Abstract Book Vol. 2 [International Conference on AIDS (14th: 2002: Barcelona, Spain)]

322 Abstracts WePeG6967-WePeG6971

XIV International AIDS Conference

- Analysis of national AIDS Policies in Tanzania with a view to determining their
adequacy and advocating for change.
Identified medium term priorities were: advocacy on strategies to support HIV
vaccine development, access to care including HAART and mobilizing resources
for AIDS prevention and control.
TAS is already affiliated to the International AIDS Society and will implement identified activities through evidence based lobbying, information exchange, activism,
dialogue and community mobilisation.
Conclusion: Involvement and participation of different professionals in HIV/AIDS
control with shared approach and goals offer an essential contribution to prevention and control.
Presenting author: Fred Mhalu, Muhimbili University College, of Health Sciences, PO.Box 65001, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, Tel.: [phone], Fax:
[phone], E-mail: [email protected]
WePeG6967 Towards reducing HIV/AIDS in rural Rajasthan:
Implementing long term prevention programmes
S.C.S. Shah', R.M.S. Shah', J. Mora2, H. Rajpurohit3, R.V. Nair 4. 1 FXB India
Society Mumbai Branch, FXB India Society, 317/11, Niron CHS, S V
Road,Goregaon (W), Mumbai- 400062, India; 2Public Health Specialist FXB US
Foundation, Boston, United States; 3FXB Rajasthan Society, Jodhpur, India;
4FXB Rajasthan Society, Sumerpur, India
Issues: Various effective strategies have been implemented by many organizations in urban India and the impact of those is starting to be visible. Yet there is
much needed to be done to control HIV/AIDS in rural areas.
Description: Helping the Indian government to deal with the spreading HIV epidemic, AFXB started awareness programs in rural Rajasthan for the first time in
late 1999. It also started a Voluntary Counseling Training (VCT) centre in Sumerpur.
The VCT centre receives an average of a 143 patients a month. HIV seropositivity cases range from 6 to 12%/month, most whom happen to be migrant
workers. These findings inspired us to implement an HIV/AIDS awareness program among migrant workers from 180 villages in Rajasthan. Later, we linked
the Rajasthan project with a project in Mumbai, the place where most of the Rajasthan workers migrate. The direct effect of this project was the start-up of a
link project with Mumbai for young Rajasthani migrants who carry and spread
the HIV infections to their spouses and offspring. Other projects such as school
awareness, involving religious and political leaders, and mobilization of womens'
organizations have been part of the activities conducted by our organization.
Lesson's learned: Although rural Rajasthan appears to have a low incidence of
HIV, the epidemic is spreading at an alarming rate. More awareness, long term
intervention and prevention programs are desperately needed.
Recommendation: Strong collaborations and coordination between NGOs and
government, NGO to NGO and state govt. to state govt. are highly recommended.
Presenting author: Surin Shah, FXB India Society, 317/11, Nirlon CHS, S V
Road,Goregaon (W), Mumbai- 400062, India, Tel.: [phone], Fax: +91
22 877 31 44, E-mail: [email protected]
WePeG6968I Current development of the Argentinean harm
reduction network
P. Cymerman, G. Radulich, D. Aranda, D. Lavarello, M. Weiss. Argentinean
Harm Reduction Network, Corrientes 2548 1 E, 1046 Buenos Aires, Argentina
Issues: Lack of political support, resource shortages and mounting economic crisis make HIV prevention a low priority in Argentina. Injecting drug users are one
of the most affected populations with 39% of all AIDS cases in the country. Argentinean Harm Reduction Network (REDARD) was formed in response to this
situation.
Description: REDARD is integrated by people, groups and organizations from
Argentina who agree with Harm Reduction principles. Researchers, practitioners,
drug users and outreach workers share their knowledge and skills and bridge
some usual gaps between scientific and community fields. It is a horizontal mechanism for information sharing, capacity building and political support. Harm reduction interventions, including some needle exchange programs, have been initiated
in the country during the last years. REDARD's purpose is to strenghten and diffuse these experiences and to support new initiatives. It also promotes strong
links with other networks working in AIDS to face the current challenges imposed
by national critical situation.
Lessons learned: Networking allows to improve advocacy in a context where
Harm Reduction is not strongly supported. It has proven to be a powerful yet
inexpensive tool for local programs and policies to reduce HIV and other drug
related problems.
Recommendation: Co-operation and co-ordination with other national, regional
and international networks are needed to enlarge efforts, mobilize decreasing resources and improve political support.

