First steps towards a national network of people living with HIV in Myanmar
27 July 2007
At the end of March 2007, Alliance Myanmar hosted a national meeting of 42 self-help groups of people living with HIV across the country – the first time that they had all met together. The meeting affirmed the need to create links between the groups to form a national network of people living with HIV, and marked the first step to making the network a reality.
Myanmar has one of the most serious epidemics in the Asia region, with an estimated 330,000 to 360,000 people living with HIV. There is strong recognition that meaningfully involving people living with HIV is vital to an effective national response. As involvement increases, there is also a need to create mechanisms for sharing information and resources, linking self-help groups.
All of the meeting’s participants agreed wholeheartedly that it would be beneficial to have a national network of people living with HIV in Myanmar, with representatives selected from every level, quarter, township, district, and state/division. The need for the network to fully represent communities of sex workers, men who have sex with men, and injecting drug users was also affirmed – as these populations are often most affected by HIV in Myanmar, but are currently underrepresented in the response.
The groups discussed possible roles of the national network, including regional and international networking and representation, information sharing, raising funds and liaising with donors, advocating for access to treatment and employment and reducing stigma and discrimination.
In addition, the meeting was very successful in providing an opportunity for the self-help groups to learn about the work of others and gain new ideas for development. There were useful opportunities for sharing experiences on pressing issues such as access to antiretroviral treatment (which is currently only available for 6% of those in urgent need), the need for income generating activities, working with children affected by HIV and AIDS, and dealing with stigma and discrimination.
The meeting confirmed the spirit and dedication of local self-help groups, despite the challenges they face. The formation of the national network will now be taken forward in discussion with other stakeholders.
