African Common Position Paper Highlights Importance of Condom-Compatible Lubes and Rectal Microbicide Research

Our friends at AIDS Accountability International (AAI), in conjunction with The African Union Commission (AUC), recognised the need for greater African civil society organisation representation in the International Conference on Population Development (ICPD) process. So, tt was decided to create the African Common Position (ACP) on ICPD to reflect and include the perspectives, recommendations and expertise of African stakeholders.

The full ACP is available here. To sign on and endorse the Civil Society African Common Position please click here.

IRMA is excited to report that the need for safe, accessible, condom compatible lubricants as well as support for rectal microbicide research in Africa have been highlighted in the just completed African Common Position Paper (ACP) on ICPD. Our Project ARM - Africa for Rectal Microbicides effort is having an impact!

The specific sections on lube and rectal microbicides are as follows:

4.4.10. Recognise the need for further research into the role of anal and vaginal sexual lubricants for use as a tool to prevent HIV, STI’s and unplanned pregnancies, as well as its safety for users and compatibility with various other ingredients and condom varieties. Commit to making access to quality and affordable lubricants a reality for all people, as well as commit to funding for training and support for condom compatible lubricant use;

4.4.11. Train all health care workers, as well as procurement and head office ministry staff on new and evolving SRHR commodities especially with regard to HIV treatment and prevention technologies, this includes but is not limited to understanding the current vaginal and rectal micro-biocide and pre exposure prophylaxis fields in general and their specific programming implications for women and girls.

IRMA encourages you, or your organisation, to endorse the ACP. Click here to endorse.

Special thanks to IRMA member Tian Johsnon, one of the architects of Project ARM. His extraordinary leadership helped to make this happen. Kudos Tian!
Download the full African Common Position Paper here.

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*Join IRMA's robust, highly-active. moderated, global listserv addressing rectal microbicide research and advocacy as well as other interesting new HIV prevention technologies by contacting us at rectalmicro@gmail.com. Joining our listserv automatically makes you a member of IRMA - a network of more than 1,200 advocates, scientists, policy makers and funders from all over the world.

*Please look for us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/InternationalRectalMicrobicideAdvocates, and you can follow us on Twitter: @rectalmicro.

*Also, please note that shared news items from other sources posted on this blog do not necessarily mean IRMA has taken any position on the article's content.

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Young people lead HIV prevention revolution: AU

via  The Zimbabwean, by Francis Rwodzi

Young people are leading the prevention revolution by increasingly acting to protect themselves from HIV said the African Union (AU) during the pre-summit African Youth Forum that was held at the AU Headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia last week.

The “prevention revolution” is a global commitment by UNAIDS and its co-sponsors to galvanize leaderships at all levels, communities and all key stakeholders and development partners to halt the HIV epidemic-the ultimate vision is zero new infections , zero discrimination and zero deaths.

The revolution requires greatly intensified efforts to address the needs of all those at risk of infection, and of everyone living with HIV, with quality, scaled up programmes based on evidence of what works.

The AU said that only by stemming the tide of new HIV infections can those already HIV positive be assured life-time care, treatment and support and efforts are targeted at those countries and populations where the most new infections are occurring, especially the high prevalence countries in eastern and southern Africa.

Statistics released by the AU revealed that although there were 1.8 million new HIV infections in sub Saharan Africa during 2009, 22 countries reported a prevalence decline of more than 25 percent. The statistics showed that the number of young people living with HIV is falling in 13 African countries, a tremendous achievement on which African government can build on.

Read the rest.

[If an item is not written by an IRMA member, it should not be construed that IRMA has taken a position on the article's content, whether in support or in opposition.]