Packed with 750 young navy cadets, the  Rio de Janeiro’s Naval School hosted representatives from the Brazilian Ministries of Defense and Health, UNAIDS and UNFPA to launch the STD, HIV and AIDS Prevention Programme in the Armed Forces and Military Academies.

Conceived as a follow-up to the 2004 Agreement between UNAIDS and the Brazilian Government to strengthen prevention among the country’s conscripts, the project aims to enhance military capacity to plan, monitor and evaluate prevention activities.

The programme will also integrate HIV prevention in military schools curricula and Armed Forces training courses. “There is a correlation between low education, low information and HIV. Those who have more access to information are better protected” said Admiral Carlos Edson Martins da Silva, Coordinator of the Programme in the Brazilian Ministry of Defense.

With more than 310,000 personnel stretched across the country, the Armed Forces are a key actor in Brazil’s HIV prevention. Brazil’s well structured health services are available not only to military personnel, but also to civilians in remote regions otherwise without access to public health services. Brazilian Government also produces generic antiretroviral drugs that are available to the population at reduced prices.

New course materials include a training guide and a peer education toolkit, and are specifically adapted to the Brazilian setting. “Providing information alone is not enough. We need to change attitudes and you will be the agents of this change”, Dr. Andrea Boccardi, UNAIDS Latin America Regional Advisor for AIDS, Security and Humanitarian Response addressed the navy aspirants attending the launching ceremony.

HIV prevention efforts in Brazil’s Armed Forces date back to the 90’s. The research carried out between 1996 and 2000 by Brazilian Ministry of Health shows a consistent increase in the use of condoms among young conscripts, from 38% in 1997 to 50% in 2000.

For more information, please contact Naiara G. da Costa Chaves (UNAIDS - Brasil) naiara@undp.org.br

(Brasilia, 12-14 January 2006)

Lowering the prices of AIDS medicines and other essential commodities, securing additional donor support, increasing international awareness of the epidemic in the region, and reducing homophobia and gender discrimination were among the priority actions identified at the Latin America regional consultation on scaling up towards universal access.

In nearly all the Latin American countries, the highest levels of HIV infection are found among men who have sex with men.

The 1st regional consultation on Universal Access

The Latin American Regional Consultation on universal access, hosted by the Brazilian government, was organized by the Horizontal Technical Cooperation Group (HTCG) with seven civil society networks in Latin America and the Spanish-speaking Caribbean.

It brought together representatives of networks of people living with HIV, sex workers, men who have sex with men and other groups at high risk of exposure to HIV and also representatives of national AIDS authorities, the Assistant US Global AIDS Coordinator, representatives of the Catholic Church and UNAIDS Cosponsors.

Finding practical solutions at the local level

From the very first day, participants were urged to focus on solutions. “We have had a lot of plans,” said Michel Sidibe, Director of Country and Regional Support at UNAIDS. “We need more implementation,” he added.

The specificity of this international process is not only the focus on solutions but also countries’ ownership.

This means that there will be no globally set targets and that the countries, based on thorough assessment of their situation, will themselves determine what are their specific obstacles and what are the appropriate solutions to ensure that all women, men and children have access to the AIDS services that they need.

The United Nations General Assembly resolution adopted on 23 December 2005 calls for an inclusive country-driven process involving the relevant stakeholders from non governmental organizations, civil society and the private sector.

UNAIDS is actively assisting countries in facilitating this inclusive process aiming at coming as close as possible to the goal of universal access to treatment by 2010 for all those who need it.

Many national consultations are already scheduled to take place before the end of March 2006. The next regional consultation on Universal Access will take place in Tunis, Tunisia from 6 to 8 February 2006.

The III Latin America and the Caribbean Forum on HIV/AIDS/STDs (Foro 2005) and the IV Central American Congress on STD/HIV/AIDS (CONCASIDA) closed on Friday 11 November with a gathering of Presidents and other leaders from the Central America region.

UNAIDS Executive Director Dr Peter Piot attended the Presidential Summit and addressed the conference closing plenary.

At the summit, Dr Piot met with the President of El Salvador Elías Antonio Saca González, the host of the conference.

"There is momentum on leadership – made manifest in today's gathering of Presidents and other leaders from this region here today," said Dr Piot prior to the President's Summit. "Now is the time to act.  So that together we can stop the threat of AIDS in our countries."

The President of Guatamela Oscar José Rafael Berger and the President of Costa Rica Abel Pacheco also attended the gathering, as well as the health ministers from Honduras and Nicaragua.

Dr Piot underlined the significant strides that have been made in the region to increase access to treatment. But, he added, these gains in treatment access need to be sustained and extended to the whole region. With more people living with HIV than ever in some countries, Dr Piot emphasized the urgent need to simultaneously increase HIV prevention programmes that reach all people at risk of infection, particularly those most marginalized such as men who have sex with men and sex workers.

"The region must revitalize its strategies to reach people most at risk – and they must address the deeper-rooted factors that affect vulnerability, such as social exclusion and inequalities of all kinds," he said.

Dr Piot urged leaders in the region to renew and reinvigorate their commitments at the highest political level and to agree to specific measures that will translate into concrete actions to reinforce AIDS responses nationally and regionally.

"The history of AIDS has shown us that when we are united, people win. Success depends on each of us truly being committed to tackling this exceptional crisis," said Dr Piot.

As part of the Presidential Summit, a declaration of enhanced commitment to a coordinated regional AIDS response was signed.

 

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Related links:
 

UNAIDS press release: Putting the spotlight back on AIDS in Latin America and the Caribbean

 Speech by UNAIDS Executive Director: The future of the HIV epidemics: leadership for action  

11 November 2005: Declaration of enhanced commitment to a coordinated regional AIDS response signed at CONCASIDA (Spanish only)  

Photos: View photos from CONCASIDA 2005

Foro y Concasida

UNAIDS Regional information: Caribbean

UNAIDS Regional information: Latin America

Recognizing the critical role that local organizations play in the response to HIV, five community organizations from Ghana, India, Iran, Malawi and Mexico were presented with Red Ribbon Awards at the International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2008) last night.

On the occasion of World AIDS Day the global call for nominations for the Red Ribbon Award 2008 will be announced in Mexico City. The biennial award, which will be presented at next summer’s International AIDS Conference in Mexico, will honour 25 community-based organisations for their contributions in responding to the AIDS epidemic.

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.

Managua, 4 November 2007––Central America is preparing to host the V Central American Congress on STI, HIV and AIDS, to be held in Managua, Nicaragua from 4 to 9 November 2007 under the theme ‘For Equality, Diversity and Non-Discrimination’. The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) is providing technical and financial support for the meeting and welcomes the congress’ efforts to advance scientific and technical responses to AIDS in the region.

The goal of universal access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support is a top global priority and the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) supports countries’ efforts to ensure access to high quality and affordable medicines.

“A rapid and substantial boost in national, regional and international support for the Latin America and Caribbean region on AIDS is essential to enable the region to get ahead of its diverse epidemics,” said the Executive Director of the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) today.

Real success in the global response to the epidemic can only be achieved if a long-term horizon is integrated fully into AIDS planning and actions, said the Executive Director of the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) today.