Winner of ICMDA HIV Dignity & Right to Health Award 2010: Dr Stephen Waititi

It is the great privilege and pleasure of the ICMDA HIV Initiative to announce that Dr. Stephen Waititi is the most worthy winner of the International Christian Medical and Dental Association (ICMDA) HIV Initiative Dignity and Right to Health Award for 2009.

The Award is given to individuals for excellence, outstanding leadership and compassion in responding to the HIV/AIDS epidemic.

We are most grateful to Ms Stella Kentutsi of the National Forum of PLHA networks in Uganda (NAFOPHANU) for her nomination.

We congratulates Stephen and salute him for the commitment and devotion he demonstrates in and through all that he has done and continues to do for the plight of those living with HIV & AIDS. The worldwide family of the ICMDA joins in congratulating him, giving praise and thanks to God for such models as his which bring transforming HOPE and LIGHT into otherwise desperate situations.

Each year the ICMDA HIV Initiative Committee calls for nominations for this Award. Nominees are sought who live a life which ‘does justice, loves kindness and walks humbly with God (Micah 6:8) and who:

· Demonstrate significant impact at local and wider level

· Empower others in integrated community responses

· Facilitate church integration and participation in best practice models of care

· Demonstrate excellence in full community involvement and empowerment of People living with HIV and AIDS (PLWHA)

· Works, facilitates and advocates for gender equality

· Links well with government and other agencies in a comprehensive approach to the epidemic.

Previous winners are: Dr Biangtung Langkham (2006 - India) , Prof Ruth Nduati ( 2007 - Kenya) and Dr Geoff Foster (2008 - Zimbabwe).

HIV Dignity & Right to Health Award - Call for Nominations

The Dignity and Right to Health Award aims to model, mobilise and encourage creative and sustainable ways that enhance the dignity and human rights of people and communities living with HIV/AIDS epidemic and affected by the epidemic.

The Committee of the ICMDA HIV Initiative are pleased to announce a call for nominations to to the 2009 ICMDA "Dignity and Right to Health Award".

The Dignity & Right to Health Award is an activity of the International Christian Medical and Dental Association HIV Initiative. The award provides an essential opportunity to recognise, support and publicise the most outstanding role models and champions acting to stop this global epidemic. It is positioned as an important symbol for ensuring that voices from diverse communities and countries are acknowledged.

The Award will be given to individuals for excellence, outstanding leadership and compassion in responding to HIV/AIDS. The process will seek nominees who demonstrate the following:-

• significant impact at local and wider level,
• empowers others in integrated community responses,
• facilitates church integration and participation in best practice models of care
• demonstrates excellence in full community involvement and empowerment of People Living With HIV and AIDS (PLWHA)
• works, facilitates and advocates for gender equality in community participation and response to the epidemic
• links well with government and other actors in a comprehensive approach to the epidemic
• models creative and compassionate responses that inspire many to similarly enhance the dignity and human rights of people infected and affected by the epidemic
• does justice, loves kindness, and walks humbly with their God [Micah 6:8]

The 2006 winner Dr Biangtung Langkham continues his inspiring work in India where he works in a HIV epidemic especially supporting intravenous drug users and commercial sex workers.

The 2007 winner Dr Ruth Nduati of Kenya continues her inspiring work advocating for and providing best practice services for women, children and their families in Kenya, Africa and internationally.

The 2008 Winner, Dr Geoff Foster continues to work as a paediatrician in the challenging situation of Zimbabwe. Geoff continues to play a significant role in protecting dignity and rights of children.

The call for nominations for the 2009 Dignity and Right to Health Award of the ICMDA HIV Initiative has commenced. Nominations are requested to be submitted by November 2, 2009. The 2009 winner will be announced in preparation for World AIDS Day, December 1, 2009.

For nomination forms and detailed award criteria please email team@icmdahivinitiative.org

Obama & Global Health

The inauguration of Barak Obama as US President has largely been seen as a positive change around the world. But what Obama's Presidency will mean for the world's poorest and most vulnerable people is still somewhat ambiguous.

Two major breaks with previous policy have gone almost unnoticed by the outside world. The first was the forced resignation of Ambassador Mark Dybul, the controversial head of Bush's $48 billion President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) the day after Obama's inauguration.

The second came a couple of days later when Obama signed the Executive Order overturning the even more controversial so-called 'Mexico City Policy', originally passed under President Reagan, which prevents US aid to overseas organisations that provide or even discuss abortion related services.

