Focus area: Health justice
Ensuring the inclusive education of children with disabilities in Guyana and Jamaica
Family caregiving and public policy in India: creating new opportunities for recognition and support
Promoting rights of persons with disabilities through Community-led Initiatives in Bangladesh
Realising the right to health in the sustainable development goals
Issue
Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) has been recognised by world leaders at the UN General Assembly in 2016 as ‘one of the biggest threats to global health.’ Commitments were made by countries to develop national action plans on AMR, based on the ‘Global Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance’.
Project
Third World Network (TWN) is advancing the formulation and implementation of national AMR policies and plans by engaging with policy makers, parliamentarians, civil servants and generic drug manufacturers to discuss challenges and propose solutions that promote access to affordable medicines at national level. The project is also raising awareness among the general public of the impact of Intellectual Property (IP) regimes on access to affordable medicines and AMR, and carrying out research in relation to the IP provisions and their impact on access to medicines in India and Malaysia.
By the end of the project greater awareness on the links between IP regimes and access to affordable medicines in India and Malaysia would have been generated. It is hoped that research produced and constructive engagement with decision makers carried out during the project will influence government decisions in relations to legislation, policies and trade agreements, resulting in greater access to affordable medicines in target countries.
Third World Network
Third World Network (TWN) is an international network of organisations involved in issues relating to development. It aims to strengthen cooperation among development and environment groups in the South. TWN provides a platform representing broadly Third World interests and perspectives at international fora such as United Nations agencies and the WTO, conducts research on economic, social and environmental issues pertaining to the South and builds the capacity of Southern CSOs to engage in policy and law making processes.
Advocating for better health for people living with HIV and people who use drugs
Issue
The prevalence of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) amongst the adult population in Mauritius is estimated at 0.9 per cent, approximately 9,200 people, a large proportion of HIV transmissions were due to the sharing of contaminated needles. By 2014 this percentage had reduced from 68 per cent to 31 per cent thanks to successful harm reduction programmes. However, amongst new cases detected in 2015, there has been an increase in the prevalence rate of people who use drugs.
Project
Prevention Information Lutte contre le SIDA (PILS) is facilitating access to HIV health services for People Who Use Drugs (PWUDs) by promoting a better understanding of drug policies which can be used as a means of preventing HIV transmission among PWUDs and contribute to a reduction in HIV prevalence in general.
PILS is engaging in dialogue with policy and decision makers including members of parliament, prison officers, police departments and religious leaders to advocate for changes to legislation and policies on drug use and HIV that can better contribute to reducing HIV transmission and prevalence. They are also raising communities’ awareness of drug policies and their impact among on People Living with HIV and AIDS (PLHIV), at risk populations, and village councillors by organising and training a group of Community Health Advocates (CHAs) to lead awareness raising activities in their communities.
By the end of the project, it is estimated that over 7,000 people in the communities would have been reached by CHAs and that CHAs will have the necessary knowledge and expertise to continue to raise awareness among their communities once the project ends. It is also expected that by the end of the project a greater awareness about drug and HIV policies, and how they can be used to contribute to the reduction of HIV transmission and prevalence would have been generated. In addition, the project is likely to influence discussions on policy and legislation change on HIV and drug use during its duration.
Prevention Information Lutte Contre le Sida
PILS is the leading organisation working on HIV in Mauritius. It works in close collaboration with six national NGOs, reaching out to all relevant key affected populations. The main areas of work of the organisation are: provision of health care through its own health clinic; awareness raising on HIV prevention with most at risk populations; advocacy on HIV prevention with various stakeholders and capacity building of local and regional NGOs which work with key affected populations. It has been the civil society principal recipient for the Global Fund since 2012.
Increasing access to sexual and reproductive health rights and HIV services for women and adolescent girls
Issue
Nigeria demonstrated its commitment to achieving sexual and reproductive health for all by adopting the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development in 1994, and developed a National Reproductive Health Policy and Strategy in 2001. Despite these initiatives, women living with HIV in Nigeria still face challenges accessing Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) Services.
