Mexico

Alliance linking organisation: Colectivo Sol

Mexico has 11% of the estimated HIV cases in the Latin Amercia region, with 180,000 people living with HIV (0.3% prevalence). Mexico's epidemic has levelled off somewhat in recent years. It is still largely concentrated among men who have sex with men, but there has been a gradual shift towards injecting drug users and women becoming more affected. As requested by the Mexican National AIDS Programme, the Alliance is working to reduce AIDS-related stigma and discrimination in the central states of Mexico. These states have the weakest civil society response to AIDS in a highly conservative context, which limits access to prevention and care.

What we do

The Alliance’s Mexico programme was set up in 1998 and focused on building the capacity of organisations working with three key populations – sex workers, men who have sex with men, and people living with HIV. The programme worked in the states of Campeche, Chiapas, Guerrero, Mexico State and Mexico City, Oaxaca, Puebla, Quintana Roo, Veracruz and Yucatán, through a consortium of seven of Mexico’s leading HIV/AIDS non-governmental organisations (NGOs). These activities were co-ordinated by one of the seven, Colectivo Sol, acting as the lead partner and Alliance linking organisation. The seven organisations provided technical support to beneficiary organisations in nine states. An evaluation of this work took place in 2005.

In 2005, Colectivo Sol began a three-year project, Vida Digna (Life with Dignity). The project aims to reduce HIV/AIDS-related stigma and discrimination experienced by sex workers, gay men and other men who have sex with men, injecting drug users, and people living with HIV in the central states of Aguascalientes, Guanajuato, Querétaro and San Luis Potosí.

What we have achieved

Since 1998, the Alliance has mobilised more than 100 local non-governmental and community-based organisations (CBOs). Our work has involved strengthening their capacity in strategic planning, external relations and evidence-based HIV/AIDS programming (community assessment, project design and focused prevention). Other activities have included developing and translating a range of appropriate training materials.

As part of the Vida Digna project, 13 organisations are now receiving grants and 29 individuals from key populations are leading project implementation. They have developed 18 information, education and communication materials relating to their projects and are collaborating with each other in advocacy activities with 14 different government institutions, including the State AIDS Programme, the Municipal Police and the State Human Rights Commission.

Future plans

Throughout 2006 the organisations will receive training in the documentation of human rights violations as well as discrimination cases, and on how to create more effective advocacy strategies.

In 2007 we aim to bring even greater visibility to the issue of stigma and discrimination, to increase support to the organisations and to promote networking between the organisations in order to influence key stakeholders.

The 2008 International AIDS Conference will be held in Mexico. It is seen as a key advocacy opportunity to demonstrate the importance and need for work to reduce AIDS-related stigma and discrimination to contain the epidemic in Mexico.