HIVAIDS and SRHR

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HIV/AIDS and SRHR

• AIDSNET Workshop
• 14 September 2005

Presented by Samira Luka Head of cultural
Development Division, Coptic Evangelical
Organization for Social Services (CEOSS)
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(No Transcript)
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• Integration is a window of opportunity for
  advocacy. The spread of HIV/AIDS has put
  sexuality on the public agenda in a whole new
  way. It has become more legitimate to talk about
  sexualityit becomes important to use the
  opportunity that the current HIV/AIDS epidemic
  provides to advocate for other aspects of SRHR.
  (Aidsnet Manual p 10)

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Use the Opportunity!!

• A shocking statement
• A challenging statement
• A true statement

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HIV/AIDS and CEOSS

• HIV/AIDS info included in adolescent life skills
  course extensively used
• HIV/AIDS a new field for direct action
• CEOSS currently developing a project

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SRHR and CEOSS

• 40 years of experience
• Component of integrated development
• Integrated RH areas after ICPD 1994
• Instrumental in developing materials
• Worked with 1000s of beneficiaries
• Built capacity of CBOs in SRHR
• Provides technical assistance to MOHP

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CEOSS and Harmful Practices

• Extensive work with sensitive issues
• Changed behavior of beneficiaries
• FGM
• Early marriage
• Family Planning
• Womens rights
• Life skills for adolescent girls and boys

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Mainstreaming HIV/AIDS

• CEOSS will integrate HIV/AIDS with SRHR and with
  comprehensive work
• CEOSS is now focusing on rights based approach to
  development
• Is developing initial HIV/AIDS project
• Learning curve for staff and field workers

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HIV/AIDS in Egypt

• Incidence of HIV/AIDS is low
• HIV/AIDS work controversial
• Enveloped in prejudice and denial
• International stakeholders addressing cultural
  barriers essential interventions
• Hotline
• VCCT
• Blood supply
• Surveillance

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CEOSS Three Foci

• Mainstreaming AIDS into integrated community
  development
• Raising awareness of religious leaders
• Developing Arabic language training manual for
  field workers

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1) Mainstreaming AIDS

• Poor urban and rural communities
• General awareness-raising
• Recruit support of local leaders
• Special support for women and rights
• Flash point populations
• Drug users
• Traditional health workers
• Local health care clinics

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2) Raising Awareness of Religious Leaders

• CEOSS FID has worked with religious leaders since
  2001
• Group is well prepared to address social problems
• FID will address HIV/AIDS in panels and workshops
• Will emphasize citizenship and human rights
  context

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3) Field Workers Manual

• Series of booklets for use by NGOs with various
  segments of Egyptian population
• Will consider religious and cultural context when
  preparing materials
• Will consider literacy level of beneficiaries

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Use of Aidsnet Manual

• A tool for upper and middle management
• Awareness raising about HIV/AIDS basics
• Planning and strategizing
• Raising the right questions
• Identifying sources of information

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Awareness raising about HIV/AIDS

• Staff not knowledgeable about HIV/AIDS
• Manual provides essential, up to date info

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Planning and strategizing

• Mainstreaming
• Rights-based approaches
• Work toward gender equity
• SRHR advocacy

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Raising the right questions

• Need for voluntary counseling testing?
• How to minimize stigma discrimination?
• Should home-based care be promoted?
• STI info at local clinics?
• Scaling up prevention at local clinics?
• Anti-retroviral treatment access?
• District level planning?

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Additional uses

• A resource for proposal writing
• A model for other manuals
• Organization
• Use of boxes
• Types of information

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Possibilities for Expanded Use

• Could serve as the backbone for a more detailed
  manual for Egyptian NGOs
• Must translate to Arabic
• Arabize to meet cultural and religious norms
• Focus on low prevalence scenarios in developing
  countries

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Conclusion Use the opportunity

• The spread of HIV/AIDS has put sexuality on
  the public agenda in a whole new way. It has
  become more legitimate to talk about sexuality
  use the opportunity that the current HIV/AIDS
  epidemic provides to advocate for other aspects
  of SRHR.

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Use the opportunity to advocate

• Perhaps the most important message for us in
  Egypt and the Middle East
• Womens empowerment deficit (AHDR 02)
• Pervasive gender inequity
• Pervasive harmful traditions
• We will use the opportunity!!

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Designed by Sherin Nabil Aziz