Too few countries have met the commitment they made in the 2001 UN Declaration of Commitment on HIV/AIDS, to enact legislation to protect people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) and groups vulnerable to HIV, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies said today as it launched a third phase of its global HIV/AIDS anti-stigma campaign, called ‘Come closer...’ Stigma related to HIV/AIDS and the discrimination faced by PLWHA has significantly impeded HIV prevention, care and support programmes.
With the increase of global access to life-prolonging drugs, it is obvious that barriers to access such as stigma need to be addressed to improve the lives of people living with and vulnerable to HIV,’ said Bernard Gardiner, manager of the International Federation’s global HIV/AIDS programme.
The ‘Come closer…’ campaign, launched in Panama City, is part of the International Federation’s Global Anti-stigma Campaign, ‘The truth about AIDS. Pass it on…’, which seeks to address the continuing marginalisation of people living with and affected by HIV/AIDS with messages such as ‘Hug! Hug! You cannot get HIV by hugging’ and ‘Touch! Touch! You cannot get HIV by touching!’
The Global Anti-stigma campaign has advocated for the involvement of PLWHA in HIV programmes and National Societies have been encouraged to implement joint workplans with PLWHA to ensure the effectiveness of HIV programmes. “The partnership between Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and local organisations of PLWHA is growing, but it is time to get even closer by involving more countries and developing joint work plans in all regions,” Gardiner added.
Since the launch in 2002 of the Global Anti-stigma Campaign, the Federation has implemented targeted activities to reduce stigma related to HIV/AIDS and has gone through a major change process to make the organisation a better home for PLWHA, while acknowledging the tremendous contribution of volunteers and staff living with HIV/AIDS within the organisation. Through the Global campaign, National Societies have been encouraged and supported to work with PLWHA to adapt global material such as the stamps campaign, to their context and implement stigma reduction activities.
With messages like 'You cannot get AIDS by... being a friend' and "You cannot get AIDS by... holding hands" on stamp designs, the stamps campaign, which precedes the ‘Come closer…’ campaign, dispelled myths and fears related to HIV transmission.
Today more than 120 National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies are actively campaigning against stigma and discrimination, as part of their work to promote humanitarian values and protect human dignity.
Two years ago the International Federation was designated as a UNAIDS Collaborating Centre to reduce stigma and discrimination in partnership with the Global Network of PLWHA (GNP+) and its affiliates at the global, regional and national levels. The Federation’s partnership with GNP+ began with a joint forum at the UN General Assembly Special Session on HIV/AIDS in 2001, at an event where Kofi Annan expressed appreciation of role of the Red Cross Red Crescent in HIV/AIDS mitigation and the potential of a partnership between the Federation and GNP+. The ‘Come closer…’ campaign, developed with the pro bono support of the Turkish branch of Saatchi & Saatchi, marks the beginning of the third year as a UNAIDS Collaborating Centre.
It is estimated that around 200,000 Red Cross Red Crescent staff, volunteers and members worldwide are living with HIV and AIDS. The 'Masambo Fund', named after a long-serving Zimbabwe Red Cross volunteer who died of an AIDS-related illness, has been established to raise funds to provide access to anti-retroviral therapy to Red Cross and Red Crescent staff and volunteers living with HIV/AIDS in the hardest hit countries as a humanitarian gesture but also to allow them to continue serving their communities.
As a member of the organising steering committee the Federation is working side by side with GNP+ and its affiliates towards the 12th International Conference for People Living with HIV/AIDS and the 7th International Conference on Home and Community Care for People Living with HIV/AIDS which will take place in Lima, Peru, 9-13 October 2005.
“The Federation has been transformed since 2001 because of our closer relationship with PLWHA, but the job is not yet finished. PLWHA are key partners of the Federation in facing the major humanitarian challenge of this age,” said International Federation President Juan Manuel Suárez del Toro.