A new international award celebrating community action on AIDS was launched today on World AIDS Day to honour grassroots leadership in fighting the AIDS epidemic.

GENEVA, 15 July 2010—Five United Nations agencies—UNICEF, UNFPA, WHO, UNAIDS, and UNDP—express concern that health and social workers have suffered as a result of their professional activities in the response to HIV in several countries in eastern Europe and central Asia.

Persecution, criminal investigation, arrests and sentencing of HIV activists as well as health and social workers affect not only the lives of the people involved but also discourage other activists and professionals, and deprive societies of some of the most valuable and vital resources in the response to the epidemic—people’s commitment and energy at the community level.

Health, social and outreach workers are at the front line of the response to HIV, providing critical assistance to the hundreds of thousands of people who need it. They also help countries meet their goals and obligations in the HIV response, linking government efforts with the most vulnerable to HIV—young people and populations at high risk of infection.

In several countries of eastern Europe and central Asia, health and social workers and volunteers have been prosecuted because of their professional activities—activities they felt compelled to carry out in order to save lives, as the epidemic does not wait for societies to adjust and re-examine principles and approaches.

The activities of these practitioners have been guided by scientific evidence on how best to achieve good public health outcomes. Often challenging taboos, health and social workers inform adolescents about the behaviours that lead to HIV infection, help injecting drug users through harm reduction activities, support prevention programmes for sex workers and men who have sex with men, and work in oral substitution centres for drug users or in health facilities in conditions that are far from perfect.

Eastern Europe and central Asia is the only region in the world where new HIV infections remain on the rise. The contribution of these front-line practitioners is essential in responding to the epidemic in the region. They need the support and protection of authorities, and their basic human rights must be ensured.

The UN agencies urge governments to acknowledge the critical role of health and social workers in the prevention and treatment of HIV infection and to better understand the complexity of their work. We appeal to the governments of the region to bring an end to counterproductive persecution and harassment, to discontinue procedures that hamper their work and release those who have been detained.

Biennial global award celebrates outstanding community leadership and action on AIDS

New York, July 12. Twenty-five community-based organisations representing 17 countries across the globe have won the 2010 Red Ribbon Award.

The Red Ribbon Award, named after the global symbol in the movement to address AIDS, is a joint effort of the UNAIDS family.  The award recognizes outstanding community organisations for their work in reducing the spread and impact of AIDS.

“Grassroots and community based organizations are at the heart of the global response to AIDS,” said UNAIDS Deputy Executive Director, Management & External Relations Jan Beagle, “UNAIDS is proud to celebrate and honor these groups who have mobilized themselves to meet the needs of the most vulnerable in their communities with energy, passion, and compassion. The red ribbon award winners give a resounding voice to the voiceless.”

Each of the winning organizations receives a cash award and international recognition for their innovation and leadership in responding to the AIDS epidemic.  The organizations are invited to participate in the XVIII International AIDS Conference held in Vienna next week where they will be guests of honour at a formal Award Ceremony and will host a forum for dialogue and exchange between policy makers and community representatives.

 “Communities really hold the key to finding solutions to their own problems," said Dr. Helene Gayle, President and CEO of CARE, and a member of this year's jury panel.  "So while those of us with a lot of outside expertise may know the theories, community organizations are best suited to reach those most in need when it comes to applying them.”

Out of 720 nominations from over 100 countries, the 25 winners were judged to have demonstrated the most remarkable efforts in terms of innovation, impact, sustainability, strategic partnerships, gender sensitivity and social inclusion.  The winners were selected by a Technical Review Committee of civil society representatives who are experts in the community response to HIV.

“These organizations clearly demonstrate that effective responses to the epidemic require the full participation of front-line, community-based groups.  Community groups recognize that AIDS is one of many issues that are tied together.  They understand that AIDS requires an exceptional response but they also understand that you need to link AIDS to broader issues of health, development and justice to be effective,” said Jeffrey O’Malley, Director of the HIV/AIDS Practice at UNDP.

UNDP is honoured to announce the 2010 Red Ribbon Award Winners:

AFRICA

Association Pénitentiaire Africaine is an organization in Burkina Faso that has served as a model for raising awareness of prisoners' human rights, specifically the right to health, which includes HIV prevention, treatment, care and support.

Center for Domestic Violence Prevention works at the civil society and government levels in Uganda to build an environment that is supportive of women’s rights to safety and equality, underlying issues behind women’s vulnerability to HIV in that nation.

