Flux AIDES Actualités

AIDES and HIV self-testing

olivier-poleweb — Thu, 30 May 2013 17:00:36 +0000

The issue of self-testing, or home-testing as it is sometimes called, is not new to the HIV field and AIDES has been called on regularly in recent years to express its opinion both formally and informally on the subject. In accordance with the opinion of AIDES’ board of directors, the latest position put forward was shared with the National AIDS Council (CNS) and the National Consultative Ethics Committee (CCNE) at the end of 2012 and the beginning of 2013.

AIDES said "I do" to same-sex marriage !

Myriam — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 14:56:46 +0000

Têtière:

Same-sex marriage

On Sunday the 27th of January, AIDES activists proudly marched alongside the collective « Oui, Oui, Oui » in favour of same-sex marriage because the fight against HIV cannot be won if all people do not have the same rights.

“The debate on same-sex marriage is really about a choice the society needs to make”, says Bruno Spire, president of AIDES.

Do we want a society in which all sexualities are equal, a society which allows every person to accept themselves and to take care of themselves or do we want a society that perpetuates the idea that some members of the population are sub-citizens? Our mobilization in favour of sex-same marriage follows on from our fierce struggle for civil unions back in the 90s. Because too many AIDS patients died without being able to bequeath their property to their partners, because too many partners were not allowed to grieve or have any rights on the life they lived together, today we cannot tolerate the fact that society does not acknowledge some people’s love, does not protect some families only because they are in same-sex couples.

We can no longer accept that thousands of children, the children the « anti » movement says they want to protect, live in legally insecure situations. That is why AIDES says “I do, I do, I do” three times: “I do” to marriage, “I do” to adoption and “I do” to Assisted Reproductive Technology.

Le 27 janvier 2013, venez marcher ! par AIDES-association

Painful birth

Marriage equality : the National Assembly voted

Myriam — Mon, 18 Feb 2013 13:26:48 +0000

Têtière:

Marriage for all

AIDES welcomes the historic vote of the National Assembly in favor of marriage equality.

February 12th, 2013 After a fortnight of intense debates, the French National Assembly voted in the first reading, in favor of marriage equality. AIDES welcomes this historic step as every action taken towards equal rights is one more victory against AIDS.

2013 is the year when we are finally moving towards equal rights. For nearly thirty years now we have been fighting against AIDS. For thirty years we have been condemning the devastating effects of homophobia and intolerance, which are major drivers in this epidemic. This vote by the National Assembly in favour of marriage equality means that we are on the verge of winning this battle.

We are proud of the MPs who, during the debates revealed themselves emotionally and disclosed parts of their private lives, breaking with the tradition of LGBT being invisible on the political arena. We are proud of members of the opposition who chose to join this great movement of social justice rather than giving in to the siren calls of politics.

For AIDES, this February 12th is a symbolic date. "On this day, let us spare a special thought for all those who left us before they were entitled to get married, like all those who lost their spouses and had no right to their own bereavement” said Bruno Spire, President of AIDES. "Marriage equality is a social recognition and citizenship for thousands of men, women and children. Eventually, equal rights will allow us to live our sexuality openly, finally freeing ourselves of social stigma so that we can take better care of ourselves. Let us say it again: access to equal rights is inseparable from an effective policy to fight against AIDS."

Mr Hollande, what about political change ?

Myriam — Wed, 28 Nov 2012 11:09:28 +0000

Sarkozy’s hard-line right-wing campaign and term of office have left a legacy of deteriorated living conditions for patients and security measures which make the most at risk populations even more weakened.

François Hollande’s arrival as head of state could be a more hopeful period.

In an interview on Seronet (French website for HIV positive people) in March 2012, the then presidential candidate François Hollande made some commitments which seemed to us to be along the right lines.

7 months later, this World AIDS Day provides an opportunity to take stock and make an initial assessment. We do not expect any miracles in such a short time but the new government is struggling to convince us of its determination. The first indicators are not good. Awkward and contradictory statements are piling up. There have been delays in implementing some commitments, some are weak, reneged on and some have been quite simply buried. On the major issues like residence permits for HIV positive migrants, serophobia and access to sterile needles in prisons, the ministers are passing the buck without taking any serious measures. On budget issues, values like solidarity and justice have been replaced with the dogma of austerity.

On this first of December 2012, AIDES is concerned and calls on the government to react; they must get actively involved with associations in order to take the necessary steps to curb the epidemic, starting with the commitments they made during the presidential campaign.

