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Human Rights-Based Approaches to Programming and HIV
Related to country: Pakistan

Translations available in: English (original) | French | Spanish | Italian | German | Portuguese | Swedish | Russian | Dutch | Arabic

The HIV& AIDS pandemic is not just a public health issue; HIV&AIDS presents an obstacle to all human rights, for example, the right to education, the right to work and the right to safety and protection from abuse and violence.

Protecting human rights is therefore crucial to responding effectively to HIV& AIDS. A rights-based approach does this by integrating international human rights principles in health policy, planning and legislation.

Adopting a rights-based approach means providing people with the power, skills, knowledge and resources to protect them from contracting HIV&AIDS. Rights-based approaches to prevention do not just provide information, they seek behavioral change for example by ensuring that all people have the power and resources to refuse sex and access safe medical practices. Prevention programmes should identify the needs of those particularly vulnerable to HIV& AIDS infection, such as sex workers, drug users and mobile populations.

A rights-based approach aims to guarantee access to treatment and care to those affected by HIV&AIDS. At the policy level, this means ensuring that States are held accountable for the consequences of exclusionary health policies. At the Programme level, rights-based approaches seek to provide psycho-social support, medical treatment and nutritional support.

Tackling discrimination is fundamental to rights-based approaches to HIV& AIDS. The stigma attached to HIV&AIDS stifles education and knowledge. This causes the virus, and panic, to spread faster. Rights-based approaches address discrimination by working with parents, teachers the media and religious organizations, to address attitudes about sex and sexuality.


Large numbers of deaths caused by HIV&AIDS have heavily reduced labors, skills and knowledge. Rights-based approaches can help to mitigate this by encouraging a multi-sectoral response and fostering strong political and community support. This can help to assess and monitor the impact of AIDS on industry and macro-economic stability.

Example:

Studies have found that major transmission of HIV occurs along transport routes. This is because mobile populations, such as truck-drivers, away from their families for long periods of time, are more likely to have multiple sexual partners at different truck stops along the highway. In response, World Vision and the Australian Government’s overseas aid program set up The National Highway One Project in Vietnam to prevent the spread of infection by increasing awareness of HIV and prevention among truck drivers and communities.

Community members in frequent contact with the drivers, were trained to distribute condoms and information, including leaflets, and audio-cassettes containing songs interspersed with conversations between truck drivers. Young men and women in roadside locations took part in education sessions and produced colorful murals and billboards which reinforced the message that HIV&AIDS threatens everyone, not just 'high-risk groups' By educating the wider community, the project aimed to encourage behavioral change.

December 14, 2007 | 1:50 AM Comments  0 comments

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World AIDS Day Celebrations of Active Help Organization in 2007
Related to country: Pakistan

Translations available in: English (original) | French | Spanish | Italian | German | Portuguese | Swedish | Russian | Dutch | Arabic

Venue: AHO sub office: St # 2 Sher-e-Rabbani Town, Okara.

Date: 9th December 2007

No. of Beneficiaries: 100


Participants: -
 Transgender (Hijra’s)
 Men having sex with men.
 District Government Officials
 Active Help Members

Sponsored By:-
APACHA PAKISTAN (Asian People’s Alliance for Combating HIV & AIDS)


World AIDS Day, observed December 1 each year, is dedicated to raising awareness of the AIDS pandemic caused by the spread of HIV infection. AIDS has killed more than 25 million people. The concept of a World AIDS Day originated at the 1988 World Summit of Ministers of Health on Programmes for AIDS Prevention. Since then, it has been taken up by governments, international organizations and charities around the world. The focus of the day will be the dissemination of basic information to general public regarding HIV & AIDS and ultimately bringing about reduction in stigma and discrimination associated with this issue.
So, Active Help Organization also planned to celebrate it. Active Help Organization celebrate “World AIDS Day” every year this year we decided to celebrate it with some of vulnerable community. Transgender, MSMs were invited to celebrate the activity.
The activity was started with the name of Allah (Tilawate Qalam-e-Pak) and followed by Naat by the focus population.

The stage secretary Dr. Hameed Bhatti who is the General Secretary of Active Help Organization firs of all told the participants that why they came here and told them the importance of the World AIDS Day. Then Dr. Hameed Bhatti as a stage secretary call some guests on the stage Dr. Nool-ul-Zaman from APACHA Pakistan, Dr. Kulsoom Akhtar (Chairperson Active Help Organization), Dr. Muhammad Hanif (Finance Secretary Active Help Organization.
The discussion started at 11 in the Morning. All of the participants introduced their selves. Dr. Kulsoom then highlighted the issue of HIV & AIDS and the vulnerability of the focus population towards it. She highlighted that MSMs are unaware and unconscious regarding their health specially transgender. They are less empowered with a bundle of responsibilities over them. In almost cases they are not socially accepted so that they don’t have access to services to their basic health, knowledge and care & support.

