Bridging the Gap: Conference Record [Abstract book, International Conference on AIDS (12th: 1998: Geneva, Switzerland)]

754 Abstracts 34356-34361

12th World AIDS Conference

Results: Many PHA are coming out openly and are helping the IEC. Government through Uganda AIDS Commission is helped to make appropriate strategies
based on contributions of the most affected people. Stigma is being reduced to
the extent that infected parents can sit and talk to children about the problem
in the home, and results show that children become very helpful and protective
instead of the perception that children would be angry and abandon their parents.
Lesson: Greater involvement of PHA (GIPA) is very important and strategic
because it does not only help PHA to understand the future through interraction,
but it also improves prevention. A good or bad experience can be better told by
someone who has been part of a problem. PHA Networks need more funding to
help change the course of HIV/AIDS.
1 252* /34356 Cochrane Collaborative Review Group on HIV
infection and AIDS: Systematic reviews of HIV and
AIDS prevention and treatment
George Rutherford, G.E. Kennedy, L.A. Bergo. UCSF 74 New Montgomery St,
Ste 600 San Francisco, California, USA
Issue: To describe the purpose, structure and products of the Cochrane Collaboration and the new Cochrane Collaborative Review Group (CRG) on HIV Infection
and AIDS.
Project: The Cochrane Collaboration is an international, interdisciplinary effort
to review published and unpublished studies of the effects of health care which
have been evaluated in randomized controlled trials and other types of controlled
studies and to prepare, maintain and disseminate systematic reviews of these
studies. Systematic reviews are commissioned and managed by 60 CRGs (e.g.,
diabetes, pregnancy and childbirth). The reviews, along with an annotated bibliography of other meta -analyses and a registry of randomized controlled trials,
are published electronically each quarter in The Cochrane Library on CD-ROM
and via the Internet. We have undertaken the establishment of a CRG on HIV
Infection and AIDS.
Results: We held two meetings in 1997 attended by scientists and advocates
from 7 countries and several disciplines. We have decided to focus the CRG
initially on conducting systematic reviews in four areas - treatment, diagnosis
and prognosis; behavioral, social and policy prevention interventions; biomedical
prevention; and health services delivery - and identified 8 editors from Australia,
Canada, Peru, the United States and the United Kingdom to oversee the reviews
in these areas. While primarily relying on randomized controlled trials, we will
also include in our reviews other types of trials. We have identified 36 systematic
reviews which we will initially commission (e.g., post-exposure prophylaxis for
needle sticks, community-level STD control to decrease HIV transmission); several of these will be updates of previous meta analyses. We anticipate publication
of the CRG's work in The Cochrane Library will begin in 1998.
Lessons Learned: Systematic reviews are integral to evidence-based medicine
and public health. This CRG extends the Cochrane Collaboration to studies of
the prevention and treatment of HIV infection and AIDS. We welcome additional
collaborators as reviewers, peer referees and journal hand searchers.
34357 Latin American Harm Reduction Network: Preventing HIV
transmission among drug users
Fabio Mesquita1, R.C. Bueno2. Rede Latino Americana Reducao; 1Av. Vicente
de Carvalho 24, AP1102 Santos, SP; 2LAHRN - RLARD, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil
Objective: To analise the exchange of experience from the developed to the
developing world, in the construction of a Harm Reduction Network in Latin
America.
In January 1998 in the City of Sao Paulo a meeting of people working in the
field of Harm Reduction of six (6) countries in Latin America, founded the Latin
American Harm Reduction Network. Althouth injecting drug users are playing an
important role on the spread of HIV in the Continent, Harm reduction Strategies
are still in the beginning in most countries. The exchange of their experience
would be a very important challenge in the confrontation of the epidemic.
UNAIDS and the International Harm Reduction Association supported technically and finantially the effort to organize this network. Bridging the gap from
developed to developing world, this experience is a promissing finding in the fight
against HIV among drug users.
Conclusions: UNAIDS and the IHRA used the International experience in
the development of strategies to control HIV epidemic among IDUs, to help the
building of the Latin American Harm reduction Network.
534358 Legal service provision for the protection of human
rights of PHA the challenge of national networks
Sarah Baite. Uganda Network on Law Ethics and HIV, PO Box 3277, Kampala,
Uganda
Issue: Disregard of human rights of People Living with HIV/AIDS (PHA) by health
workers, HIV/AIDS Service Providers, PHA, and the community due to lack of

awareness about critical legal and human rights issues in the wake of HIV/AIDS.
Project: The slow rate of developing a legal response to HIV/AIDS in Uganda
due to failure by the general population to comprehend the legal and human rights
issues surrounding HIV/AIDS has resulted in severe human rights violations for
PHA. Intervention by the Uganda Network on Law, Ethics and HIV/AIDS targeted
at district networks and organisations providing HIV/AIDS Services for building
their capacity to address human rights and legal implications of HIV/AIDS in their