PEPFAR has always courted controversy – for pumping billions of dollars in to programmes for just one disease, for promoting abstinence only prevention programmes, for not funding family planning services (or at least those with any abortion related agenda under the Mexico City Protocol), and for being seen by many lobbyists as being driven by a conservative, and evangelical Christian agenda. Others criticised it for being bi-lateral, arguing that the funds would have been better funnelled through the multilateral Global Fund for AIDS, TB & Malaria

Dybul's resignation was thus seen by some commentators as a symbolic head on a platter to many of these lobby groups, possibly at the instigation of Dybul's newly inaugurated boss, Hilary Clinton (or by those close to her).

But in reality, PEPFAR has been far more effective and broad based than many of its critics give it credit for. So far it has got 2.1 million HIV+ people in 15 countries on to antiretroviral therapy (ART), distributed 2.2 billion condoms (giving a lie to the charge that its prevention strategies were abstinence only focussed), and gave access to prevention of mother-to-child anti-HIV therapy (PMTCT) to 1.2 million women. And only 7.4% of its budget has gone to abstinence only programmes (indeed, new protocols agreed in December would mean more funding going to a wider range of sexual health and education initiatives geared at HIV prevention). It has made errors, but has learnt from them, has moved away from being top down to being more responsive to local needs.

Multilateral approaches may have suffered from less funding as a consequence, and there are other criticisms to make. But in Africa, many see PEPFAR as Bush's lasting and most valuable legacy.

Obama has committed to honour the December 2008 PEPFAR act which would pump nearly $50 billion in to HIV prevention, care and treatment over the next five years. And more of that money will now probably go to family planning services that will undoubtedly save lives – the link between good family planning services and reducing HIV rates among women and children in particular is strong. That some of those services will go to promoting and providing abortion is, however, a cause for concern, and may divert funding from initiatives that are proven to be effective.

And while national programmes that promote delayed sexual debut, partner reduction, fidelity, effective condom usage, voluntary testing and counselling, etc, continue to be effective in reducing rates of new HIV infections and increasing access to early ART interventions, we wait to see if the new head of PEPFAR (whoever she or he will be) will continue to prioritise effective, evidence based programmes, or will she/he succumb to the pressure of ideologues of either side to promote their own agendas.

We will watch Obama with interest, as will all of the developing world, especially Africa. If he can live up to and exceed Bush's legacy on HIV/AIDS (and other health issues - Bush also launched a major initiative combating malaria) in much of the developing world, it will be good news for many. But fears and uncertainties must abound about the other forces that may move his hand in less helpful ways. Let us uphold him, along with all our leaders, in prayer!

an abridged version of this item will appear in the spring 2009 edition of "Triple Helix", the journal of the Christian Medical Fellowship (UK)

ICMDA World Congress 2010 First Announcement

XIV ICMDA World Congress


Punta del Este - Uruguay
South America
Conrad Resort Hotel
4 - 11 July, 2010

Theme:
Priorities in professional practice.
Who are you working for?

Student and Junior Graduates World Conference
4-7 July, 2010

The next world congress of the International Christian Medical & Dental Association (ICMDA) moves to Latin America in 2010. HIV will form part of the conference programme.

More details will be coming out on this blog, the conference website - http://www.icmda2010.org

and on the ICMDA HIV Initiative website http://www.icmdahivinitative.org

Christian HIV & AIDS Alliance UK February 2009 Newsletter

Welcome to the online version of the CHAA February 2009 News Letter.

Upcoming CHAA Meetings:

Prayer Day -14 March 2009 at Johnson House, 6-8 Marshalsea Road, London SE1 1HL from 10:30 - 14:30 - this will be a day of facilitated prayer for all CHAA member bodies, and we encourage all CHAA members organisations to send news, items for prayer and wherever possible representatives.

CHAA Members Meeting - 30 April 2009 also at Johnson House, 6-8 Marshalsea Road, London SE1 1HL - more details to be sent round

Further information will also be published on the CHAA Website

1. Second Draft of UNAIDS Framework for Working With Faith Based Organisations & Communities
After eight months of consultation with faith based organisations and faith communities, and re-drafting, the second draft of the UNAIDS framework for working with FBOs, churches, faith communities and religious leaders. This has arisen out of many months of discussions by FBOs and religious leaders and organisations about how they think UNAIDS can best work with the "faith sector" in HIV & AIDS prevention, care and treatment. Sally Smith of UNAIDS has spearheaded the consultation, but the text is largely the work of many faith organisations over the course of 2008.