Our fight goes far beyond the remit of the Health Ministry. AIDES wants an inter-ministerial commission to be set up dedicated to the fight against AIDS; better coordination in public policies is necessary if we want to be able to provide an effective response to the epidemic. Opting out is not an option!

AIDES organised the first ever "Disance*" Day

Myriam — Tue, 09 Oct 2012 14:41:41 +0000

Têtière:

Disance

A photograph, a video, a few words or a post on our Facebook page, whatever your style, you can take a step towards disance ?

The We can end AIDS March in Washington

Myriam — Mon, 20 Aug 2012 13:20:55 +0000

Têtière:

IAS 2012

"We can end AIDS", was the slogan chosen by the organizers of this mobilization which took place in Washington on Tuesday 24th July 2012, at the 19th international HIV/AIDS Conference. AIDES was there...

Five different processions joined the colourful, emotional, dynamic and noisy march in the American capital going from Lafayette Park to the White House.

The march is one of the great rituals of all HIV/AIDS conferences. This one showed the diversity and complexity of AIDS related issues in the United States and enabled those who are most affected (prisoners, sex workers, drug users) to have their voices heard. On this continent where the majority of states criminalize exposure to and/or transmission of HIV, the march served to remind governments that criminalizing the most vulnerable groups is in complete contradiction to health strategies recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO).

In a video broadcast during the conference on Monday July 23rd , French president, François Hollande, announced that France would introduce a tax on financial transactions, the famous Robin Hood Tax. Consequently activists took this opportunity to remind the world that the proceeds of this tax must be used for the fight against AIDS and all health inequalities. They called on all rich countries to follow this example.

Many of those taking part in the march have had their lives marked by this disease; they are determined individuals coming from the four corners of the world; such as National Nurses United which was also campaigning in favor of the financial transaction tax.

The fight against AIDS is “at midstream"

Myriam — Sat, 18 Aug 2012 17:36:10 +0000

Têtière:

International Aids Society 2012

AIDES will be actively taking part in the 19th International AIDS Conference in Washington in July 2012. Between hope for an end to the epidemic and the disengagement of the international community, the fight against this illness is at a historical turning point.

From the 21st to the 27th July, over 20,000 international stakeholders will meet in Washington DC for the 19th International AIDS Conference, organized by the International AIDS Society (IAS).

For AIDES and for all the activists who have been fighting for the last 30 years against the biggest pandemic humanity has ever had to deal with, the stakes are extremely high. This conference could go down in history as one which took place at a turning point in the epidemic, one where the world becomes aware of the end of the epidemic.

The fact that this conference is taking place in Washington is in itself symbolic. The United States had not held an international conference on its shores for 22 years (1). And for a very good reason! Until 2010, HIV positive people were simply not allowed on American soil. It was in 2009 that Barack Obama put an end to this ban founded on fear and ignorance.

Our campaigns par AIDES-association THE END OF AIDS IS POSSIBLE

Everybody is entitled to access to care !

Myriam — Fri, 17 Aug 2012 14:08:21 +0000

Têtière:

The right to reside in France for medical reasons

The present government has restricted the rights of seriously ill foreign nationals to reside in France for medical reasons. This right, which concerned 28,000 people, 6,000 of whom are HIV positive, enabled them to stay in France legally and benefit from treatment and medical care which is not available in their country of origin.

New off-beat TV advert for access to HIV testing

Myriam — Thu, 16 Aug 2012 16:14:15 +0000

Têtière:

HIV test

“Today, we all have a weapon to eliminate AIDS: a drop of blood at the tip of the finger and thirty minutes are enough for an AIDS test. If everyone takes it, AIDS disappears”.

The voice-over resounds at the end of this ad which is full of cinematographic references and nods to action films and thrillers. With AIDES, testing is a simple, friendly, quick and accessible service for those who need it most.

Every day, on the ground, our activists observe that some people still have real difficulty in having access to testing. “Some of those who are the most exposed to HIV, such as Afro-Caribbean communities, have many obstacles to overcome if they want to have access to testing” explains Christian Andreo, director of communications and national programs in AIDES.

AIDES campaigns : follow the updates here !

Myriam — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 13:39:46 +0000

The French presidential election 2012: The countdown has begun! Condoms, antiretrovirals, harm reduction programs for drug users and other strategies to fight against HIV/Aids and viral hepatitis have already proven their usefulness; the new president of France will have to prove himself/herself in the same way in 2012. We already know how to put an end to these epidemics and AIDES will not fail to remind the candidates of this fact.

Friday April 27th 2012. “We are France and we have a vote!”

