Women for Positive Action: an International Partnership Dedicated to Enhancing the Lives of Women Living with HIV
March 4, 2010 - To mark International Women's Day (March 8, 2010) Women for Positive Action are launching a series of tools to raise awareness of the
challenges facing women living with HIV/AIDS today. Women for Positive Action (WFPA) is led by a broad coalition of healthcare professionals,
women living with HIV and community representatives from Europe, Canada and Latin America. This global initiative aims to support health care
professionals and women living with HIV through the provision of resources, which are available for download, in English and Spanish,
at www.womenforpositiveaction.org .
"Women living with HIV face many challenges as a consequence of their disease and its treatment including depression, guilt, isolation,
discrimination and body image concerns" said Sharon Walmsley, Director of HIV Clinical Research, University of Toronto, Canada, "The new WFPA resources will encourage
education and stimulate communication between women with HIV and those who care for them". The educational resources include information on current best practices
and research, in addition to informative case studies.
WFPA brings together a unique combination of those involved in the care of women living with HIV with the first-hand perspectives of
those living with HIV themselves. Ophelia Haanyama Ørum, Senior Advisor, Global Partnerships on HIV and AIDS, Noah's Ark Foundation, Stockholm, Sweden added "The women
living with HIV represented in the WFPA initiative welcome the opportunity to incorporate our experiences and expertise into health and social care solutions for women everywhere
who are affected by HIV." The group aims to empower, educate and support the needs of women living with HIV, their healthcare professionals and community advocates involved in their care.
The theme for International Women's Day this year is 'Equal rights, equal opportunities: Progress for all', and provides the ideal opportunity to consider the
unique impact of HIV on women. Understanding the effect of the disease is a key step in improving the lives of women and working towards bridging gender inequalities in HIV.
Globally an estimated 33 million people are living with HIV. Women make up about 50% of HIV cases and a higher proportion of new diagnoses compared with men.
This means that the share of HIV infection among women is increasing in several countries. Young women, in sub-Saharan Africa, aged 15-24 are three to four
times more likely to become infected than young men (UNAIDS, 2009). The most common mode of infection is by heterosexual transmission and most
women with HIV are of childbearing potential. Furthermore, women with HIV are more likely to present at a later stage of HIV infection
than men. Visit http://www.womenforpositiveaction.org for further
information about WFPA and ongoing projects. WFPA is supported by a grant from Abbott.
Reference:
UNAIDS 2009, http://www.unaids.org/en/default.asp
For further information please contact:
Women for Positive Action
Program Secretariat
Litmus MME
151 Shaftesbury Avenue
London WC2H 8AL
United Kingdom
Tel:+44-(0)20-7632-1815
Email: WFPA@litmus-mme.com
Reproduced with permission - "WOMEN FOR POSITIVE ACTION "
WOMEN FOR POSITIVE ACTION
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