Project
The International Community of Women living with HIV West Africa (ICWWA) and Womankind Centre for Women Empowerment (WCWE) aim to improve access to sexual and reproductive health services for all women living with HIV (WLHIV) in Nigeria.
The project plans to start by building the capacity of WLHIV to advocate for their SRH rights, and training them to document incidences of violations as they occur. The project also aims to create a broad alliance of thirty Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) working on SRH to support evidence based advocacy, raise awareness among police, health care providers and community leaders on SRH rights of WLHIV. This will empower them to challenge discrimination faced by WLHIV and engage in dialogue with policy makers on accessing SRH services.
By the end of the project, awareness about SRH rights of health care providers and other stakeholders will have been raised, resulting in better access to SRH services by WLHIV. WLHIV in all their diversity will also be better placed to continue to advocate for their rights and to raise the issues that affect them with policy makers and other key stakeholders.
International Community of Women Living with HIV in Nigeria West Africa
ICWWA is a regional West African network, based in Nigeria, working to promote the rights of Women Living with HIV (WLHIV). The organisation’s main areas of focus are advocacy, mobilisation and capacity building of WLHIV for them to play a primary role in HIV programming in Nigeria. ICWWA has been engaging in dialogue with government bodies and departments for many years. For example, it has engaged with the Federal Ministry of Health on a number of initiatives on maternal health and also participated in the development of the Health Sector HIV strategic Plan. It also works closely with the National Agency for the Control of AIDS in the implementation of some of the agency’s HIV/AIDS programmes. ICWWA will partner with the Association of WLHIV in Nigeria, Womankind Centre for Women Empowerment (and the Unique Aid Foundation (UAF) to deliver this project.
Association of women living with HIV in Nigeria
ASWHAN is an association of Women Living with HIV with offices in Ondo and Lagos. Its main objectives are to provide economic empowerment, care and support for women living with HIV.
Womankind Centre for Women Empowerment
Womankind Centre for Women Empowerment is a support group of Women Living with HIV, based in Nasarawa. Its overall objective is to provide care and support services to its members. Unique Aid Foundation (UAF) is an association of people living with HIV, based in Abuja. Its main objective is to strengthen communities to respond to the challenges posed by the AIDS epidemic.
Ensuring the right to health for vulnerable people
Issue
Availability and utilisation of monetary resources play a central role in the realisation of the right to health in Kenya. Resources allocated to health need to be utilised in an accountable and transparent manner, thus ensuring that everybody, especially the most vulnerable, can access health services.
Project
Kenya Legal and Ethical Issues Network on HIV & AIDS (KELIN) is building a network of knowledgeable civil society organisations (CSOs) Community Based Organisations (CBOs), the media and communities of persons affected by HIV and TB to monitor the implementation of the right to health commitments, including the availability and utilisation of resources allocated to health at county and national level. This includes participation in health planning processes at county level and the development of communications to inform stakeholders on health issues. KELIN is also facilitating constructive engagement between the network and decision makers, such as government officials at county level, to advocate for measures that can promote greater transparency and accountability in the health sector.
This project builds on the “Influencing HIV Policy in Kenya” project funded by the Commonwealth Foundation from July 2013 – June 2016. The project established and built the capacity of networks in key target counties to engage in local governance processes for enhanced and inclusive delivery of health services.
Through the proposed project these networks will be expanded and further strengthened to monitor the implementation of the right to health. Network members are closely involved in the planning, implementation and monitoring of the project in order to promote ownership.
By the end of the project, network members will have acquired skills and experience to enable them to continue to monitor the implementation of the right to health commitments in the long term.