Men, women, transsexuals, gays, migrants, drug users and other activists took a bus ride around Paris yesterday to remind the presidential candidates that we have at our disposal effective strategies to fight against Aids and Hepatitis. Bruno Spire, president of AIDES managed to get an interview with some of the campaign managers. A day of mobilization, music, shimmering beads, sequins and of course fun!

Thursday April 26th 2012. 1 p.m. The procession now moves on to the socialist party’s headquarters; the same demands, the same slogans.

“The ideas of the far right party are extremely harmful to health. We are women, men, transsexuals, gays, migrants, drug users, friends, lovers and parents, we belong to this French society and we want our rights! We want to have decent healthcare! We are France and we have a vote, we vote for an end to Aids!”

AIDES joins the French presidential election campaign!

Myriam — Sun, 01 Apr 2012 13:59:24 +0000

AIDES’ CAMPAIGN AND DEMANDS

We now know how to stop the epidemic, it’s a question of funding and therefore of political will. If we facilitate access to testing and treatment for all, the epidemic could be eliminated.

Vote for the one who has the courage to act.

Vote for an end to Aids.

The fate of generics will be decided behind closed doors

Myriam — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 09:20:53 +0000

Têtière:

Universal access

India, the world’s biggest exporter of generic medicines, home of the most promising scientific research and future leader in therapeutic innovation is today involved in complex political and commercial negotiations with people more preoccupied with profits than access to health. The free-trade agreements which are being discussed between India and Europe will shortly be signed without the involvement of civil society even if NGOs have been constantly repeating that these agreements, negotiated behind closed doors, threaten the production and exportation of generic medicines.

After their fact finding journeys to Burkina Faso in 2009, to Burundi in 2010, to Guyana and Surinam in 2011, AIDES and Global Health Advocates France went to India from the 7th to the 12th February 2012 within the framework of a major project to fight against tuberculosis called “Action”. The destination and date were not chosen by chance: after years of negotiation and despite opposition from NGOs all over the world, on the 10th of February 2012, India and Europe were supposed to sign important free trade agreements. These are commercial agreements about pricing and taxation of all merchandise and which are linked to international agreements on intellectual property also known as TRIPS (1). The economic stakes are extremely high, the media talks of little else but measures concerning the production and export of generic medicines are included in these documents and these documents are being kept secret.

The Global Fund is ten years old

Myriam — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 11:52:12 +0000

Têtière:

Universal access to health

Since it was set up in 2002, the Global Fund to fight Aids, Malaria and Tuberculosis has saved millions of lives in poor countries through its awareness campaigns, treatment distribution, bed nets and training of local stakeholders. However, for the last three years, financial contributions to this fund have been decreasing at an alarming rate. Its tenth anniversary will be celebrated this weekend in the midst of the financial crisis, the resignation of its executive director, Michel Kazatchkine as well as a showdown between donor countries (who are giving less and less) and anti-pandemic activists.

Barely ten years ago, Aids, Tuberculosis and Malaria were killing a million people a year. Thanks to the Global Fund, 1 million people were saved from life threatening Malaria and a little over 3.5 million benefited from antiretroviral treatment which was directly funded by this organization. These numbers represent half of the HIV positive people living in Africa and three quarters of those living in Asia.

Universal access to treatment : What is the update on the epidemic today and what are the needs ? Key figures...

Myriam — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 12:24:54 +0000

Têtière:

IAS 2012

The epidemic is still progressing. The number of people living with HIV has never been so high, mainly because of greater access to treatment.

At the end of 2010, an estimated 34 million (from 31.6-35.2 million) people were living with HIV in the world, 68% of whom were in sub-Saharan Africa. Sub-Saharan Africa also represented 70% of new infections in 2010 even if the rate is now falling in this part of the world.

9 million people who are in need of treatment still do not have access to it and therefore their lives are in danger. In 2010, 6.6 million people were on antiretroviral treatment in low and middle-income countries (i.e. nearly 22 times more than in 2001). We estimate that around 45% of antiretroviral needs are now covered. In 2009 and 2010, the number of new infections remained stable at 2.7 million infections per year. Although the progression of the epidemic is stable in some parts of the world, it is exploding in new areas like Eastern Europe and Central Asia.

RESOURCES WELL BELOW THE NEEDS

To reach universal access to treatment and care, 22 billion dollars needs to be invested on a yearly basis.

In 2011, only 16.6 billion dollars was invested.

Since 2008, using the financial crisis as an excuse, states have reduced their contributions to the Global Fund.

Universal access to treatment cannot be reached without generics !

Myriam — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 13:45:07 +0000

Têtière:

IAS 2012

At the beginning of the last decade, generic medicines became available on a worldwide scale and caused the price of first-line treatment to be reduced by 99%.

