2008 International AIDS Conference which will take place in Mexico City in August next year.

First Ladies and women leaders from Latin America
and UNAIDS Deputy Executive Director Deborah
Landey joined forces in the response to AIDS in the
region. Photo credit: UNAIDS

The Coalition of First Ladies and Women Leaders of Latin America on HIV held its third meeting in San Pedro Sula, Honduras on Friday 26 October to discuss the growing rates of HIV infection among women in Latin America and the impact of AIDS on women in the region.

Participants included the First Ladies of Honduras, Mexico, Dominican Republic and El Salvador, the First Ladies’ representative of Suriname, representatives from Ministries of Health, parliamentarians, representatives from the International Coalition of Women and civil society organizations including women living with HIV.

They expressed their firm commitment to take action in response to the AIDS epidemic. This commitment was reaffirmed by Deborah Landey, Deputy Executive Director UNAIDS, who gave a keynote speech at the meeting. “We must demonstrate and promote strong and sustained leadership, throughout the region, to place women at the centre of the agenda. Not mainstreamed. Not sidelined. At the centre,” she said.

Participants discussed ways of implementing the “action platform” which was approved at the last meeting of the Coalition held in Buenos Aires in April 2007. The “action platform” is a strategy designed to mitigate the impact of AIDS in the region, particularly in the context of universal access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support, and which promotes women rights in a supportive environment, free of stigma and discrimination. 

Also present at the meeting was the President of the Republic of Honduras, His Excellency Manuel Zelaya Rosales, who delivered a strong message to the participants emphasising the urgent need to address gender inequalities for an effective response to AIDS.

The Coalition of First Ladies and Women Leaders of Latin America, chaired by the First Lady of Honduras Her Excellency Xiomara Castro de Zelaya and supported by UNAIDS and UNFPA, was established in New York on June 2nd 2006, in the context of a parallel meeting of the 26th Special Session of the United Nations General Assembly.

The Coalition is the first initiative of its kind in the region. It involves First Ladies and women leaders in an alliance committed to advocating for stronger political leadership and resource mobilization to make universal access a reality, and reduce the vulnerability of women to AIDS in Latin American countries.

Dr. César Antonio Núñez, UNAIDS
Regional Director for Latin
America, underlined the
importance of the spending
assessment tool for generating
strategic information for decision
making.

Understanding the magnitude of spending on AIDS programmes, the sources of such funding, and the activities supported by such expenditures is critically important to policymakers, programme planners, and international donors. Effective resource monitoring helps identify gaps in the response, improves the strategic ability of countries and donors to target resources most effectively, and helps measure the degree to which words of commitment on AIDS are matched by financial resources.

Working towards better tracking of AIDS spending in countries in Latin America, more than 50 representatives from the region joined in Panama for a specialist workshop designed to underline changes in the technical classification process for tracking AIDS spending and help countries make better use of the UNAIDS-designed National AIDS Spending Assessment (NASA) tool for their analysis.

Organized by UNAIDS, through its Regional Support Team for Latin America and the International Center for Technical Cooperation on AIDS (ICTC), the workshop also served as a platform for discussing challenges and problems faced by countries when implementing the spending assessments.

NASA is a methodology that identifies financing flows directed to HIV prevention and health care for AIDS. It also identifies funds directed to activities on education, social development and social security that are related to AIDS. The information provided through NASA helps identify how funds are being channeled to different groups of people and geographically which assists with the development of National Strategic Plans and advocacy actions.

Dr. César Antonio Núñez, UNAIDS Regional Director for Latin America, underlined the importance of the spending assessment tool for generating strategic information for decision making. “This is critical for countries to identify if the spending of their resources, both national and external, is undertaken in populations and areas recognized as priorities,” he said.

Carlos Passarelli, ICTC Director, emphasized that “the Centre supports this joint effort of countries in improving their capacities on planning and administration of resources because this is key for the sustainability of AIDS responses in the region”.

International politicians seeking guidance on how to better prevent and treat HIV joined community health workers in Brazil as they made their house calls. 

As part of the activities of the newly-set up Inter-Parliamentary (IPU) advisory group on HIV/ AIDS, parliamentarians from India, Uganda, South Africa and Sweden chose to visit Brazil for their first field trip, given the country’s reputation for best practice on AIDS issues. Access to free health care is written into Brazil’s constitution and the energetic, multisectoral AIDS response has made a real impact on the epidemic.

