The Commonwealth’s response to HIV and AIDS

Magic boxes have been placed in schools throughout Meghalaya in North-East India. Any students who have questions on HIV and AIDS post notes in these boxes, protecting their anonymity. Then, at the end of every week a Youth Ambassador, accompanied by a doctor, answers all of the questions found in the magic box, in front of the whole school.

This is one method used by Commonwealth Youth Ambassadors to help educate their peers about the HIV pandemic in order to dispel stigma, discrimination and ignorance. Ambassadors are taught accurate information and trained to communicate with other young people so that their general understanding of the virus improves.

Commonwealth Youth Ambassadors also educate young people by performing in ‘street plays’ – dramas that take place in villages or open fields, which aim to increase awareness of HIV/AIDS. Doctors provide advice regarding the content of the scripts and often attend the plays, so they can answer questions raised after the production.

As well as aiming to enhance understanding of HIV/AIDS across the 53 member states, the Commonwealth is also addressing the concern over access to drugs.

The Secretariat has been training government officials to negotiate for better access to affordable drugs by building the knowledge of trade negotiators. There have been improvements in recent years regarding access to treatment. 28 per cent of Commonwealth citizens who need antiretroviral therapy are receiving it, up from just two per cent in 2003.

Despite some progress, HIV and AIDS remains a significant challenge across the Commonwealth. Member countries represent approximately 30 per cent of the world’s population, but carry a disproportionate 60 per cent of the world’s HIV/AIDS burden. Over 65 million people worldwide have become infected with HIV since the pandemic began over two decades ago.

The theme for World Aids Day this year, which falls on 1 December 2007, is ‘leadership.’ This theme was chosen by the World Aids Campaign because “experience has clearly demonstrated that significant advances in the response to HIV have been achieved when there is strong and committed leadership.”

Commonwealth Secretary-General Don McKinnon says that “overcoming HIV and AIDS requires leadership from all parts of society. Without accountability and the full and active commitment of governments, civil society organisations, communities and individuals, we cannot confront and defeat a pandemic that threatens us all.”

The Commonwealth’s efforts to tackle HIV/AIDS address leadership on different levels. The Youth Ambassadors demonstrate leadership at a grassroots level, helping communities and individuals, whilst the Secretariat’s work training government officials to negotiate drugs addresses leadership on both a national and international level.

Other work at the heart of the Secretariat’s efforts, is assembling leaders - from government officials to individuals - to participate in discussions where they are able to learn from each other and debate new policies and practices.

“It is very important that different leaders work together so that we can learn from each other and ideas can be generated,” said Jennifer Kavuma, General Secretary of the Ugandan Medical Association. She helped organise a meeting alongside the Secretariat in June 2007 to discuss ways to improve access to HIV/AIDS treatment.

Dr Kavuma believes that “without leadership many infected people will not be able to get access to treatment. The Commonwealth workshop brought together different leaders to share experiences.”

A similar Commonwealth workshop took place in August 2007 in Nigeria’s capital, Abuja, which addressed HIV and AIDS related stigma and discrimination.

Pat Matemilola, who has been HIV positive for 14 years, agrees with Dr Kavuma that “leadership is important at all levels.” Dr Matemilola, the national co-ordinator of the Network of Persons Living with HIV/AIDS in Nigeria, organised the workshop in Abuja with the Secretariat.

“The conference got together those who are stigmatised and those who have the power to prevent it. By having these people in the same room it allows real action to be taken from these leaders,” he explained.

From the magic boxes placed in schools by Youth Ambassadors to bringing together a broad cross-section of leaders to learn from each other, the Secretariat’s work aims to confront the pandemic. Mr McKinnon concludes his World Aids Day message, by stating that continuing these efforts and “maintaining a strong belief that our work is helping, the fight against HIV/AIDS can and will be won.”

Click here for the Commonwealth Secretary-General's World AIDS Day message

Key Links:

• Health