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September 2014 newsletter |
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Get involved with STOPAIDS
As we move towards the UK General Election in May and the end of the Millennium Development Goals in September 2015, this month's newsletter focuses on how you can engage with STOPAIDS and maximise the value of your membership.
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A World AIDS Day to remember
This World AIDS Day on December 1st falls on the eve of one of the most momentous years for UK campaigners, as we anticipate both the General Election and the new UN development goals to come. We are working with members, the APPG on HIV and AIDS, Student Stop AIDS Campaign and allies from UK-focused organisations to make sure this World AIDS Day is one to remember. There's more information on our website for ways to get involved. Or get in touch with Diarmaid. |
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UK General Election
The next UK General Election will take place on the 7th May 2015, and STOPAIDS is already working with our membership and allies in the TB and malaria communities to ensure HIV is a priority for the next Government. STOPAIDS staff will be present at this year's Party conferences and our work to influence manifesto commitments is well developed. Please get in touch with Ben to engage. |
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Moving towards the post-2015 development framework
August 18th marked the beginning of the 500 day countdown for the deadline to meet the targets of the Millennium Development Goals. Antiretroviral treatment has saved 6.6 million lives since 1995, but the HIV goal for MDG6 are unlikely to be met without sustained international attention. If you would like to engage in the work STOPAIDS is doing in relation to post-2015 get in touch with Matt. |
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News from STOPAIDS
STOPAIDS is looking for up to five new Trustees to join the Board at our AGM in November. This is a very exciting opportunity for individuals who work for our member organisations to join the Board as we move towards the General Election and post-MDG framework and fulfil our 2013-2016 Strategic Plan. Trustees are responsible for the overall direction of the charity and the proper functioning of the Secretariat. Trustees reflect the diversity of the wider membership, taking on specific "overseeing" responsibilities, bringing their expertise to bear on aspects of STOPAID's work and taking part in five meetings a year. If you would like to discuss the roles and responsibilities of STOPAIDS Trustees further, contact Ben Simms. Please click here for information about our current trustees.
The STOPAIDS 2013-2014 Annual Review has now been published and copies circulated to members and supporters. You can download a copy of the review here, and all feedback is welcome - please email info@stopaids.org.uk.
3pm, Thursday 11th September, STOPAIDS will be hosting an informal panel discussion with Katy Athersuch (MSF), Diarmaid McDonald (STOPAIDS), and Phumeza Tisile, an XDR-TB survivor and activist from South Africa. Phumeza is a 23 year old woman who was diagnosed with XDR-TB in June 2010, completing the painful treatment, which left her deaf, in August 2013. She is now a fierce advocate for better diagnosis and shorter treatment with less side effects for people with tuberculosis.
2pm, 15th September. We are really pleased to offer the opportunity to visit Mildmay’s new London hospital and meet with Cannon Gideon Byamugisha.The inspirational Gideon Byamugisha is an Anglican Reverend Canon Priest in Uganda, and was the first religious leader in Africa to publicly announce that he was living with HIV. Join us as we visit the hospital, learn about the work of Mildmay International and discuss the situation in Uganda with Cannon Gideon. RSVP.
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News from members
AVERT
AVERT has recently launched a new series of 15 fact sheets on how to prevent HIV. The fact sheet series includes answers to commonly asked questions such as: How is HIV transmitted? What is emergency HIV treatment/ PEP? What if my partner is HIV-positive? Should I breastfeed if I have HIV? As well as information targeted at key populations. The series is a useful resource for people looking for information to protect themselves from HIV, and particularly for projects in the field looking for easily accessible and understandable information to download, print and distribute.
The factsheets are available on AVERT's website, and please get in touch with Caitlin if you have any feedback or for further information.
Coalition for Children Affected by AIDS
 The Coalition for Children Affected by AIDS, which includes the International HIV/AIDS Alliance, World Vision, and the Elton John AIDS Foundation, launched a new resource at AIDS 2014 within a very well attended workshop: Difficult Decisions. The tool is for care workers to manage ethical dilemmas they face in their work with children and families of key populations.
Difficult Decisions is designed for an employee or peer support worker to use when faced with an ethical dilemma. But it was designed—in consultation with leading ethicists—by populations uniquely affected by HIV: people who use drugs, sex workers, transgender people and gay men or other men who have sex with men. And, notably, it includes reference to dilemmas involving their children.