By not focusing specifically on HIV the health workers create an atmosphere of confidentiality and understanding.

By not focusing specifically on HIV the health
workers created an atmosphere of confidentiality
and understanding.

In Sao Paulo, community health teams learn how to introduce the subjects of contraception and HIV prevention as part of general discussions on health. They then make regular door-to-door visits in low income neighbourhoods.  

“What impressed me about the Brazilian approach is ensuring that universal access to free health care is enshrined in their constitution, Being able to provide the same standards of care to all citizens irrespective of their status in society is something to emulate,” said Dr Elidoa Tumwesigye,” head of Uganda’s Parliamentary Committee on HIV/AIDS.

“Everyone was impressed. By not focusing specifically on HIV the healthworkers created an atmosphere of confidentiality and understanding - this made it easier for people to come forward and seek further information about their HIV status,” said James Jennings of the IPU.

The visit was organised by the Brazilian Congress International Advisory, supported by the Brazilian National AIDS Programme, UNAIDS and UNDP. The IPU group also met the Minister of Health Jose Gomes Temporao and attended a special debate organised by the parliamentary committee on social welfare and the family.   

“This mission happens in a strategic moment, in which all efforts are intensifying to guarantee the universal access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support 2010. The participation of legislators is essential and Brazil has an important experience to share on this theme” said Luiz Loures, UNAIDS Associate Director for Global Initiatives.  

In Brazil, 50 Parliamentarians from across the political divide have formed the “Parliamentary Front for Health.” They work together to ensure AIDS is kept high on the political agenda and to break down prejudice and stigma.

Legislators in the AIDS response 

The global objective of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) advisory group on HIV/AIDS is to learn how different legislatures approach the subject of HIV. Politicians within the group aim to learn from each other’s experience in different contexts and settings.  

“In some countries it’s not even acceptable to talk about it. You can’t legislate about something if you can’t even discuss it,” Mr Jennings pointed out.

Politicians within the Inter-Parliamentary Union advisory group on HIV/AIDS aim to learn from each other’s experience in different contexts and settings.

Politicians within the Inter-Parliamentary Union
advisory group on HIV/AIDS aim to learn from each
other’s experience in different contexts and settings.

Marco Aurélio da Silva from the National Network of People living with HIV/AIDS (RNP+ Brazil) called on parliamentarians to increase their active participation in the AIDS response. 

“The inclusion of legislators in AIDS debates and their participation is very welcome. This partnership is extremely important”.    

For example, he said that most people living with HIV were on social security. “We need the intervention of legislators in order to guarantee our ability to remain at work”.  

A new edition of a handbook on HIV for legislators will be launched at the first IPU Global Parliamentary Conference on HIV to be held in Manila in November, just before World AIDS Day.  

“The full engagement of parliaments in their respective countries is crucial to ensure the appropriate responses to AIDS and secure the necessary resources to support them”, said Eduardo Barbosa, Deputy Director of the National AIDS Programme in Brazil, who was actively involved in the organization of the Brazilian IPU visit.

Homophobia is posing a critical challenge to
moving the AIDS response forward.

Widespread homophobia is posing a critical challenge to the AIDS response in many countries around the world. The International Day Against Homophobia (May 17) shines a spotlight on the urgent need for joint efforts to reduce and end discrimination, violence and criminalization based on sexual orientation.

Men who have sex with men, women who have sex with women and transgender people are all too often faced with stigma, discrimination and violence. These malevolent acts are contributing to the spread of HIV by creating an environment of isolation and exclusion which is preventing people from seeking vital HIV-related information and health services.

Today, around 85 member states of the United Nations consider homosexuality a criminal act and a small number of these countries carry the death penalty. The criminalization of homosexuality instigates widespread fear and shame, forcing people to hide their sexuality, often living in traditional partnerships and practicing in secret for fear of prosecution. Where people cannot live openly and disclose their sexuality the risk of HIV infection is often greatly enhanced as people are too afraid to access HIV prevention services for fear of repercussions or, as is the case in many countries, those services simply don’t exist.