But since then, and with the support of rich countries, the pharmaceutical industry has done everything in its power to prevent their distribution...

Needless to say, rich countries prefer to support the interests of the pharmaceutical industry rather than fulfill the commitments made by the UN, as we saw with the all the shenanigans around the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA).

In the 2011 declaration, rich countries acknowledged the importance of generics in access to treatment. What are they waiting for to act on what they say? To reach the objective of universal access to antiretroviral treatment, we must continue to do everything in our power to reduce monopolies in the health sector and increase competition from generics, including procedures like licenses voluntarily granted by the laboratories.

In this capacity, initiatives like the patent pool by UNITAID, must also be supported. The patent pool is a community of patents created in 2010 by UNITAID with the objective of facilitating access to treatment for HIV, tuberculosis and malaria in low-income countries.

In practice the laboratories accept the principle of letting their products get “genericked” through voluntary licenses. For now, only Gilead has joined the UNITAID patent pool. AIDES URGES THE OTHER LABORATORIES TO DO THE SAME !

Increasing contributions to the Global Fund as well as to Official Development Assistance is possible

Myriam — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 12:49:41 +0000

Têtière:

IAS 2012

Insignificant needs compared to the budgets of donor countries. According to the UN, the amounts required represent 0.1% of the aid granted to the financial system since 2008.

By comparison, the world spends 1,630 billion dollars a year in the military sector: more than 12 times the global budget of official development assistance and 300 times more than the yearly contributions to the Global Fund.

Outside the fight against AIDS, development assistance provides funding to programs which are closely linked to it: the quality of nutrition, the fight against AIDS related illnesses and so on. “France pledged to increase ODA to 0.7% of GDP by 2012. Then this objective was postponed to 2015. It is vital that president François Hollande meets this commitment. He must also increase funding for the fight against AIDS in the overall budget” says Stéphane Simonpietri director of international programs in AIDES.

THE GLOBAL FUND : A SUCCESSIVE AND EFFECTIVE TOOL

The Global Fund is the most cost-effective tool ever implemented to respond to the worldwide fight against AIDS. Its extremely strict quality requirements have made it the most transparent health tool ever implemented in the history of public health. This tool has completely changed the landscape of the fight against these pandemics and means that we can now provide care for more than 3 million AIDS patients, (including 400,000 by France).

The Financial Transaction Tax : an innovative funding mechanism serving the people

Myriam — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 12:56:39 +0000

Têtière:

IAS 2012

With increasing unkept promises, some solutions were proposed to get the world economies out of the financial deadlock they found themselves in after the financial crisis of 2008.

One of them is the FTT or Financial Transaction Tax or Robin Hood Tax. It has several advantages : the rate is so slow that it is virtually painless for the economy, it only affects speculation and causes no losses in capital.

Symbolically it makes those who were responsible for the financial crisis pay for a share of the damage they caused. But its main advantage lies in the considerable amount of sustainable funds it would generate to fight against the great pandemics of the world and other global issues :

If it was applied at the G20 level, the FTT could generate between 200 and 300 million euros annually. However, until now the G20 has only paid lip service to this tax and no solid consensus has been reached so far.

If it was applied at the European level, the FTT could generate 50 billion euros annually. On Friday June 22nd 2012, Fench, German, Spanish and Italian leaders agreed on the creation of European tax, despite the reluctance of some countries like Sweden and The United Kingdom. The problem is that in this period of financial crisis the temptation is great to spend the proceeds on paying back debt. Within the framework of an international mobilization between NGOs, AIDES demands that the proceeds of this tax be spent on worldwide emergencies: extreme poverty, climate change, and the fight against pandemics.

WHAT ABOUT FRANCE ?

Developing countries also have to fulfill their commitments

Myriam — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 13:34:31 +0000

Têtière:

IAS 2012

Funding for health is a shared responsibility. AIDES and its partners call on African governments to fulfill the commitments they made ten years ago in Abuja, by allocating 15% of their budget to improving the health system.

Access to health should be a priority for governments. It is acknowledged as a fundamental right under international agreements. At the summit in Abuja in 2001, the states of the African Union committed themselves to “allocating at least 15% of their annual budget to the improvement of the health system” and to mobilizing all human, material and financial resources for the provision of care, support and quality treatment for people living with HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and other related illnesses”. Nothing can justify the fact that ten years on, only six countries (Burkina, Botswana, Rwanda, Niger, Malawi, Zambia) out of the 54 that make up the African Union have honored this commitment.