The tool is part of a larger guidance explaining ethics and ethical decision making to those less familiar with the concepts, and is accompanied by orientation slides and a handy pocket guide for more urgent in-the-field decisions.
CCABA are now able to share the tool in full as well as some additional support tools and all in English, French, Spanish and Russian. It has been tested, improved and validated in four languages and in five countries—in Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe and North America—over a rigorous 3-year process and we are also in the process of a 3 country evaluation.
To download the tool:
Go to www.careworkerethics.org for the guidance and its supporting documents, which include:
- Difficult Decisions – the comprehensive guidance written in plain language–in PDF format–containing the Four Step Tool, a Code of Ethics, 3 examples of ethical dilemmas resolved using the tool, and a Pocket Guide to Handling Ethical Dilemmas in the Field – printer layout;
- Difficult Decisions – “booklet” layout (2-pages side by side);
- A stand-alone, editable MS Word Document containing The Four-Step Tool
- Orientation Slides (PowerPoint format) to help you deliver a 3-hour orientation to your colleagues, and to implement the use of the guidance in your organization.
It would be valuable to hear how people use the tool and whether it has been useful, so please encourage people to use the website and the email link to share any feedback or any questions they have with John Miller.
LSHTM
 In July, BMC Medicine published a paper from the SaME (Social and Mathematical Epidemiology) group at LSHTM, on the study to evaluate the SASA! programme in Uganda. In summary, lead author Tanya Abramsky concluded that "SASA! achieved important community-level impacts on attitudes and behaviours relating to violence and HIV-risk.”
Importantly, intervention impacts were seen at the community level – not just among people reporting exposure to the SASA! intervention – suggesting that social diffusion worked to disseminate SASA! ideas and behaviours throughout the community. Read more here. You can also read STRIVE's latest digest here.
WaterAid
 A study conducted by WaterAid with the Southern Africa HIV and AIDS Information Dissemination Service (SAfAIDS) concludes that the major barrier to the integration of HIV / AIDS and WASH is a lack of appropriate policies and limited coordination between two sectors. The study was conducted in Lesotho, Swaziland, Mozambique and Zambia and dissemination meetings in all four countries have brought together WASH and HIV actors, generated press coverage and provided the basis for better integration in the future. Speaking during the opening ceremony of the presentation of the study in Mozambique, Dr. Samuel Quive, representing the National Council of Fight against AIDS (CNCS), said that "the study represents a significant contribution to the adoption of new strategies to combat HIV / AIDS." He added that the National Council for the Fight against AIDS is preparing the third National Strategic Plan to Combat HIV-AIDS (2015-2019), thus the results of this study will contribute to the strengthening of the national response against HIV-AIDS.
Click here to read our factsheet on WASH and HIV, which was written in partnership with WaterAid.
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Meetings & diary dates
Thursday 11th September, 3-5pm
Discussion with MSF and Phumeza Tisile, an XDR-TB survivor and activist from South Africa. Please RSVP to dani@stopaids.org.uk if you would like to attend.
Monday 15th September, 2 - 4pm. Opportunity to visit Mildmay’s new London hospital and meet with Cannon Gideon Byamugisha. RSVP matt@stopaids.org.uk.
Thursday 25th September, 6-8pm, Bermondsey Square Hotel
Joining Voices for Family Planning: Film Launch and Reception
IPPF will launch an emotive new film from Kenya in support of the FP2020 initiative, with guest speakers including Valerie De Felippo, Director of FP2020 and the Hon. Andrew Toboso MP, Chair of the Kenyan Parliamentary Network on Population and Development. For more information and to RSVP please contact Chris Gee, Advocacy Officer at IPPF.
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Publications and initiatives
AVAC
A new report from amfAR and AVAC argues that critical and expensive decisions made with incomplete data can undermine the response to the AIDS epidemic—even as the systems for collecting these data continue to improve. The report, Data Watch: Closing a Persistent Gap in the AIDS Response, describes the issues and identifies critical areas where better, more complete data are needed to guide the key decisions for the response to the HIV/AIDS epidemic.
IPPF
 ‘Stigma is still my most serious challenge’ is a new IPPF publication that shares the experiences of people living with HIV. Men and women from Ethiopia, Mozambique and Swaziland talk about HIV-related stigma and describe their courage, inspirations, suffering, resilience and determination to trigger change. Their stories demonstrate how stigma and discrimination can hinder access to vital support and care and the prevention, testing and treatment of HIV. Click here for more info and to download.