For UNAIDS, the decriminalization of homosexuality and the eradication of violence against sexual minorities has been underlined as fundamental for progress within the AIDS response. At an international consultation on male sexual health held in New Delhi, India in September 2006, UNAIDS’ Director of Policy, Evidence and Partnerships, Purnima Mane stressed, "We have to ensure that homosexuality is decriminalized everywhere, and that homophobia, discrimination and violence against sexual minorities and women are made illegal and socially unacceptable,” she said.

However, progress is being seen, a number of governments are now advocating for the rights of homosexuals, in compliance with numerous international standards such as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights or the Charter of the United Nations.

Since Brazil first presented the draft resolution to the United Nation’s Commission on Human Rights in 2003, advocating against any kind of discrimination based on the ground of sexual orientation or gender identity, over 50 countries have publicly supported this agreement. But still more needs to be done.

“We have to face homophobia in bold and innovative ways. We all know that as long as a society is homophobic there is no way that there can be an effective AIDS response for men who have sex with men [and other sexual minorities]," said Purnima Mane.

Venezuela celebrates ‘A Day Against Homophobia’

Each year, HIV awareness raising activities take place around the world on the International Day Against Homophobia. In Venezuela, UNAIDS is taking part in one such activity by promoting the "Guide on human rights, health and HIV: a strategic guide to prevent and fight discrimination due to sexual orientation or gender identity". This document was prepared by the International Centre for Technical Cooperation on HIV/AIDS, UNAIDS and the Horizontal Group of Technical Cooperation and was recently launched at the IV Latin American and Caribbean Forum on HIV/AIDS held in Buenos Aires.

Venezuela ’s "Day Against Homophobia" celebrations will take place in Merida, a western Andean city that hosts one of the most active and solid Venezuelan civil society networks, the “Merida League Against HIV and AIDS”.

As well as the distribution of the guide, UNAIDS and the Merida League will hold an interactive workshop that will cover basic concepts on sexuality, sexual human rights, and vulnerability to HIV.

“This is the second year in a row that Venezuela celebrates the International Day against Homophobia with activities that raise awareness on this important issue.  In accordance with regional initiatives, the launching of this guide, particularly among youth, will promote respect and tolerance towards the gay, lesbian and transsexual community,” said UNAIDS Country Coordinator Venezuela Libsen Rodríguez-Adrian.

Links:

Read Press Release ( en | sp )

Guide on human rights, health and HIV: strategic guide to prevent and fight discrimination due to sexual orientation or gender identity ( sp )

Read the State of Homophobia, ( en | sp ) published by the International Lesbian and Gay Association (ILGA), or visit their website at http://www.ilga.org/

Watch ILGA's video "A Day Against Homophobia" (mpeg, 3,840kb)

Read the Yogyakarta Principles ( en )

Read the International human rights references to human rights violations on the grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity

More than 4,000 people participated in the four-day
forum that came to a close on 20 April 2007 in
Buenos Aires.

The IV Latin American and Caribbean Forum on HIV/AIDS and STD’s came to a close on 20 April 2007 in Buenos Aires. More than 4,000 people participated in the four-day forum where people living with HIV, civil society groups, non-governmental and governmental institutions, academia, media and UN agency representatives came together to share ideas and discuss challenges and opportunities in the response to AIDS and sexually transmitted diseases in the region.

“This forum has been instrumental in increasing the visibility of the AIDS epidemic in the region,” said Dr. Cesar A. Nunez, UNAIDS Regional Director for Latin America.

Dr. Karen Sealey UNAIDS Regional Director for Caribbean added, “During this forum Governments, civil society and strategic partners have been called upon to continue unifying efforts and resources in the response to HIV in the region.”

Dr. Cesar Nunez, UNAIDS Regional
Director for Latin America
highlighted the role of the forum in
increasing the visibility of the AIDS
epidemic in the region.

The International Centre for Technical Cooperation on HIV/AIDS (ICTC) a joint Brazil/UNAIDS initiative played a key role in organizing satellite sessions and side meetings focusing on commitment to providing technical assistance to countries and civil society groups in the region. The event also provided the setting for a meeting of the Coalition of First Ladies and Leader Women on AIDS.