African activists demand their leaders to respect the Abuja commitments -
16th international conference on HIV/AIDS in Africa (Icasa 2011)

The Quilt for an Aids-free generation by 2015

Myriam — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 14:49:42 +0000

Têtière:

End of the epidemic

Coinciding with World Aids Day, the NGOs ONE, AIDES and (RED) are now launching the French version of the Quilt(2015), an innovative on-line tool created to bring the whole world together in a joint purpose: the advent of an Aids-free generation by 2015, which is, for the first time in the thirty years since the discovery of this virus, within reach.

Celebrities from the world of music, cinema and sport including Gisele Bündchen, Christy Turlington Burns, Coldplay, Perez Hilton, Jessie J, Annie Lennox, Maroon 5, Sienna Miller, The Black Eyed Peas and U2 have already given their support to the Quilt(2015) by creating their own panels.

The Quilt(2015) is inspired by the “Aids Memorial Quilt” started in 1987 with just one square and one name which has grown today to 94,000 names and weighs 54 tonnes. It is the largest community art project in the world and is exhibited in Washington. The aim of the project is to fight against prejudice, raise awareness and turn indifference into solidarity.

Created in partnership with @radical.media, the Quilt(2015) enables everyone to express their support in the fight against Aids and to make a specific promise which would contribute to ending this epidemic. Anyone can create their own panel on the website: http://www.2015quilt.com/ and share it on Facebook, Twitter or Google+. Before they download their panel, participants are invited to make one of the following pledges :

•    Join ONE and invite your friends to do likewise
•    Buy a (RED) product as a Christmas gift
•    Make a personal promise in favor of an Aids-free generation by 2015
•    Make a donation to AIDES

Icasa 2011: UNAIDS calls for solidarity

Myriam — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 11:41:33 +0000

Têtière:

Universal access

“Appropriation, strengthening, sustainability”. This was the theme of the 16th international Aids Conference in Africa (ICASA 2011) which opened on Sunday the 4th December 2011, and is surely the best recipe to put an end to the Aids epidemic in low-income countries. Mobilization, funding, minorities’ rights, health programmes were some of the main issues open for discussion. Over seven days, almost 10,000 activists were gathered in Addis Abeba (Ethiopia) to think about the best prevention strategies and bring into the open the withdrawal and disengagement of some governments.

The Global Fund is tightening its belt in 2012. This organization which gives funding for treatment and care for 500 000 HIV positive people in developing countries will be deprived of the 22 billion dollars it was granted annually thus far. The Global Fund has sufficient funds to fill this gap but… for how long? Michel Sidibé, guest of honour at the opening ceremony of the conference and executive director of UNAIDS, pointed out that 25 countries are now able to control the number of new infections. This and other accomplishments prove that prevention programmes are effective but the present context calls for vigilance and “global solidarity”.

Sida : Des associations manifestent pendant... par AIDES-association

Africa: homophobia escalates; Aids worsens

Myriam — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 13:02:24 +0000

Têtière:

Icasa 2011

Stigma, beliefs, Aids: these three issues are closely linked in Africa. Under the influence of powerful religious leaders, 39 countries out of the 53 that make up the African continent, still criminalize homosexuality despite WHO recommendations aiming to protect and support those who are vulnerable to HIV. More and more people are testifying about arrests, some even testifying at the 16th international Aids Conference in Africa, (Icasa 2011) but repression is still ongoing.

Religious demonstrations obliged the organizers to postpone a pre-conference session on the criminalization of homosexuality and a symposium was interrupted by an African delegate who likened homosexuality to pedophilia. Another demonstration was organized by religious leaders themselves in order to express their opposition to scientific speeches; it seems that Ethiopia which is hosting the 16th edition of the Icasa Conference is in fact torn between these two sides.

Miss Promises is going to steal the limelight at the Cannes G20

Myriam — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 13:15:28 +0000

Têtière:

Universal access

Universal access to AIDS treatments was promised for 2010. One year later, the missed promises has resulted in millions dying. ‘Miss Promises’ invites herself to the G20 to denounce the impact of these unfulfilled commitments.

She made quite a sensation last June in Deauville (1). Elected as Miss Promises of the G8 in front of hundreds of journalists she stated: “broken promises are promises that kill”. While the richest nations in the world are gathering in Cannes for another good intentions summit, on the 3rd of November, Miss Promises strikes back.

A bitter promise. In 2005 the G8 committed itself to “access to treatment for all HIV positive people”, with the implicit hope of ending Aids in 30 years. We are at the end of 2011 and two out of three HIV positive people still do not have treatment. Every day, Aids takes 7,000 more lives; 7,000 deaths which could easily be avoided. Over the last year, broken promises will have cost the lives of more than two million people.