Then the stage secretary invited the Finance secretary Dr. Muhammad Hanif of Active Help Organization.
He told that the issue of HIV and AIDS is also the problem of transgender like other people. Then he gives a presentation on Basic HIV and AIDS by IEC material. He told the focus population what is HIV? What is AIDS? How it does spread? How could we prevent ourselves from HIV and AIDS?
Then he told that the focus population they can do better for the prevention and control of HIV and AIDS.
Then Dr. Noor-ul-Zaman came front of the participants he focused on the rights of Transgender and told how can they improve their livelihood and can achieve their rights. Dr. Noor-ul-Zaman further said that “Transgender are less empowered because they have no social acceptance, less resources, less access to services and most of the important they are not considered equal to human in our daily life and so their rights, dignity and respect is violated at every step of life”
The he asked to speak the focus group to share their daily problems with the help of Mr. Muhammad Imran Shahid who is the Program Officer of Active Help Organization.
After that the chairperson of Active Help Dr. Kulsoom Akhtar invites the Program Officer of Active Help M. Imran Shahid.
We receive some valuable comments from the focus group they said

They have not Identity Card of Pakistan.
After their performance the police disturb them and they get feared.
They have no proper job
Their parents and other relative don’t behave them like a human.

After that the controller of the city government (City Nazim) Mr. Afzal Paiji come on the stage and said the he will try his best to resolve the problems of the transgender. He advised the focus group to come his office with their problems.
He also appreciate Active Help Organization to organize such events to aware the people and every person regarding HIV and AIDS. And also to view the problems of the Transgender so closely.
After this the focus population performed dance
In last the discussion was packed with an aim to change the negative behaviors so to ensure the better access to the health facilities and preventive methods. After that refreshment was served to the participants.

December 11, 2007 | 1:30 AM Comments  0 comments

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How does the average woman react to ignored infections?
Related to country: Pakistan

Translations available in: English (original) | French | Spanish | Italian | German | Portuguese | Swedish | Russian | Dutch | Arabic

Ignored infections, repeated abortions, multiple sex partners and women’s anatomical vulnerability are just some of factors contributing to an alarming incidence of reproductive Tract Infections (RTIs) and Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs), and of course; there is growing spectrum of AIDS.

How does the average woman react?


She feels alarm worries a bit but more often than not, there are so many reasons why she does nothing more about it .There is so much to worry about anyway: The children, their studies the Rat race at work, the never quite done chores at home, the endless rounds of parties and social events. The city women can well find reasons to push that out of sight infection out of mind. Beside the fact it affects her embarrassingly private areas: as of her anatomy makes it all more convenient to ignore it, cross her fingers and hope it will go away.

Maybe she will try an over the counter ointment or take a course of self prescribed antibiotics. But chances are; she won’t see her gynaec unless the problem reaches a do or die situation.

The ruler woman has as many reasons for ignoring her very private problems. Her life is as busy as, her day as full the demands made on her time and energy leave her little time to worry about a niggling infection. Besides, admitting to a sexual problem brings forth suspicion about her chastity. Women were born to suffer women’s problems anyway, and when one has lived with chronic lower backache, or gone burning is like a flea bite. Besides, even if she wished to turn to a doctor for help, she couldn’t see a male with her yet that her health matters, too. In her list of priorities, after food and shelter, children and husbands and maybe in-laws, her health comes last.


NO MIRACLE CURES

Most STDs and RTIs are not treatable, but can be prevented. A little awareness, some health education and dose of caution in one’s sex life can make a major difference in statistics.


Perhaps the first step towards cutting down on the woman’s silent misery is health education at any early age. The most advanced school education often ignores this aspect; and entire generations of young people grow into the reproductive age group with little factual knowledge of how their bodies work, and the things that can go wrong.



Second, the importance of seeking out a doctor when something does go wrong whether it’s an infection, a series of missed periods, or an unwanted pregnancy must be brought home to both mothers and their daughters.


Antibiotics and screening procedures can cure almost all infections if women will seek medical help.


The population pyramid as it is structured today shows that the base is made up of the under-teens, all of whom will grow to be sexually active teens and adults within the first few year of millennium. Unless they are granted access to health education that teaches them, among other things, the importance of personal hygiene and safe sex, the specter of STDs and HIV will continue to grow. Doctors across the country emphasize the need to set aside outdating taboos about discussing sex and importance of introducing health education at school level.

A change in gender balance will also help eradicate the silent enemy from the Indian women‘s life. Greater freedom between men and women in discussing contraceptive choices and the right to insist on a man using condom being granted by her partner to the woman, are other milestones woman from RTIs. Ands yet these basic avenues of mutual communication are not accessible to many urban educated women.

Also important is education about the correct use of sanitary napkins and tampons which more urban young women are adopting. Plus awareness that synthetic underwear, leotards and very tight jeans could give rise to conditions that make girls more susceptible to vaginal infections. Associability to better health services, especially in slum areas in the cites and in the villages can ensure safer Tran cervical procedures. Diagnostic and treatment options need to be improved; services need to be made accessible and acceptable. Most important the stigma associated with seeking help for genital complaints should be done away with among the educated as well as the illiberal especially in the adolescent group. Also regular screening is a must to prevent cervical cancer. Through the city woman has access to screening facilities at affordable rates, it is amazing how many women avoid resources to this safe and inexpensive preventive measure.

This will come with an awareness of the fact that sexual and reproductive health is total well-being and a vital aspect of a woman’s health.