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

12th World AIDS Conference

Abstracts 34374-34378 757

Openly positive women from several countries will be invited to participate in
the project - this involves in depth interviews. In this session the artist will take a
plaster cast of each womans face. There is a wall to be built of a minimum of 250
brass masks of positive women from around the globe. Text from the interviews
will be projected onto this wall "The mask is sacred. The mask protects. The mask
is ancient and universal. The mask can be worn by anybody."
To present an awareness of women living with HIV/AIDS globally, highlighting
that all women are vulnerable. The visual imagery will challenge the publics
perception of the issues faced by positive women and to challenge the notion that
immortality is ours.
S34374 Developing cross-sectoral networks in India: A case
study from West Bengal
Judy Hague, M. Deshmukh. Health and Population Office, DFID, New Delhi, India
Issue: How to promote networks and collaboration across organisational and
professional boundaries towards HIV prevention
Project: A key objective of West Bengal Sexual Health Project (WBSHP), is the
creation of cross sectoral networks at state and national level. Recognising the
relative isolation of individuals, groups and organisations combatting the spread
of HIV, the project promotes dialogue between donor agencies, policy makers,
legislators, professionals, government, and NGO and people with HIV/AIDS. It
also undertakes media advocacy, provides fora to debate ethical issues, shares
best practice and influences public policy. Activities undertaken include capacity
building, seminars, exposure and exchange visits, publication of newsletter and
resource manuals on undertaking sexual health interventions and a national conference "From Sharing into Action" incorporating participant driven networking
events, ethical debates and oral and poster presentations.
Results: Cross sectoral networks created, newsletter in English and Bengali
distributed to over 1,000 readers, annual conference held with 200 participants, 58
oral and poster presentations describing best practice and research across India
and SAARC countries presented, positive and accurate media coverage obtained
on conference and TV programmes and slots on World AIDS Day through an
NGO and goverment collaboration.
Lessons learned: State and national fora are required to strengthen dialogue
across different sectors to adress ethical, policy and advocacy issues and improve
planning and delivery of sexual health interventions. Activities should be designed
to promote maximum involvement across different sectors and dissemination of
local experience as well as introducing international best practice.
34375 Uganda healtnet project - a health information provider
(HIP)
Frederick Kakaire Nyende. PO. Box 7072, Kampala, Uganda
Issue: The role of computer communication networks as links and sources of
information on health issues.
Project: A computer based communication network was established at the
Faculty of Medicine, Makerere University primarily to link health professionals
in the country with their colleagues elsewhere by providing access to the most
current information on clinical research, practice and public health for doctors,
researchers, and allied health professionals. Using a combination of computers,
low-earth-orbit satellites, simple ground stations and telephone lines, HealthNet
provides access to a host of publications from World Health Organization (WHO),
Centres for Disease Control (CDC), National Library of Medicine; and forums of
Internet dialogues on health issues in general and HIV/AIDS in particular.
Results: Many medical practitioners, students and researchers with basic hardware have connected to the network. Isolation of medical professionals therefore,
amongst the health care community is on the decline.
Lessons Learned: Computer communication on 'healthnet' is potentially the
most cost-effective strategy to improve provision of health care in general and
the fight against HIV/AIDS in particular.
34376 US network of AIDS health fraud task forces empowers
communities to make informed choices about their
health care
Rosario Quintanilla Vior1, B. Dodson2. 1US FDA 19900 Macarthur Blvd. Suite
300, Irvine, California, 2US Food and Drug Administration, Rockville MD, USA
Issue: People confronted with a life-threatening illness like HIV/AIDS are often
willing to try anything that promises to help. This has created a market of false
and misleading treatment options that are touted to persons living with AIDS, HIV
positive, or at risk for infection. These fraudulent options can lead to physical,
emotional, or financial detriment.
Project: A network of AIDS Health Fraud Task Forces throughout the United
States of America has developed a proactive approach to combat these fraudulent
product/treatment promotions affecting people with HIV/AIDS and their partners,
family, and friends. The network, sponsored by the US Food & Drug Adminis
tration, strives to promote awareness, and prevent fraud through education that
empowers individuals. The Task Forces have developed hotlines, workshops,
conferences, and advocacy sharing as an alert mechanism to new fraudulent
product promotion. Media has been utilized to broaden awareness in the diverse
communities served. Members of the Task Force Network include persons living
with HIV/AIDS, community based organizations, treatment advocates, health care