Africa : "If money for HIV was used better…"

Myriam — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 12:33:04 +0000

Têtière:

Universal access

Decreased financial resources, dollars going missing, confused ministers and so on. The situation described by Tabin Tangila Mesu, adcocacy officer to political leaders in the Democratic Republic of Congo for the organization ACS/AMO in Congo, could be the same situation in any sub-Saharan African country. Tabin and NGOs remind us that the G20 in 2011 is the occasion to double the amounts allocated to the global Fund against Aids, Tuberculosis and Malaria but it is also the opportunity to think about having tighter checks and more transparency for a better distribution of wealth.

“It is estimated that 1,300,000 people are HIV positive in the Congo” explains Tabin Tangila Mesu. “Only 12%, i.e. 34,000 people, benefit from antiretroviral treatment. It’s extremely low! Nearly 280,000 people need treatment but do not have access to it and every year, there are 130,000 new cases of HIV in the country. Antiretrovirals are free but some medical consultations and tests are not. Very few people can afford to be monitored properly.

Without treatment people are condemned to death. First it is a kind of social death, then a physical death. A HIV positive person who has survived for several years without treatment eventually shows signs of the disease. The family and friends discover his/her HIV status and the person becomes a victim of stigma. He or she must fight against all kinds of discrimination and becomes isolated. That is why a lot of people prefer to remain silent and do not get treated. When they arrive in hospital, their illness is already at an advanced stage. Many don’t make it.

Activists united before the Third Volountry Replenishment Pledging Conference on the Global Fund to fight aids - Kinshasa, October 4th 2010

"We need to safeguard the Global Fund"

Myriam — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 11:49:45 +0000

Têtière:

Universal access

In Cameroon, as in many sub-Saharan African countries, antiretrovirals have been free since late 2010. It is a “spectacular but incomplete measure” say local activists. On the eve of the G20, as NGOs ask rich countries to double their contribution to the Global Fund, two of them* explain to us why access to health for African populations is still difficult.

With the G20 just around the corner and in a difficult financial setting, funding given by rich countries to the Global Fund to fight Aids, Tuberculosis and Malaria might not increase and could even decline. Does this situation worry you?

Fogué Foguito: Countries in the south are afraid. We don’t know what tomorrow will bring. It is thanks to the Global Fund that we have free antiretrovirals in Cameroon. Today, the lives of millions of people are being put in jeopardy by tensions between international decision makers. If our neighbouring country Chad has a shortage in HIV medication, then the sick people will migrate here. If there is only one country supported by the Global Fund then that country will be like a lighthouse shining in the darkness and all the sick people will try to migrate there.

Since it was set up in 2002, the Global Fund has reached more objectives than multi-lateral aid has in the last 50 years. Once more we need to safeguard this mechanism. The G8 countries have to meet the commitments they made in Gleneagles** in 2005. They must take strong and real measures to fight against Aids, Tuberculosis and Malaria.

Fogué Foguito interviewed by a British journalist during the G8 2011 - France

Today antiretrovirals (HIV medication) are free in Cameroon. Why don’t all HIV positive people have access to them?

Robin Hood tax: 0.05% to stop Aids

Myriam — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 11:03:43 +0000

Têtière:

FTT

We need you! We need you because we now know that a micro tax on financial transactions can help fight against social and environmental emergencies worldwide. Governments in rich countries have pledged their support but are not yet seriously committed to implementing this tax even though it could mean the end of North/South inequalities. Let's sign and circulate the petition (http://robinhoodtax.org).

Establishing a micro tax on financial transactions (0.05% as suggested by the Plus Coalition in France) has been the cause of heated debates for many years now. The principle is simple and effective, does not affect the tax payer and some countries have already implemented it. In Great Britain, for thelast 30 years stamp duty tax has raised 5 billion Euros a year.

If we use the same model, the Robin Hood tax could generate hundreds of thousands of Euros every year with a view to funding international causes like climate change, tuberculosis, malaria and Aids. It would also contribute to reducing financial speculation and the instability this can engender like the financial crisis we’ve been experiencing since 2008.

Sexy Fingers : Let your fingers get busy. And play !

Myriam — Wed, 10 Aug 2011 12:37:51 +0000

Têtière:

Launching of new HIV rapid testing

It only takes a finger to get done, … and to administer a rapid AIDS test by sampling a drop of blood on top of your fingertip, with result in less than 30 mn. To bring this simple concept to life, AIDES and JWT Paris are launching SEXY FINGERS, a sexy and hot campaign that’ll groove for the summer. It is built around an android game app plus a website, all promoted by a music video.

