Regional Workshop on HIV AIDS and Vulnerable Population

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Regional Workshop on HIV AIDS and Vulnerable
Population

• PAN African MSM Network
• Presented by Danilo da Silva

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Contextualization

• In Africa sexuality is an issue hard to discuss
  openly in the public arena. Sexual minorities are
  neither recognized as an African issue nor a
  political priority. Aggravating the situation, we
  have several African heads state and religious
  leaders promoting hate speech, legitimizing
  homophobia and stigmatization of sexual
  minorities.
• Gender values and social norms regarding
  sexuality drive many African men to hide their
  sexual orientation, making them to live double
  lives in order to keep their social role and
  status quo.
• Apart from South Africa, we have several
  countries in the continent that criminalize same
  sex practices and also those who, in their eyes
  promote such behavior.
• Due to strong social pressure and part because
  many of these organization ,working in the AIDS
  field, are in somehow related to religious
  groups or have traditional family values, do not
  consider prevention focusing MSM as a priority
  and are not willing to include MSM.

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Contextualization The PAN Africa MSM Network
initiative

• The PAN Africa MSM network is an 18 LGBTI African
  organizations network that joined together to
  find a common understanding and response to the
  epidemic in the African MSM community.
• Our objective is to advocate for equitable
  effective access prevention and treatment
  services tailored to the needs of gay and MSM
  while promoting the health and Human Rights in
  the continent.
• The discussion started in Nairobi May 2008
• The formal meeting took place during the AIDS
  conference in Mexico in August 2008 and was
  funded by Ofxam, IGLHRC and UNDP
• A list serve was created to keep the discussion
  running
• Formal meeting was scheduled for February 2009
  did not take place

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Constraints of ONGs Working with MSM

• Institutional homophobia plays a major role and
  undermines the work of organizations working with
  sexual minorities, such as MSM.
• Recently in Senegal we had the arrestment of MSM
  HIV activists, followed by the Burundian bill
  against same-sex practices.
• In Mozambique, LAMBDA is struggling for more than
  a year to get the legal registration - Government
  is mute, violating the constitution and all
  international treaties signed.
• All these constraints faced by MSM community and
  organizations do not collaborate to the effort of
  building adequate HIV responses. Moreover, this
  institutional homophobia blocks any network and
  organization development among MSM.
• Lack of data Few research has been done in the
  field.
• Lack on funding Governments dont fund MSM
  NGOs because they believe by doing so, they are
  promoting homosexuality.

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Example Mozambique Government burying its head
in the sand

• The current Mozambican national HIV strategic
  Plan does not mention sexual minorities.
• Lambda is member of MARPS technical group,
  created under national strategy for acceleration
  of HIV prevention.
• Recently, Lambda worked in the definition of the
  local concept of vulnerability, and consequently
  in the definition of the most vulnerable groups,
  which one of them was MSM.
• Although MSM had been include in the technical
  proposal presented to the government, this
  document was changed by decision makers (Council
  of Ministers) leaving out MSM and other groups
  such as IDU without further explanation.
• This invisibility of MSM in the HIV public
  policies enhances the vulnerability that affects
  our community, making us at great risk of
  acquiring HIV, demonstrating the unwillingness of
  the government to discuss the issue of MSM in the
  public arena.

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Why do we need specific intervention strategies?

• Despite the lack of data, prevalence rates among
  MSM are higher than the general population
• Different sexual practices, need different
  messages ( e.g WSW)
• Misconception in risk transmission of HIV virus
  trough unprotected anal sex
• Specific sexual beliefs among MSM must be
  adequately addressed
• UNAIDS recognizes the importance of specific
  interventions even in generalized epidemic
  settings
• Grassroots mobilization is fundamental to tackle
  all the issue around HIV prevention (people must
  have ownership of prevention programs in order to
  make them more effective)
• Human rights guarantee must be a fundamental part
  on any HIV response plan, according to the UNGASS
  declaration of commitment.

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How Pan African MSM Network can do?

• PAN African MSM Network can be a watchdog, making
  sure that MSM are included in the government HIV
  AIDS prevention strategies, both at country level
  and in the regional level
• PAN African MSM Network can be a local response
  for African MSM We know the in and outs of the
  MSM community

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Main challenges for MSM Community in Africa

• MSM must organize themselves to amplify
  visibility
• Change of legal framework to guarantee Human
  Right protection
• Data production to subsidize evidence informed
  interventions
• MSM organization must beneficiate from capacity
  building efforts in order to develop ownership
  of HIV prevention initiatives
• Cultural values on gender and sexuality must be
  transformed

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Our recommendations

• NACs (National AIDS Councils)/Governments should
  look at other African countries that have MSM
  prevention programs in order to provide a
  comprehensive response
• NACs/Governments should look at aids problem from
  an evidence based perspective rather than from
  religious, cultural or moral point of view
• NACs/Governments should support technically and
  financially local organization that work with MSM
  in groups in order to make grassroots
  organization stronger and responsive to HIV/AIDS
  epidemic.
• NACs/Governments should advocate for legal
  recognition of MSM organization and above all
  promote exchange in order to guarantee human
  rights as a key feature of AIDS epidemic
  responses.
• International agencies and donors should remind
  the government about their commitment to fight
  AIDS

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• Obrigado!
• Kanimambo!
• Thank you!
• danilodasilva_at_lambda.org.mz
• 258 84 3998814