Argentina ’s Minister of Health, Dr. Ginés González García and Dr. Mirta Roses, Director of the Pan American Health Organization underlined their commitment to overcome the challenges in the response to AIDS during their speeches at the closing ceremony.

“ Argentina will continue working with the countries of the region in finding the best prices for the drugs needed in order to improve access to treatment,” said Dr. González García. “Only these actions will help achieve the goals we have for the upcoming years,” he added.

Dr. Roses, speaking on behalf of the United Nations agencies said, “HIV has to be taken to the highest point in the political agenda, if not, our response will be too late. Poverty and social inequities relating to gender and ethnic groups need to be addressed as issues that are fuelling the AIDS epidemic in our region.”

The forum has been an excellent platform
 to share ideas and discuss challenges in
the response to AIDS in the region.

One of the important considerations at the forum was the discussion around the topical issue of male circumcision as an additional HIV prevention tool. Participants were united in recommending that male circumcision should not be seen as a stand alone prevention method and that it should only be considered and recommended as part of a comprehensive prevention package which should include correct and consistent use of condoms and a reduction in the number of sexual partners.

The forum is a bi annual initiative of the Horizontal Group of Technical Cooperation. It´s organising committee includes representatives of the regional civil society networks: ICW LATINA, REDTRASEX, ASICAL, REDLA+, MLCM+, REDLARD, LACASSO, REDLACTRANS.

The main outcomes included;

• Strengthening HIV prevention and promoting sexual health
• Ensuring that human rights for children and young people are integrated into the HIV response in the region
• Increasing HIV prevention programmes for people at higher risk of HIV infection including; men who have sex with men, sex workers, transpopulations, prisoners and people who inject drugs
• Generating public policies that guarantee gender identity and the reduction of stigma, as well as policies on human rights vulnerabilities such as poverty, ethnic groups and gender
• Strengthening the inclusion and participation of women in the response to the epidemic
• Promoting the monitoring and evaluation of access to treatment
• Reinforcing epidemiological surveillance and including civil society in the processes
• Setting targets towards the 2010 goal of universal access
• Ensuring adequate strategic planning, the will to ensure the mobilization of funds for implementation and successful monitoring and evaluation in countries

During the closing session, Andrés Leibovich, President of Foro 2007, made a symbolic transfer of the forum’s organising committee to representatives from Peru, who will be hosting the V Latin American and Caribbean Forum in 2009. The Peruvian delegation was headed by Dr. José Luis Mesones, Peru’s National Aids Coordinator.

L-R: D. Fontana, Head of National Aids Programme
for Argentina; L. Loures, UNAIDS Headquarters; G.
González, Health Minister Argentina and P. Perez,
ICW Latin, during the opening of the FORO 2007.

Some 4,000 people are attending the IV Latin American and Caribbean Forum on HIV/AIDS and STD’s which opened in Buenos Aires on 17 April. Participants include people living with HIV, civil society groups, non-governmental and governmental institutions, academia, the media, UN agency representatives and the private sector.

Prior to the official opening ceremony UNAIDS held a satellite on universal access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support where sessions included a review of progress in the region, challenges and ways forward in planning and costing, and sustainable financing for scaling up universal access.

Luiz Loures from UNAIDS Secretariat during his
intervention at the inaugural session of the FORO
2007.

Speaking from the conference, Luiz Loures, from UNAIDS Secretariat said, “Great work is being done in the region on scaling up towards universal access and we are seeing a real increase in commitment from leaders in all sectors of the AIDS response. But we urgently need to continue building on this action. The forum is giving us a platform to share ideas and put together new strategies to really move the AIDS response forward in Latin America and the Caribbean.”

Conference organisers outlined the main focus of the forum as being to:

• Contribute to and increase public awareness on the impact of the AIDS epidemic in the Latin American and Caribbean regions.
• Highlight recent successes, as well as outlining the challenges faced in the region and ways to overcome them.
• Contribute to increasing political commitment and accountability based on experience acquired in the region.
• Contribute to the reduction of AIDS-related stigma and discrimination.
• Strengthen capacity of those working in the field of AIDS.
• Promote the greater participation of all the social actors in response to the epidemic.