Music video. “Electro-Balls, tits-keyboard, butt-drums ...“

In the music video produced in colorful funkypop animation, a bunch of fingers play on sexual “instruments”. Tap butts to play drums, press tits to launch electro loops, … the music video explores this erotic groove box made out of sex “instruments“. The SEXY FINGERS track has been produced by FLAIRS, a well known French deejay. The music video pays off with: “With just a finger, you can also test for AIDS.“ And invite viewers to either play on the sexy fingers website or download the sexy fingers android app.

Sexy Fingers Android app and website. “Let your fingers get busy. And play. “

Gay pride 2011: a revolution in prevention

Myriam — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 10:45:48 +0000

This summer, once again, the gay pride parade took to the streets in seventeen cities in France. Since the 21st May 2011, hundreds of activists and members of the LGBT community (lesbians, gay men, bisexuals, trans gender) have accompanied the AIDES float. This year’s themes were: the expansion of community-based testing and the recognition of the efficacy of treatment as prevention. It took place on Saturday the 25th of June in Paris.

“Condoms + testing+ treatment = prevention”. This was the first slogan the organization chose for this edition of the gay pride parade. We’ve been talking about combined prevention for a few years now. “In 2006, at the international conference on HIV/Aids in Toronto, many experts highlighted the issue by demonstrating once again that taking antiretroviral treatment reduces the risk of spreading HIV” recalls Jean Marie Le Gall who manages the Evaluation, Research and Innovation sector of AIDES. Other experts, including the Swiss professor, Bernard Hirschel, have asserted its efficacy but it was the astounding results of the international trial HPTN 052 that made the World Health Organization confirm and validate this spectacular discovery.

Miss Promises strikes again !

Myriam — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 12:59:34 +0000

Têtière:

International Aids Society 2011

After Deauville, Miss Promises arrived in Rome to demand that Merck, Johnson & Johnson and Abbott enter the UNITAID Patent Pool

AIDES in Vienna for the 18th International Aids Conference

benedicte — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 16:20:15 +0000

Our message at the 18th International Aids Conference in Vienna (Austria) will be: To remind world leaders that they have responsibilities and that universal access to treatment must become a reality. AIDES and our partners will be there to inform, share and progress in the fight.

You can see 79 videos on the theme of eradicating the virus by 2040
Robin Hoods will inaugurate the French-speaking, presentation area of our organisation on the 19th of July and the next day oral presentations will be organised to discuss major issues like criminalisation of homosexuality or the question of intellectual property in access to medicines. As well as the video competition, AIDES and its partners will be organising a series of events all week long. The Plus coalition (http://www.coalitionplus.org) will explain how a tax on international bank transactions can raise funds on an international level. Every day at lunch time,

Plus will organise mini conferences to explain the project called The Robin Hood Tax.

Other events: community-based rapid testing; the website dedicated to HIV positive people Seronet (www.seronet.info); the actions of the Africagay against Aids group; the significance of the female condom (Fémidon) and the provision of injection equipment for drug users.

Focus on community-based research

Because cooperation between NGOs and researchers is essential to define our priorities in the field, AIDES and its partners have become involved in community-based research.

Summary of AIDES at AIDS CONFERENCE

The G8, vital issues and high expectations

benedicte — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 18:44:51 +0000

Yesterday the president of France, Nicolas Sarkozy was supposed to meet representatives of several French NGOs involved in the domain of development. Unfortunately this eagerly awaited event was cancelled by the Elysée Palace in favour of a meeting between the president and the French football player Thierry Henri.

On the eve of the G8 summit in Canada, these NGOs would have liked to remind the president that he must live up to the expectations of such a summit, especially on the following three points:

1. The president must commit himself to achieving the goal of universal access to prevention, care and treatment for HIV/Aids by 2010. Year after year since the United Nations commitments on Millennium Development Goals, guaranteeing this universal access, the leaders of rich countries seem to be incapable of keeping their promises. If we assess the situation now that the due date has arrived, the result is disappointing: only a third of those who need antiretroviral treatment have access to it.

Nicolas Srakozy must not renege on his commitments and he must do everything in his power to resolve the financial difficulties faced by the Global Fund to fight Aids, Tuberculosis and Malaria, caused by repeated failures on the part of donor countries to respect their commitments. The lives of hundreds of thousands of people depend on this Fund every year. Besides it is vital that France find the means of having a bilateral, renewed, complementary and additional policy on its commitments to the Global Fund in order to reinforce the fight against these three pandemics.

