From evidence to policy: HIV findings from the field
27 March 2008
Stop AIDS Alliance and the European Parliamentary Forum on Population and Development held an event at the European Parliament in February. They highlighted the importance of grassroots evidence to inform policies that will deliver results for people affected by HIV.
The Alliance has highlighted, on many occasions, the tremendous value and need for research evidence gathered at a grassroots level to inform policies that will deliver results for people affected by HIV.
In February Stop AIDS Alliance – a coalition of the International HIV/AIDS Alliance and Stop AIDS Now – and the European Parliamentary Forum on Population Development (EPF) hosted an event at the European Parliament to present findings to European policymakers from the Horizons research project and other Alliance projects on the role of communities in addressing HIV, reducing stigma and HIV prevention among key populations.
The Alliance is one of five partner organisations involved in the Horizons Initiative which has conducted a decade of research into a range of HIV issues, including prevention, access to treatment, and stigma and discrimination.
Hosted by Anne Van Lancker, MEP and President of the EPF, the meeting was well attended by representatives of EU member states, embassy representatives, MEPs, civil society, UN Agencies and the Global Fund.
Three important issues, all of which are vital aspects of the HIV response, were highlighted by representatives from the Alliance secretariat and partner organisations in the South.
Communities all over the world are making a vital contribution to the HIV response.
Non-medical staff play a significant role in providing services that complement the efforts of medical staff in HIV prevention, adherence, education and awareness raising activities. This role is particularly important when it comes to reaching marginalised groups such as sex workers, men who have sex with men and injecting drug users, who often have limited access to formal healthcare services.
There is a need to build the capacity of local communities.
Communities should be equipped, resourced, trained and supported and have access to ongoing funding. Building communities’ capacity is also essential to addressing stigma and discrimination which are key obstacles in achieving universal access.
Complementary and effective partnerships
between donors, governments, local governments, health providers, researchers, civil society and grassroots community organisations will ensure the most effective responses.
Stop AIDS Alliance and EPF are urging EU decision-makers to:
- Recognise the substantial role that communities play in the response to HIV and ensure that communities have access to funding and resources, support and are included in decision-making processes in order to play this role effectively.
- Reiterate the importance of using a mix of financial mechanisms appropriate to individual contexts to ensure the most effective response to HIV, including addressing the specific needs of key populations in the context of scaling up towards Universal Access.
- Develop and strengthen policies and programmes that support communities and people living with or affected by HIV to play a leading role in the reduction of stigma and discrimination through advocacy, promoting human rights, peer education and their involvement in policy development and decision-making.