Presenting author: Pablo Cymerman, Corrientes 2548 1 E, 1046 Buenos Aires,
Argentina, Tel.: [phone], Fax: [phone], E-mail: [email protected]

WePeG6969I The public health role of non-governmental
organizations (NGOs) working on HIV/AIDS issues
J.C. Moral, A. Purohit', A. Haag', D. Warren2, D. Garg3, J. Harsh4. 1FXB US
Foundation, 83 Cambridge St, Suite 2A, Burlington, MA, United States; 2USAID,
New De/hi, India; 3FXB-Rajasthan, Jodhpur, India; 4FXB-India, Mumbai, India
Issues: NGOs play an essential role in preventing and reducing the impact of the
HIV/AIDS epidemic on communities. However, much of the work done by NGOs
has not been broadly disseminated and, in some cases, has not been scientifically
recognized due to the lack of external validation. At the present time, hundreds
of NGOs are implementing valuable HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment projects
that are not receiving any technical assistance either from the government or from
academic institutions.
Description: This paper will examine the value of collaboration between NGOs
and academic and international institutions. NGOs have extensive networks
within communities and among themselves constituting unique organizations able
to develop multi-task jobs. Therefore, partnerships among NGOs, academic institutions, and international agencies are a win-win situation. These partnerships
help NGOs to validate and measure their impact on their current work and help
them to get technical assistance to better carry out their projects. Academic institutions and international agencies can get easier access to community networks
and can better train their staff and students to solve real public health problems
when working along with NGOs on community outreach programs.
Lessons learned: Some work done by NGOs has been recognized by the international community, and a few NGOs have started to play an important role at
the policy making level. Multi-sectoral approaches are known to be more effective than mono-sectoral approaches in the fight against any disease, especially
HI/AIDS.
Recommendations: NGOs, like most of the public health sector, are using limited resources; therefore, these organizations have the responsibility of assessing
the public health impact of all their projects as well as of maximizing the use of
those scarce resources.
Presenting author: Jorge Mora, 83 Cambridge St, Suite 2A, Burlington, MA,
United States, Tel.: [phone], Fax: [phone], E-mail: cmora@fxb.
org
WePeG6970 A social response model to migration and AIDS in
twin cities on the Mexico-Guatemala border
R. Leya, T. Gonzalez, M. Caballero, A. Dreser, M. Bronfman. Instituto Nacional
de Salud Piblica, Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico
Background: Hidalgo City, Mexico, and Tecun Uman, Guatemala are border stations for migrating and mobile populations, with a high inter-border mobility associated with work and commerce. This analysis forms part of the Project on Mobile
Populations and HIV/AIDS in Central America, Mexico and the United States. The
objective is to analyze the social response to migration and HIV/AIDS in twin cities
on the Mexico-Guatemala border.
Methods: In January/February 2001, a survey of the local population was conducted, where in-depth interviews took place with key and general informers, mobile populations, commercial sex workers and government and non-government
organizations.
Results: In both cities, mobile and migrant populations are attributed with violence, insecurity, prostitutions and AIDS. The majority of undocumented female
migrants experience sexual relations as a means to continue their migratory process, to the extent of becoming rape victims. Most of the commercial sex workers
are from other countries, undocumented, and are considered to be HIV transmitters. Even though the local population is well informed about HIV transmission, beliefs exist that promote social rejection to PLWAs. There are network
organizations in Tecun Uman that direct their attention to mobile populations
and HIV/AIDS, which include the Migrant House, Human Rights Office, House
for Women (Sex Workers and female migrants), the Church Clinic, community
HIV/AIDS prevention projects, and the public Health Center, for sexual workers'
health control. In Hidalgo City, there are no social organizations, however there
is inter-border experience in controlling health problems (malaria, cholera, others).
Conclusions: The network of social organizations identified in Tecun Uman constitute a response model to the complex problems of migration and AIDS and is
thus proposed as the basis for developing an inter-border system for the prevention and control of HIV/AIDS in mobile and migrating populations.
Presenting author: Rene Leyva, Avenida Universidad 655, Colonia Santa Maria
Ahuacatitl~n, Cuernavaca, Morelos, CP 62508, Mexico, Tel.: [phone]
ext. 5974, 2655, Fax: [phone], E-mail: [email protected]
WePeG6971 The role of Non-Governmental Organizations in
the prevention and control of HIV/AIDS among

mobile populations from Mexico and Central
America
T. Gonzalez, R. Leyva, M. Negroni, M.L. Kageyama, M. Bronfman. Instituto
Nacional de Salud Pdblica, Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico
Background: Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO) are important part of the
social response to HIV/AIDS control in Central America and Mexico, countries
with significant mobile and migrant populations (MP). The role of NGOs in the