The next steps in finishing this document are:
1: send feedback to Sally [ SmithS@unaids.org ] by February 25th
2: Final edits 3-7 March
3: Further discussions with UN Cosponsors, FBO Cosponsors & UNAIDS Global Coordinators for final approval
4: Publish & distribute in April/May

If you are interested in seeing this document and contributing to the consultation process, please email CHAA for a copy

Please feed comments directly to Sally Smith by 25 February


2. Call for evidence on access to HIV medicines from the UK All Party Parliamentary Group on AIDS
The All Party Parliamentary Group on AIDS is aware that as progress is made on HIV testing around the world and as mortality rates of those with HIV improve and resistant strains develop, the availability of appropriate, affordable medication will be a long-term and ever-growing issue.

It is aware of the huge task ahead if we are to meet the Millennium Development Goals on treatment and also of the need to sustain those achievements in the years beyond.
We are therefore asking for evidence from NGOs, companies and individuals with special knowledge or experience around access to or the supply of HIV medicines. This evidence will form part of a longer project to raise Parliamentary and Government awareness of the issue and may contribute to a report later in the year. It will also help inform our interactions with external agencies such as UNAIDS and the World Health Organisation.

If you would like to respond to this call for evidence, please contact the APPGA:

Email: oakeshottv@parliament.uk
Tel: +44 (0) 20 7219 3809
Fax: +44 (0) 20 7219 4126

The deadline for submissions is 9am on Monday 23rd February 2009.


3. Joint Learning Initiative on Children and HIV/AIDS Calls for New Directions for Aids Policy in Severely Affected Countries
The Joint Learning Initiative on Children and HIV/AIDS (JLICA) launched its report “Home Truths: Facing the Facts on Children, AIDS, and Poverty” on 10 Feb. The report summarizes two years of research and analysis of AIDS-related policies, programmes and funding and their effectiveness in addressing the needs of children. It calls for change in global, regional and national responses to the epidemic, including greater emphasis on strengthening families and communities to enable them to give children the care and support they are uniquely suited to provide. The report also recommends new approaches to address the simultaneous impacts of HIV, poverty, food insecurity and social inequality that many countries confront today.

The report can be downloaded in full from here. -


4. Theologians open conversation on HIV prevention
A "groundbreaking book that wrestles with the complex and sometimes controversial intersection of belief and HIV prevention" is now available from the Ecumenical Advocacy Alliance. HIV Prevention: A Global Theological Conversation comes out of a remarkable consultation held in early 2008 of 35 leading Christian theologians and practitioners, including people living with HIV, from five continents and many church traditions. The book is an essential resource for church leaders, theologians, teachers and strategists who are committed to a positive, informed and compassionate engagement with HIV prevention.

“This ‘conversation’ explored in a loving and enlightening way one of the most difficult challenges of the AIDS pandemic, that of prevention,” states Enda McDonagh, Emeritus Professor of Moral Theology, St. Patrick’s College, Ireland.

Archbishop Desmond Tutu, in recommending the publication, emphasizes, “Every church leader, pastor, preacher, theologian, should take the first step towards joining A global Theological Conversation by reading this groundbreaking new volume on HIV prevention. Then take the second step…begin your own theological reflection and engage others in the discourse of life.”
As Michel Sidibé, executive director of UNAIDS states, “The more religious communities can openly and respectfully discuss the faith and realities that effective HIV prevention has to address, the more progress we can make in reducing the spread of HIV and envisioning a world without AIDS.”

HIV Prevention: A Global Theological Conversation, edited by Gillian Paterson, 168 pp., is available in English, French and Spanish. The book can be downloaded or single print copies can be ordered for free from the EAA

For more information contact Sara Speicher, sspeicher@e-alliance.ch, +44 7821 860 723.


5. "Where is the Good Samaritan today" - United Bible Society HIV Resource
The booklet "Where is the Good Samaritan today" combines basic information of HIV and AIDS appropriate biblical passages. This resource booklet, which is written by Konstanse Raen from Norwegian Bible Society, has been received by enthusiasm by the national Bible Societies and the churches everywhere it has been presented in Africa. It was first published in 2004 in English and French together with Kinyarwanda. However, the national Bible Societies took quickly up translation into other national languages. In 2008 the booklet is available in ca 30 languages, like Swahili (two versions), Kirundi, Luanda, Amharic, Tigray, Oromo, Fulfulde, Pidgin, SiSwati, Lingala, Tchiluba, Kituba, Kikongo, Ewe, Kabye, Dioula, Tagbana, Baoulé, Yacouba, and more are being translated.

For more information, contact the United Bible Society's HIV/AIDS desk at the Area Service Centre in Nairobi: info@ubs-afrsc.org & online at http://www.ubs-goodsamaritan.org/1043

Further Resources:

• AIDSLink Newsletters
• AIDS Intercessors Prayer Diary
• Covenant to Care (Practical Christian Engagement with HIV & AIDS)
• Creed for the AIDS Pandemic (statement of values)