Kenya Legal and Ethical Issues Network on HIV & AIDS
KELIN is a Kenyan civil society organisation working to protect and promote health-related rights in Kenya by: advocating for integration of human rights principles in laws, policies and administrative frameworks; facilitating access to justice in respect of violations of health related rights; and developing the capacities of civil society organisations and groups working to promote the right to health. KELIN has been at the forefront in advocating for increased public participation in governance processes relating to the health sector, including policy making and legislation review, in Kenya. The organisation has experience of participating in the development of policies and legislation relating to health in Kenya, including the Health Act 2017 and the Reproductive Health Bill 2015.
Accelerating national commitments to reduce non-communicable diseases
Issue
The Government of India is taking action and targeting the greatest risk factors contributing to non-communicable diseases (NCDs). As part of its efforts, India has implemented the WHO’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. It has also adapted the Global Monitoring Framework on NCDs and set specific targets under the National NCD Action Plan, in order to reduce the number of premature deaths from NCDs.
Project
Health Related Information Dissemination Amongst Youth (HRIDAY), along with its partners from the Healthy India Alliance – A national coalition of civil society organisations (CSOs) working on prevention and control of non-communicable diseases NCDs – is engaging with multiple stakeholders to form a clear picture of the progress made by the government and mitigation strategies required to overcome any challenges faced in achieving the targets. This process involves establishing a task force under the auspices of the Healthy India Alliance that documents and maps key NCD indicators to capture and update evidence on progress, recommend solutions to address impediments to progress, and develop an NCD Accountability Framework.
HRIDAY is facilitating consultations, round tables, forums and meetings and conducting a programme of concerted action focused on accelerating the implementation of the key steps first identified in the National NCD Action Plan. Policy briefs are being produced to inform decision makers at the national level on the impact of tobacco on economic and social development, and the need to strengthen national tobacco control policies. Monitoring and accountability reports are being made available to the Government and other stakeholders for use at the national and international review of progress on NCD prevention and control.
Health Related Information Dissemination Amongst Youth
HRIDAY, established in 1992, is a voluntary organisation engaged in awareness raising, capacity building, advocacy and research to promote informed health activism through multi-stakeholder partnerships to prevent NCDs. The organisation’s main areas of focus are: tobacco control; diet and physical activity; diabetes, CVD and obesity prevention; alcohol control; road safety; mental health; and the environment. www.hridayindia.in
Strengthening the capacity of civil society to advocate for the rights of young people with disabilities
Issue
Equal rights for children and young people with disabilities, although recognised in Kenya, need to be strengthened through engagement between policy makers and civil society.
Project
AbleChildAfrica is working with disabled peoples’ organisations and civil society organisations to improve the rights of Children with Disabilities (CWDs) in Kenya.
In partnership with Action Network for Disabled (ANDY), AbleChildAfrica is forming a coalition of child focused civil society organisations (CSOs) and disabled peoples’ organisations (DPOs) to work with government officials, and to deliver a public campaign that will enhance government and the public awareness of child focused disability rights. AbleChildAfrica is developing the coalition’s ability to advocate for the rights of children with disabilities, facilitating meetings between coalition members and government officials, and developing evidence based reports of policy recommendations for policy makers.
By the end of the project, it is expected that effective public campaigns and engagement between policy makers and the coalition will lead to the implementation of policies that strengthen the rights of children with disabilities.
AbleChildAfrica
AbleChildAfrica is a UK based charity working with and alongside partner organisations in Africa to achieve equal rights for children and young people with disabilities. AbleChildAfrica works in partnership to provide direct services such as education and health, and engages in advocacy and influencing working in the UK and internationally. www.ablechildafrica.org
Action Network for Disabled (ANDY)
Action Network for Disabled (ANDY) works to promote the equality, inclusion and empowerment of young people with disabilities in Kenya. ANDY supports young people with disabilities to become involved in development and decision-making processes. It facilitates their socio-economic empowerment by involving them in small scale self-sustainable projects. www.ablechildafrica.org/our-partners/kenya-partner
