Abstract Book Vol. 1 [International Conference on AIDS (16th: 2006: Toronto, Canada)]

and the potential success of mobilization by civil society to seek out better,
more responsive TB and HIV services. For Salvation, this kind of mobilization
has resulted in the recognition of the organization as an equal partner with
municipal authorities in TB/HIV coordination efforts.
Recommendations: Ongoing engagement of civil society organizations
in policy development will lead to improved TB/HIV treatment and care and
increased funding for collaborative TB/HIV activities. Furthermore, to ensure
successful implementation of policies once they are adopted, community-based
organizations should be involved in monitoring and evaluation activities to
assess the quality and delivery of collaborative TB/HIV activities.
TUPE0903
AIDS action Europe: a coordinated European
response to the HIV/AIDS epidemic
M.M.A. de Schutter. AIDS Action Europe, Amsterdam, Netherlands
Issues: Recent advocacy work by AIDS Action Europe to accelerate concerted
action in the fight against HIV/AIDS has led to better coordination between
civil society, governments and the European Commission, resulting in more
effective European policy on HIV/AIDS.
Description: AIDS Action Europe, the regional partner of ICASO, has advocated
successfully to the European Commission and member states to scale up their
HIV/AIDS programming through concerted dialogue between civil society, the
European Commission and governments. AIDS Action Europe and EATG became
Co-Chairs of the Civil Society Forum, an informal advisory body created by the
European Commission. Both NGO networks secured seats on the Think Tank on
HIV/AIDS, an advisory body from the member states. Through advocacy work,
civil society managed the inclusion of key issues into the first European policy
on HIV/AIDS, released end 2005. The establishment of the Civil Society Forum
and Think Tank are important steps in securing the inclusion of PLWHA and
NGOs at the European Commission and government policy planning level.
Lessons learned:
- Despite main differences of opinion between civil society and governments,
regular communication through advisory bodies can lead to more coordinated
policy and action.
- Institutions like the European Commission acknowledge the expertise of civil
society and its role to mobilise national governments to scale up action.
- Cross sector dialogue ensures that key issues and priorities are shared among
a wide variety of NGOs and networks in Europe, facilitating best practice
exchange and implementation.
Recommendations: - Civil society needs effective coordination and cooperation
to be well-prepared and recognised as adding value.
- Civil society groups in other regions should investigate possibilities to lobby
for a similar model of advisory body representation.
- Civil Society needs to insist on monitoring and evaluation mechanisms to
ensure that policies are put into practice and demonstrate that civil society
programmes are effective.
TUPE0904
Civil society monitoring of public expenditure on
HIV/AIDS in Nigeria
B. Adewumi', O. Akanni1, O. Falobi2, K. Obom-Egbulem1. 1Journalists Against
AIDS (JAAIDS) Nigeria, Policy and Advocacy, Lagos, Nigeria, 2Journalists
Against AIDS (JAAIDS) Nigeria, Office of the Executive Director, Lagos,
Nigeria
Issues: Globally and at national levels, new additional resources are being
attracted to boost the response to HIV/AIDS at country levels. However, there
has been no tool or mechanism developed to track or monitor the flow and use
of these funds. Particularly, civil society has been involuntarily incapacitated
from engaging effectively in monitoring of national programmes and budgeting/
expenditure processes.
Description: Journalists Against AIDS (JAAIDS), a media-based advocacy
organization in Nigeria is responding to this gap by building civil society
mechanisms for monitoring programme implementation and public expenditure
on HIV/AIDS within the Nigerian national response. Under its MONITOR project,
it provides training to watchdog constituencies (including journalists and
PLWH) on public policy advocacy and expenditure tracking. It also convenes
"Town Hall" meetings, bringing trained monitors face-to-face with government
policymakers and programme implementers, thus facilitating a platform for civil
society to hold public officials accountable and support effective implementation
of national priority interventions. Through the publication of a quarterly
newsletter Agenda for Action, the project provides research findings and critical
information to the media and civil society groups on which they can base their
advocacy actions to report failing interventions and keep AIDS programme
managers on their toes.
Lessons learned: Citizen interventions to monitor public sector programmes
and resource allocation is required if the scarce resources available to combat
AIDS is to be effectively utilized. Building partnerships with watchdog sectors

such as the media, parliamentarians as well as constituencies of people living
with HIV is effective in addressing this. However, poor access to data and weak
civil society capacity in programme monitoring have been major obstacles.
Recommendations: In order to intervene effectively in the public expenditure
process, civil society organisations need to build strategic alliances. There is
also need to engage in capacity building among CSOs.