Ginés González, Health Minister of Argentina ,
during his speech at the launch of the FORO 2007

Nearly 2 million people are living with HIV in Latin America and the Caribbean where HIV transmission is occurring in the context of factors common to most of the region; widespread poverty and migration, insufficient information about epidemic trends outside major urban areas and rampant homophobia. Cesar Nunez, UNAIDS’ Regional Director for Latin America said, “One of the main aims of this conference is to discuss ways of reducing stigma and discrimination surrounding people living with HIV which is unfortunately still a major problem in the region.”

Expanding on the theme ‘Latin America and the Caribbean: United in diversity towards universal access’ , Andrés Leibovich, president of the organizing committee of Foro 2007 said, “The respect of diversity is the foundation of all democratic life. It is for that reason that in Latin America and the Caribbean we want to join together and build a society where inclusion and justice are real. This is why we are calling for universal access to education to help prevent new HIV infections, and for people living with HIV to be able to exercise their rights to access antiretroviral treatment and live with dignity.”

Links:

For more information please visit the official Forum website at http://www.forovihsida2007.org/

“He is clapping from wherever he is,” Maria Lucia Araujo said emotionally of what her son, Cazuza’s reaction would be to the children’s home “Viva Cazuza” which was founded in his name.

Cazuza, one of Brazil's best-known solo artists, died in 1990 of an AIDS-related illness in Rio de Janeiro at the age of 32. Today, 65 children living with HIV are being supported by Sociedade Viva Cazuza, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping children living with HIV which is funded by royalties from his songs.

In February 1989, Cazuza became the first Brazilian celebrity to announce publicly that he was HIV positive. In the October after his death, Maria Lucia Araujo founded the home for children living with HIV.

Lucia Araujo didn’t know anything about HIV or AIDS when she learnt of her son’s diagnosis. “When he first told me that he was HIV positive I assumed that he would recover within the year,” she said. Her son’s death transformed her life. Married to a wealthy husband she had no need to work, but she had to do something. “I would have gone mad,” she said. “I couldn’t have slept if I hadn’t done anything.”

So she opened the home, the first of its kind in Rio. Since its opening, the organization has helped 67 children. As the availability of antiretroviral drugs has improved so has the children’s health. “The children go to local schools and have an active life just like any of the other children in the area,” said Lucia Araujo.

UNAIDS estimates that globally there are around 2.3 million children under 15 years old infected with HIV and according to a recent report by UNICEF, some 15.2 million children under the age of 18 have lost one or both parents to AIDS.

“There is a real need to support children living with HIV in Brazil,” said Dr. Laurent Zessler, UNAIDS Country Coordinator in Brazil. “We must make sure these children are not discriminated against. Children living with HIV are able to stay in school and live full and active lives, HIV shouldn’t be allowed to take away their childhoods,” he added. 

“Since my son died the nature of the virus has changed a great deal; it is no longer a gay man’s disease, now more and more women are affected. They often have no idea that they are HIV positive and pass it to their children without knowing,” Maria Lucia said.

Children come to the house through many different avenues. One of the 24 children currently living in the house is 15-year-old Danielle who arrived 10 years ago with her sister after her mother died and her father was unable to cope. During her stay she has built up a good relationship with her father and hopes to live with him again someday.

Paraguayan Jose was found at the age of three abandoned and very sick in a hospital on the Paraguayan border. Now, nine-year-old Jose wants to be a film director.

The organisation also supports young adults who have left the home. Once a week, the home’s clinic is open for HIV positive adults to collect their antiretroviral drugs. As with all Brazilians who are HIV positive, antiretroviral treatment is provided free of charge by the government.

Besides material support, Sociedade Viva Cazuza also operates a Web site where people can ask experts about AIDS issues. The experts receive around 12,000 questions a month. Maria Lucia is shocked by the questions still being asked 20 years after AIDS first arrived in Brazil. “The most common questions are still – how do I contract the disease? How can I protect myself from contracting the disease?” she said. “It is not like Cancer where the experts still are not sure what causes it or how to prevent it – to prevent AIDS it’s simple – use a condom.”

Maria Lucia has become a prominent spokesperson on AIDS appearing regularly on television. She believes her son’s heritage is not only ‘his beautiful songs’ but also the home, by being open about HIV and appearing in public as the illness progressed. “He did a lot to educate people and help reduce discrimination against people living with HIV,” she said.