practitioners, educators, federal and state government officials, and local health
care departments.
Results: As the Task Forces have successfully delivered their messages, and
more therapies have been approved and available, it is believed that the number
of fraud cases is diminishing. Individuals are now more informed as to how to
screen out dubious treatment practices and empowered to select quality health
care options.
Lessons Learned: The Task Forces have learned that the quality of health care
is enhanced when individuals are empowered with knowledge to make informed
decisions that affect their quality of life.
S34377 Recycling unused AIDS medications
Homer Hobi. 279 27th St, San Francisco, California 94131, USA
Issue: The lack of antiviral and "cocktail" treatment in Chile and other developing
nations and unused medications in the United States.
Project: through a network of Humanist HIV Clubs a clear need has been
established for medications especially in Chile. The mother club of San Francisco
developed a program of gathering unused HIV/AIDS medications from institutions, MD's, individuals and a medication recycling program in another state. This
project was implemented and is being carried out by Humanist members of the
HIV/AIDS community. Legal of giving unused medications to another and getting
them through customs in the receiving countries have been overcome through
various methods.
From 1995 to 1997 Humanist HIV/AIDS clubs were formed in San Francisco,
Santiago, Buenos Aires, Madrid, Malaga, Milan Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo.
These clubs were formed by the Humanist Movement (a volunteer activist organization in 60 countries).
In Chile, another organization begun by the Humanist Movement, The Laura
Rodriguez Foundation, began a medication program buying medications from
pharmaceutical companies at reduced rates and then selling the medications to
patients at cost or giving them at no cost, to those who can not afford payments.
The recycled HIV/AIDS medications from the USA supplement this program.
Results: Thousands of medications have been sent to Chile in 1997. Donors
are enthusiastic about helping and continuing the program. Plans for 1998:
Monthly shipments to Chile and begin shipments to the Ivory Coast and Senegal.
Plan to build a nationwide network in the United States to recycle unused AIDS
medications.
Conclusions: It is possible to work with governments to gather unused AIDS
Medications and deliver them to people in need. However this requires dedication
and work to organize such a program.
S34378 Looking ahead: A national advocacy coalition explores
its future
Matthew Mcclain1, E.C. Hopkins2. Public Health Policy & Planning 413
Schuyler Road Silver Spring MD20910; 2San Francisco AIDS Foundation San
Francisco CA, USA
Issue: National HIV advocacy coalitions must use innovative techniques to reach
consensus on both long- and short-term goals to accommodate the turbulent and
rapidly changing technological and political environments in which they seek to
compete for public sector support.
Project: Cities Advocating Emergency AIDS Relief (CAEAR) Coalition is a
national, consensus-driven organization seeking to better serve the needs of the
more than 500,000 people living with HIV in the 49 hardest-hit cities of the US.
In 1997, CAEAR recognized trends in many of its member cities toward declining
rates of mortality and morbidity related to HIV disease. This trend and other
social and political changes strongly suggested the need to reconsider shortand long-term federal advocacy strategies. CAEAR developed a future vision
that accommodated these changes, and others that are likely to follow. From this
vision, new advocacy goals and objectives are being developed.
Results: CAEAR approached the project as an organizational learning activity
to create an opportunity for its members to recognize the ways in which the
future is with us in the present. Technology, including both anti-HIV and other
medications and monitoring tools, was selected by nearly 64 percent of participants as the key driver of the future, followed by new transmission of the virus
in a year (16.7 percent), availability to the HIV standard of care at the time (11.1
percent), money from the taxpayers for Title I (8.3 percent), and dues paying
members of the coalition (0 percent). CAEAR then generated histories of the
future-reflecting mistakes, successes, moves, counter-moves-in the context of
threats and opportunities in the wider environment.
Lessons learned: Despite the barriers of geography, lack of time, diversity of
membership, and the urgency of current pressing activities, national HIV coalitions can successfully employ innovative techniques to perceive possible futures
and make intelligent decisions in the present. Specifically, coalitions can identify
the key drivers of the future and connect present choices to a range of possible
futures that will unfold.