EU and G 20 summits: French and German civil societies welcome the call by Nicolas Sarkozy and Angela Merkel to tax bank transactions

benedicte — Mon, 05 Jul 2010 21:25:18 +0000

74 civil society organisations in France and Germany praise the statements of the French president and the German chancellor who will jointly defend, during the G20 summit from 26^th to 27^th June, the implementation of an international tax on bank transactions.

They call on French and German leaders to also take the opportunity of the European Summit on June 17th to promote the implementation of the tax on bank transactions throughout Europe.

By supporting the tax on bank transactions at the G20, Nicolas Sarkozy and Angela Merkel align themselves with civil society; over 150,000 citizens of the world have signed the petition demanding that the G20 implement this tax. The petition will be given to the leaders of the G20 on the 25^th of June in Toronto. In the past, this alignment of European leaders and civil society brought about great international advances despite opposition from China and the United States. This was the case for instance for the international treaty which prohibited the trade of land mines in 1997.

More than ever, in this period of financial crisis, the fight against hunger, poverty, pandemics and climate change demand urgent action from world leaders. At the same time, in Europe and developing countries, the financial crisis has forced governments to drastically reduce their budget deficits. A tax on bank transaction would generate hundreds of millions of euros a year and would allow the international community to not renege on their commitments regarding development and climate change.

Funding proposals submitted to the Global Fund are reviewed by a 43-member Technical Review Panel

benedicte — Wed, 19 May 2010 18:20:04 +0000

The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria is an international financing institution that invests the world’s money to save lives. To date, it has committed US$ 19.3 billion in 144 countries to support large-scale prevention, treatment and care programs against the three diseases.

Funding proposals submitted to the Global Fund are reviewed by a 43-member Technical Review Panel (TRP). The review takes place about once a year for two weeks, which current members have described as ‘a unique and memorable experience’.

Because proposals focus on the fight against the three diseases and related health systems strengthening, members of the TRP need to have a wide range of expertise. In addition to having sound technical knowledge and extensive program experience in HIV/AIDS, TB or malaria, it is also important that TRP members understand broader health systems and development ‘cross-cutting’ issues. These include capacity-building, governance and macroeconomics, as well as topics such as budgeting and financial management (value for money), gender, sexual orientation and gender identities, human resources, procurement and service delivery – to name but a few. For this reason, we do not recruit people with very narrow expertise.

For this important task, experts must be able to review large volumes of documentation under considerable time pressure and work effectively in small groups and large plenary sessions to reach consensus on funding recommendations. They must also be able to present their findings in a clear and concise way, in English, to the full panel, as well as in written form to be communicated to the Board and applicants.

The president Sarkozy has turned his back on HIV/Aids patients, activists turn their back on him

benedicte — Wed, 19 May 2010 18:16:27 +0000

5^th Francophone HIV/Aids conference – Casablanca, 28th-31st March 2010

The president of France, Nicolas Sarkozy has turned his back on HIV/Aids patients, activists turn their back on him at the conference.

Activists from Act Up-Paris, AIDES and Sidaction called on those working in the fight against Aids to turn their backs on Patrice Debré, Aids ambassador for France, during his closing speech at the conference.

We are still far from universal access to treatment which was promised for 2010, despite the repeated pledges made by the French president since he was elected in 2007.

Today we know how to stop this epidemic, it’s only a question of political choice.

Therefore we ask Nicolas Sarkozy not to renege on his commitments: France must support a Global fund of 20 billion and increase its contributions accordingly.

The Robin tax : not doing it now would be criminal.

benedicte — Wed, 19 May 2010 18:11:18 +0000

Têtière:

FTT

“As a HIV positive French man and being fortunate enough to have free medication, I support HIV positive people the world over, and I support the Robin tax. I also support life! This tax on foreign exchange transactions would allow us to raise enough money to pay for treatment for every HIV positive person in the world”. With the appropriate hat, at the 5^th Francophone conference on HIV here in Casablanca, Vincent Pelletier, director of PLUS and managing director of AIDES, has just launched the campaign to support the Robin tax.

What is the Robin tax ?

The “Robin Hood tax” is a micro tax of 0.005% on foreign exchange transactions between banks, i.e. a minute automatic deduction which has little or no affect on trade but which, considering the huge sums of money involved, would allow us to raise a considerable amount of money. NGOs are asking the European Union to put into operation this tax on exchange transactions between banks which work with the Euro. As the PLUS coalition reminds us: “Foreign exchange transactions already have an automatic deduction (…) but it is even lower than 0.005% and is only used for the computer systems used by banks for exchanging currencies”.