EQUALIZE- ENDING INJUSTICES AGAINST WOMEN AND GIRLS, AND VULNERABLE POPULATIONS IN EASTERN AFRICA.
The International Community of Women Living with HIV in Eastern Africa (ICWEA) joins the rest of the world to commemorate World AIDS Day 2022 under the theme “Equalize”. As women and girls living with HIV, this theme challenges us and all stakeholders in HIV and AIDS response to end the injustices that have impeded all efforts to end the HIV epidemic in the Eastern Africa Region. While doing its work in the region, ICWEA recognizes that the HIV response has shifted from the fight for drugs (ARVs) to struggles against human rights violations especially for women and girls, people living with HIV as well as Key and Vulnerable Populations. Some of the key issues that have drawn us back include;
- Women, young women, and adolescent girls remain at risk of HIV due to biological, social, economic, and gender equity factors. UNAIDS (2020) estimated 33,000 new HIV infections in Uganda among adults (15+ years) of which 21,000 were women. According to UNAIDS again, 275 girls get infected with HIV every week in Kenya. Out of 19.6 million that were adults living with HIV (2018) in the region, 12 million were women. Young women (aged 15-24) accounted for 20% of new HIV infections in 2018. According to Tanzania’s MoH, HIV risk remains high among AGYW, and most of them experience stigma & provider bias at health facilities, deterring the use of HIV prevention services. Despite the above alarming statistics, AGYW is not accessing the new HIV biomedical tools like Cabotegravir (CAB-LA) and the Dapivirine Vaginal Ring (DVR) – which would be a game changer in their lives.
- It is evident (in the 5 countries) that AGYW faces enormous stigma/self-stigma and discrimination, and this has greatly hampered their utilization of healthcare services, as well as uptake of and adherence to life-saving ART resulting in poor health outcomes.
- VAW is another devastating pandemic that threatens the achievement of the global 95:95:95 targets that aim at ending AIDS by 2030.
- We still experience disparities in HIV prevalence, case finding, access to and utilization of HIV prevention and treatment services as you go across population sub-groups and age bands. Formidable challenges people living with, affected by, and at high risk of HIV/AIDS face include limited access to SRHR, unfavorable legal (HIV criminalization) and policy environment, stigma and discrimination, low representation and participation in key decision-making platforms, human rights violations and (including forcing some clients to take on services against their will). The bad situation is made worse by structural challenges like limited space at health facilities, limited funding, noticeable/constant drug and other health commodities stock-outs (attributed to poor management of the supply chain), and a limited healthcare workforce.
- Institutional limitations such as understaffing at health facilities, inadequate medical equipment, infrastructure, and capacity of the health personnel to handle and manage certain health cases continue to hamper response efforts. The health crisis caused by COVID-19 underlined a need for not only substantial investment in institutional capacity building to develop and implement strategies aimed at strengthening health systems and the delivery of health services but also in effectively engaging the communities in the management of their health and human rights.
Our call to action:
- African governments, hasten the processes of approval and roll-out of Dapivirine Vaginal Ring (DVR), and Cabotagravir (CAB-LA) as game changers prevention tools.
- Repeal laws that criminalize HIV transmission and its despicable consequences on women and girls living with HIV in some of our countries
- Increase investment including long-term funding and support to women’s programs for effective response to HIV prevention and address violence against women and girls
- Strengthen the community support structures and local CBOs to manage and deliver quality community-based services, by advocating for increased, availability and utilization of HIV prevention services by all citizens
Contact
Lillian Mworeko at lmworeko@icwea.org,