fields of operation was developed. The project is intended to improve general
perception of the legal issues surrounding HIV/AIDS, specifically by encouraging
HIV related legal counselling and advisory services for and by PHA, community
health workers and HIV/AIDS Service providers and individuals.
Results: Better comprehension of legal, human rights issues surrounding HIV/
AIDS by Service Providers, community workers and PHAs and thus willingness to
incorporate legal education and counselling in already existing HIV programmes.
Lessons Learnt: For effective and impactful legal and human rights programmes, direct and primary interaction with PHAs and HIV/AIDS Service
Providers who are in constant contact with them should be maintained as well as
targeting them for legal counselling and awareness.
S34359 NGO's network/working together to reduce HIV
transmission among sex workers in the Amazon region
Xavier Alterescu. ESSOR, Av, Euripedes Tavares 251 Tambia, 58013-290 Joao
Pessoa, Paraiba, Brazil
Issue: Due to their geographical, cultural, social and economic situation, sex
workers in the Amazona region are the particular high risk of HIV transmission
and isolated NGO's developed small-scale and non prmanent actions.
Project: An AIDS/STD comprehensive prevention program was implemented
through the creation of a network of 5ngo's working in the field of sex work in
5 states (from Manaus to Belem, and in some gold mining and foresty activity
regions of the States of Para and Amapa), who receive funding and techinical assistance to develop their projects. Strategies include: capaciy building in
fundraising, project planning, management and evaluation, and outreach activities
developed by peer educators, such as: information giving to sex workers, clients
and brothel managers, art performances and social marketing of condoms.
Results: The project achieved remarkable results: in 20 cities (totaling 2 milion
persons, of which approximately 3,300 sex workers), 10, 120 meetings, gathering 138,302 persons, werw held. 348,624 condoms and 46,025 self-produced
educational materials were distributed. A KAP survey showed that condom use
arose from 20% to 60% of all commercial sexual relations in a 3 year's time.
Lessons Learned: The impact of AIDS prevention projects can de greatly
enhanced by capacity building and networking of NGO's. Conditions for success
are: the network must address the specific needs of its members, objectives must
be realistic, decision-taking process must be clear, activities must be planned and
executed collectively, self-sustainability must be priority.
34360 The European Project AIDS & Mobility: A network for the
support of organisations working with migrants, ethnic
minorities and mobile groups
Georg Br6ring, J. de Putter. Nigz, European Project AIDS & Mobility, PO. Box
500, The Netherlands
Issue: Migrants, ethnic minorities and mobile groups have specific needs with
respect to HIV/AIDS prevention interventions. These populations need to be
addressed by activities that take into account their cultural, linguistic, and socioeconomic background.
Project: The European Project AIDS & Mobility (A&M) is committed to support non-governmental and governmental organisations in their efforts to provide
mobile populations with appropriate HIV/AIDS prevention information. In order to
realize this aim, A&M maintains a referral service (approximately 1.000 contacts
in Europe) and data bases on educational materials and literature. Furthermore,
A&M has set up a network of National Focal Points (NFPs) in all EU member
States who are involved in working with mobile populations. In collaboration with
the NFPs, A&M organizes seminars and training programmes to build up and
support capacities and skills of those working in the specific field. Activities -
in particular in the field of training and advice - are also aimed at countries in
Central and Eastern Europe.
Results: A policy inventory made my (interim) National Focal Points in all EU
member states made clear that the situation of mobile populations and the responses initiated by governmental and governmental organisations differ widely in
the respective countries. In some countries, a broad range of services specifically
designed for mobile populations has been built up; in others these initiatives still
need to be developed. On a European level, the interests of ethnic minorities and
migrants need stronger support. In the field of training and capacity building a
broad range of subjects are addressed, according to the needs in the respective
countries.
Lessons Learned: International collaboration may contribute to the agenda
setting of mobility issues and improve the dissemination of best practice. Discrimination and stigmatization of migrants, ethnic minorities and travellers need
to be tackled on a European level, and the provision of appropriate prevention
interventions can be improved if organisations work together across national
borders. Diversity within Europe needs to be taken into account.

34361 Technology transfer: International collaboration of
hotline development
Ami Israel1, B.W. Garza2, L. Faas3. 1American Social Health Association 100
Capitola Drive Durham NC 27713; 2Centers for Disease Control Prevention
Atlanta GA, USA; 3Contrasida Caracas, Venezuela
Issue: Challenges for HIV/AIDS education programs in underserved areas remain in an era of budget cuts and staffing shortages. One inexpensive way to