On the occasion of World AIDS Day 2021, many of these UNODC CSOs grantees, from Egypt, India, Kenya, Moldova, Nigeria, Tanzania, Uganda, and Vietnam, conducted activities to commemorate this special date, standing in solidarity with people living with and affected by HIV/AIDS.
Milestones Rehabilitation Foundation in Nigeria visited the community of people who use drugs on World AIDS Day to provide them with the voluntary HIV counselling, testing and referral, provision of safe injecting kits and IEC materials. During this community visit, CSO representatives explained how to dispose injecting equipment in a safe manner and helped individuals from the community with referrals to a drop-in unit for support services. During this one-day visit, 32 people who use drugs received services provided by this CSO’s team.
In Uganda, Multi Activists for Women and Youth Development Agency (MAWDA), who advocates for the rights of key population of people who use drugs and sex workers in slum areas in Kampala, organized special dialogue meetings to engage different stakeholders with the support of funding received from their UNODC CSO grant. These dialogue meetings facilitated stakeholders’ interest in proposing a special vote in the district government’s budget specifically for key populations to improve service delivery related to sexual and reproductive health and livelihood programs.
Another UNODC CSO grant recipient, Médecins du Monde (MdM) in Tanzania, conducted a series of events between 27th November – 1st December to commemorate World AIDS Day. The events included Ground Exhibitions of community services; participation in the Youth Day Climax by demonstrating with posters displaying advocacy messages that emphasized the need for the better policies for the community of people who use drugs; support for two community-based organizations (CBOs) to attend the World AIDS Campaign in Mbeya,including hotspots in Nonde and Mafiati, for sensitization of safe injecting, the use of condoms to prevent HIV infections, promotion of HIV Testing and Methadone education; and meeting with different stakeholders with the aim of sharing experiences and highlighting gaps that need to be addressed.
The focus of activities conducted by Lighthouse, UNODC grantee from Vietnam, was on the chemsex community and HIV. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Lighthouse team prepared World AIDS Day activities in virtual format, concentrating on social media outreach and communication. It posted several articles on their web site and Facebook fan page related to HIV prevention in the chemsex community. Lighthouse’s work and achievements were featured on the national TV channel VTV1 in Vietnam, highlighting the community role in supporting people who use drugs during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Executive Director of Lighthouse also joined YouthLEAD on behalf of young key population in the Asia Pacific region and spoke about the role
of young key populations in ending inequalities, AIDS and pandemic. On 3 December the Lighthouse Community One-stop Clinic conducted an opening ceremony with participation of the Vietnam Administration of AIDS Control in the Ministry of Health, the U.S. Centers of Disease Control and Prevention and other stakeholders and community-based organizations.
Keeping Alive Societies’ Hope (KASH) from Kenya organized an event commemorating World AIDS Day on 1 December in Kisumu County with the theme, “End inequalities, End AIDS, End pandemics”, focusing specifically on adolescents and young people and teenage pregnancies. During this event KASH offered HIV testing services and shared information about safe sex, commodities to protect people from HIV and human rights responses. Mental health consultations were offered on the spot and provided support on such topics and problem drug use, trauma, depression and anxiety.
Moldovan CSO Positive Initiative commemorated World AIDS Day in collaboration with the National Administration of Penitentiaries. An online information session was conducted for all penitentiary institutions and was attended by the Administration’s subdivisions and detainees. Ms. Irina Barbîroș, head of the Administration’s Medical Department, Ms. Ina Vutcariov, head of activities for people in conflict with the law at the CSO "Positive Initiative", and special guest of the meeting Mr. Iurie Climașevschi, coordinator of the National HIV/AIDS Program, spoke to the audience about HIV prevention, treatment and care.
Al-Shehab Foundation for Comprehensive Development in Egypt organized three events to mark World AIDS Day, aiming to increase the response towards HIV/AIDS among its targeted communities, especially young people,and