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news from parliament
The Chair and Vice-Chair of the APPG on HIV and AIDS attend the International AIDS Conference
In July Lord Fowler and Pamela Nash MP attended the International AIDS Conference in Melbourne accompanied by the Policy Adviser to the APPG. The Conference was an excellent opportunity to meet with activists and HIV/AIDS specialists throughout the world. Given the lack of representation from the UK Government, the APPG’s presence was particularly important in demonstrating parliamentary commitment to the issues. While the conference took place in the shadow of the MH17 tragedy, the atmosphere was still vibrant and inspiring with a keynote speech from Bill Clinton and special session with Sir Bob Geldof. The UK parliamentary delegates met with other parliamentarians from across the globe to share their experiences of tackling HIV/AIDS and the political barriers faced in many countries. Lord Fowler and Pamela Nash also chaired and spoke at a number of events and informal meetings.
APPG hosts Half Way to World AIDS Day Record testing marathon
On Tuesday 8 July 2014 the APPG on HIV and AIDS alongside the Halve It campaign hosted a ‘Halfway to World AIDS Day’ event in the House of Commons comprising a world record attempt for the highest number of legislators tested for HIV; a sexual health exhibition of Halve It members and affiliate organisations; and a parliamentary meeting on HIV testing policy and practice with speeches from the Shadow Secretary of State for Health Andy Burnham, Prof Jane Anderson (PHE), Dr Kay Nolan (NICE), Dr Michael Brady (THT) and Sarah Stephenson (Greater Manchester Sexual Health Network). A record 22 MPs and Peers took an HIV test in support of Halve It’s aims, with tests administered by Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust. This was double the number tested at the last Halve It World AIDS Day event in parliament in November 2013. Many more parliamentarians attended the exhibition and the meeting. Key figures in attendance included Shadow Public Health Minister Luciana Berger, Sir Nick Harvey, Baroness Liz Barker, Baroness Healy, Lord Collins, Caroline Lucas, Tom Brake and Crispin Blunt.
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Jobs
HelpAge International
Job title: Regional Head of Policy, Advocacy, and Campaigns
Contract: 2 year contract, accompanied post
Location: Based in Nairobi, Kenya, with extensive regional travel
Salary: £35,560 per annum
Application deadline: Friday 5th September
How to apply: Download job description and application details here
HelpAge International
Job title: Programme Officer: Age and Disability Capacity Building Project
Contract: Fixed-term until August 2017
Location: London
Salary:£29,582 gross per annum
Application deadline: Sunday 14th September
How to apply: Download job description and application details here
International HIV/AIDS Alliance
Job title: Director of Operations
Location: Brighton
Salary: circa £70,000 per annum, plus benefits of up to 16%
Application deadline: Tuesday 9th September
How to apply: Download job description and application details here
International HIV/AIDS Alliance
Job title: Senior Advisor: Technical Cooperation (Global Fund)
Location: Brighton
Salary: circa £37,000 per annum, plus benefits of up to 16%
Application deadline: Wednesday 10th September
How to apply: Download job description and application details here
International HIV/AIDS Alliance
Job title: Regional Manager: Asia and Eastern Europe
Location: Brighton
Salary: circa £42,000 per annum, plus benefits of up to 16%
Application deadline: Sunday 14th September
How to apply: Download job description and application details here
IPPF
Job title: Senior Technical Officer, Clinic Information Systems
Location: London
Salary: £58,840 plus benefits
Application deadline: Sunday 14th September
How to apply: Download job description and application details here
Oxfam
Job title: Liaison Officer, Civil Society Delegations to UNITAID Board
Location: Oxford
Contract: Fixed-term until January 2015
Salary: From £29,540 per annum
Application deadline: Monday 15th September
How to apply: Download job description and application details here
Plan UK
Job title: Programme Development Officer
Location: London
Salary: £35,224-£37,078
Application deadline: Sunday 21st September
How to apply: Download job description and application details here
Terrence Higgins Trust
Job title: Health Promotion Officer
Location: Based in Cambridge, with travel across Cambridgeshire
Starting salary: £23,076
Application deadline: Tuesday 16th September
How to apply: Download job description and application details here
Terrence Higgins Trust
Job title: Project Worker: Life Positive Project
Location: Nottingham
Salary: £25,876
Application deadline: Friday 5th September
How to apply: Download job description and application details here
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