Chrysalide  operates a centre  of support for women with HIV, drug users, sex workers and ex-prisoners, and has through HIV prevention and sensitization programmes reduced stigma and discrimination experienced by people living with HIV in communities throughout Mauritius.

Elan d’Amour has played a catalytic role in improving access to HIV treatment and care by modelling how to integrate community organizations into the health care system of Cote d’Ivoire.

Nikat Women’s Association is the first community-based association in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia that is devoted to improving the living conditions of low-income women and commercial sex workers, thereby fighting poverty and protecting the right to health.

Physicians for Social Justice has trained family caregivers and volunteers in Nigeria to conduct home visits to support people living with HIV, and in particular women, thereby challenging existing gender and cultural stereotypes.

Positive Women’s Network has been at the forefront of the HIV response in South Africa by creating a safe space for women with HIV, comprehensively addressing their needs and forming a powerful group that educates the wider community about HIV.

Pride Community Health Organization Zambia operates a safe haven in Zambia for people living with HIV, particularly orphans, vulnerable children, youth, women and people with disabilities, providing them with HIV and tuberculosis care, and support through home-based care services.

The Initiative for Equal Rights was established in response to human rights violations against sexual minorities and focuses on the health needs of men who have sex with men, slowly breaking the silence around issues of sexual minorities in Nigeria.

Uganda Young Positive has mobilized over 20,000 young people across Uganda to conduct advocacy activities and become a point of convergence for all other youth organisations that advocate for greater support for people living with HIV.

ARAB STATES

Substance Abuse Research Center – SARC-AMAN is the first organisation in Gaza, the Palestinian territories to tackle issues of drug use and HIV, including stigma and misconceptions associated with these issues, in student and refugee populations.

Widows, Orphans and People Living with HIV/AIDS is a community organisation of people living with HIV in Southern Sudan and works to increase access to anti-retroviral treatment by forming partnerships with hospitals, facilitating referrals for treatment, and developing a home-based care system.

ASIA AND THE PACIFIC

Novices Aids Intervention and Rehabilitation Network is an organisation of novice Buddhist monks who have been trained as HIV peer-educators, breaking the stigma associated with HIV and becoming a model for other novice monks and monastic schools in Thailand.

Positive Voice is an organisation of drug users and former drug users in Nepal, successfully lobbying for access to harm reduction services and anti-retroviral treatment for people who use drugs.

The Youth Volunteer Group is the first community-based organisation working across four regions of Thailand to respond to the needs of children and young people living with or affected by HIV.

EASTERN EUROPE AND CENTRAL ASIA

Albanian Association of PLWHA (AAP) reaches out and provides support to key populations at higher risk in Albania such as women in prison and children living with or affected by HIV. In addition AAP also targets health-care and education-system staff to advocate for targeted services.

International Treatment Preparedness Coalition in Eastern Europe and Central Asia (ITPCru) mobilises and trains people living with HIV in Russia to advocate for their inclusion in local, regional and international decision-making mechanisms, and facilitates information exchange, distributing crucial information through its innovative web and media campaigns. 

Penitentiary Initiative has developed an effective model of integrated services for inmates living with HIV in six under-resourced prisons of Ukraine.

SPIN Plus is a pioneer and leader in community-based organising throughout Tajikstan, providing innovative and peer-based services in to drug users and people living with HIV.

Svitanok Club is the first organisation in the Donetsk, Ukraine region that is created and managed by people living with HIV and drug users, becoming a catalyst in the creation of other organisations serving this population.

Timur Islamov Charitable Foundation has built a strong relationship with local authorities and public health centres in Russia, facilitating its provision of services such as HIV testing, referrals, and support programmes for drug users.

LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN

Asociación Comité Contra El Sida Cabañas – CoCoSI has improved awareness of HIV prevention, stigma and discrimination in El Salvador by providing education on reproductive health rights, HIV and STIs, gender, sexuality, domestic violence, and gender-based violence.

Asociación de Mujeres Meretrices de la Argentina – AMMAR is a network of 15,000 sex workers that has successfully advocated for the adoption of municipal codes and ordinances in Argentina that protect and promote the rights of sex workers. 

Colectivo SerGay de Aguascalientes, A.C. works to expose injustice and document human rights violations towards sexual minorities and marginalized groups in Aguascalientes, Mexico, and provides those populations with a community centre that is a safe space for medical, therapeutic and psychological support. 

Productive Organisation for Women in Action – POWA  uses a mobile information booth, featuring live music and dancing, to attract a wide range of community members in Belize and educate them about HIV, gender-based violence, condom use, and HIV testing and referral services.

For more information about the Red Ribbon Award, go to www.redribbonaward.org