TUPE0905
Advocating for the informed involvement of PLWA in
efforts to integrate TB/HIV services in Mexico
F. Rosas, Fundacion Mexicana para la Lucha contra el SIDA, A.C.. Fundacion
Mexicana para la Lucha contra el SIDA, A.C., Project Coordinator, Ciudad
Nezahualcoyotl, Mexico
Issues: Mexico has nearly 35 000 TB cases and 160 000 people living with HIV.
There is a lack of innovative educational approaches toward empowering PLWA
to demand improved counseling, care and treatment for TB/HIV.
Description: To educate PLWA about TB/HIV through a peer education
strategy empowering them to advocate for better lung health services in local
communities within a human rights framework. To achieve this aim:
- In-depth interviews were conducted with PLWA to explore their knowledge,
attitudes and willingness to participate in TB/HIV education and advocacy
activities.
- TB/HIV peer advocates were trained through skills-building workshops.
- A public event was held to advocate for scaled-up intervention in populations
with high levels of TB/HIV co-infection.
Lessons learned:
- Translation of TB/HIV policy into specific advocacy activities for better lung
health services.
- Alliances with key people from governmental and not-governmental sectors
contributed to the project's success.
- Positive leadership has contributed to the development of more effective TB/
HIV policy and programming.
Recommendations: - Operational research on DOT-S and DAART can help
justify and support TB/HIV collaborative activities.
- Innovative strategies to reduce persistent self-stigmatization are required to
create the supportive enviroment necessary for affected persons to play a role
in health education and advocacy.
- Increased emphasis should be placed on ensuring participation of PLWA in
TB/HIV policymaking, including planning, implementation and evaluation.
- To determine ways to collaborate with TB/HIV public health officers; to
encourage more technical support for social mobilization among PLWA, as
a way of overcoming tokenism; and most importantly to continue efforts to
reduce stigma and discrimination and exclusion against vulnerable populations
and people affected with TB/HIV.
TUPE0906
How and why networks of people living with
HIV/AIDS (PLHA) can assist in effective
coordination of TB/ HIV programs in India?
A. Kurian, P. Suruli, A. Sivaperumal, N. Rout. Indian Network for People living
with HIV/AIDS, Chennai, India
Issues: India has about 5.1 million people living with HIV/AIDS (PLHA) and
one-third of TB-infected people in the world. About 50-60% of PLHA in India will
eventually develop TB. However the government's efforts to reduce TB burden
in PLHA and involve PLHA networks in such activities are not robust in India.
Description: Recognizing the impact of TB on the lives of PLHA, INP+ has been
advocating through its state/district level PLHA networks for better coordination
of national TB and HIV programs. With support from Open Society Institute
(OSI), Tides Foundation/International Treatment Preparedness Coalition
(ITPC), USAID/FHI, and Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, INP+ has been
providing treatment education including TB/HIV co-infection education for PLHA
in various states of India. Recently as part of ITPC, INP+ released a report on
HIV/AIDS treatment access in India in which the lack of coordination of national
TB and HIV programs were highlighted. Some of the major findings include:
no effective implementation of the 'Joint Action Plan' of National AIDS Control
Organization (NACO) and Revised National Tuberculosis Control Program
(RNTCP); no meaningful involvement of PLHA in TB/HIV coordination activities;
lack of articulation of internationally recommended TB/HIV collaborative policy
and programme guidelines; and no joint plans to achieve the global targets for
TB control. Though in some places, PLHA networks are actively involved in TB
program activities - like functioning as DOTS centres for PLHA, in most places
they are not involved.
Lessons learned: Though the "joint action plan" of NACO) and RNTCP) in
principle agrees that PLHA need to be involved, in reality the potential of PLHA
networks in this area is untapped.
Recommendations: There is an urgent need to devise mechanisms to involve
PLHA networks in TB/HIV program coordination activities at various levels.
INP+ will work with the government towards achieving it.
TUPE0907
Empowering PLWHAs in Brazil to build HIV/AIDS
public policies: the experience of the NGOs "Grupo
Pela Vidda Rio e Niteroi"

N. Tebet', O. Valente2, G. Genovese', P. Rios', M. Villard2, C. Varela2,
I. Carvalhoe. 'Grupo Pela Vidda Niteroi, Niteroi, Brazil, 2Grupo Pela Vidda Rio
de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Issues: The current process of incorporating AIDS care services within the
public health system involves the need to provide training to PLWHAs to prepare
them to participate in articulation forums and decision-making instances in the
health field, so as to impact the future of prevention and care policies.
Description: The NGOs GPV Rio and Niteroi have implemented a project with

XVI INTERNATIONAL AIDS CONFERENCE * 13-18 AUGUST 2006 * TORONTO CANADA * ABSTRACT BOOK VOLUME 1