Vía Libre
24/24 regions
Vía Libre has provided services to people affected by HIV and AIDS in Peru and promoted their rights since 1990.
Peru’s HIV epidemic is concentrated in vulnerable populations such as sex workers, transgender people, gay men and other men who have sex with men Most HIV transmission occurs through sexual contact. Gender inequality and violence against women are significant factors in the spread of the virus.
Peru has a history of political turmoil, which has weakened the social and health sectors. Most of Peru’s population lives in extreme poverty and lacks access to health services.
WHAT WE DO
Advocacy with key populations
The Alliance began working through its Peruvian linking organisation Vía Libre in 2005. Vía Libre’s ‘HIV/AIDS Advocacy with Key Populations’ project trains and supports members of the populations most affected by HIV to help improve regional and national responses to the epidemic.
The project has established an Observatory organisation to safeguard health services for marginalised groups in three regions: Arequipa, Ica and Lambayeque.
The Observatory empowers key populations to play a more strategic role in influencing policy and decision making, and strengthens their capacity to ensure access to comprehensive HIV services.
The project has organised meetings with key decision makers, worked with the media and documented how HIV affects key populations. Direct advocacy work by key population members has been central to success.
Influencing policy
In two of the regions, working groups of key populations have joined the Multisectoral Regional Coordinating Body for Health (COREMUSA), empowering them to influence policy.
Some working groups, and the organisations that form part of them, participated in the process for the 2008 participatory budget, both at local and regional level. The working groups coordinate and plan joint actions with other organisations related to HIV, sexual minorities and human rights, together with the Ombudsman and government ministries.