ICW Global and GNP+ Welcome "Global Plan to Eliminate New Paediatric HIV Infections and Keep Mothers Living with HIV Alive and Healthy"
Amsterdam/New York - June 10 2011 - Last week, the Global Task Team launched the "Global Plan towards the elimination of new HIV infections and keeping their mothers alive" (Global Plan). The Global Plan sets two ambitious targets for the global community to achieve by 2015: the reduction of new HIV infections among children by 90% and the reduction of AIDS-related maternal deaths by 50%.
Speaking at the launch, during a side event at the 2011 United Nations High Level Meeting on AIDS, former United States President Bill Clinton, highlighted the need for more funding to be allocated to the provision of paediatric treatments. Bill Clinton was invited to speak by a child from Nigeria, who attributed her presence at the meeting to the funding for medication, which was ensuring that children born to HIV positive mothers were born HIV free. 'I was here last year, asking for money for paediatric care, and I come back today to thank you for this. I will come back after 2015 to thank you still because you will continue to fund paediatric treatments,' she said.
The Global Network of People Living with HIV (GNP+) and the International Community of Women Living with HIV (ICW Global) welcome intensified efforts to keep mothers living with HIV alive and healthy and to support them in the prevention of vertical transmission of HIV.
This Global Plan is a vital step towards meeting the vast unmet need of people living with HIV to comprehensive sexual and reproductive health; to care, treatment and support for themselves and their families; and towards recognition that people living with HIV have the same rights and desire to have healthy families as others within our communities.
Beri Hull, Advocacy Officer of ICW Global, states, 'This Global Plan goes a long way in recognising and promoting the sexual and reproductive health and rights of women and their families. Services must be made available and accessible to support the health and well-being of women living with HIV as they exercise their rights to have a family. Access to related support (eg. psychological support, education to overcome stigma, legal support) is important to overcome barriers for women and their families as they try to access services and to stay healthy.'
Kevin Moody, International Coordinator and CEO of GNP+, adds, 'Communities play a central role in delivering the Global Plan.
Networks of people living with HIV, women's organisations, youth organisations, faith-based organisations and others, are key in the implementation of effective health and social services, including outreach, peer support, education, care and support within both facilities and the community. People living with HIV also welcome recognition of the role of communities in monitoring whether policies and systems are responsive to the changing needs of women and their families, as this is essential for quality assurance and effective use of limited resources.'
As members of the Global Task Team, GNP+ and ICW Global welcome the Global Plan's recognition of the importance of respecting and implementing rights for all - women as well as their children - so that all can stay healthy and have full access to quality, non-judgmental care in order to protect their own and their families' health. We look forward to working with our partners to ensure that people living with HIV continue to be full partners in the global, rights-based movement towards preventing new infections amongst our children while keeping mothers living with HIV alive and well.
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The Global Task Team for the elimination of new HIV infections among young children and keeping their mothers (GTT) is an initiative convened by UNAIDS and PEPFAR, which brought together 30 countries and 50 civil society, private sector, networks of people living with HIV and international organisations.
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The Global Network of People living with HIV (GNP+) is a global network for and by people living with HIV. GNP+ advocates to improve the quality of life of people living with HIV. The central theme for the work of GNP+ is Reclaiming Our Lives! GNP+ programmes are organised under four platforms of action: Empowerment; Positive Health, Dignity and Prevention; Human Rights; and Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights.
The International Community of Women Living with HIV (ICW Global) is the only global network by for and of women living with HIV.
Founded in 1992, we now have more than 15,000 members in 120 countries. We work to increase the visibility of women living with HIV within the global response to HIV and AIDS and to ensure that we are equal partners in all decisions which impact our lives. ICW Global envisions a world where all women living with HIV know and exercise their rights to health, including sexual and reproductive health, and dignity. Nothing for us without us!
More information about this news release: Please contact GNP+ (Martin Stolk, Communications officer, by email mstolk@gnpplus.net, or phone +31-20-423 4114 )
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Contact:
Martin Stolk, Communications Officer
mstolk@gnpplus.net
"Reproduced with permission - Global Network of People living with HIV (GNP+)"
Global Network of People living with HIV (GNP+)
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