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Special Session August 5 : Reclaiming our Lives |
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Mexico City, August 5, 2008—On July 31st and August 1st, nearly 400 HIV-positive people from 88 countries met at the 2008 Positive Leadership Summit to set their strategic agenda for a comprehensive response to the AIDS pandemic.
“We are at the center of the response. Who better than the HIV positive community itself to identify and develop recommendations to direct researchers, doctors, policy makers and world leaders to areas that demand their immediate attention,” said Regan Hofmann, POZ magazine.
This sentiment was echoed by Dr. Peter Piot, Executive Director of UNAIDS, who said at a press conference following the opening ceremony, "People living with HIV can lead and direct effective HIV responses. Their lived experiences are vital to finding lasting and localized solutions for HIV prevention and treatment."
The participants at the summit endorsed four key areas of strategic focus including: positive prevention, access to care treatment and support, criminalization of transmission of HIV and sexual and reproductive health rights.
In addition, the impact of these issues on two critical populations—women and vulnerable groups—was identified. Participants also noted that intersecting oppressions (such as being a drug user, being incarcerated, being a migrant, being an indigenous person, being a minority, being a sex worker, being gay, bisexual or lesbian, being transgendered or being a woman) increase a person’s risk of becoming HIV positive and decrease their ability to access services and care.
“For Mexican people living with HIV, our participation in all aspects of the Summit has been an intense and transforming learning experience,” said Anuar Luna from The Mexican Network of People Living with HIV
Key findings of the summit include:
- Criminalization of HIV+ people doesn’t work
- Positive Prevention won’t work until stigma and discrimination directed against HIV positive people are eradicated
- Until HIV positive people, especially women, claim the sovereignty of their sexual and reproductive health lives and have access to comprehensive health care many will continue to needlessly die
- Treatment will fail without basic social determinants of health including food and water
The theme of the summit was reclaiming the advocacy agenda and reaffirming positive leadership.
“Living 2008 was an amazing hand over of strengths, skills and knowledge. It is always exciting to see new young energetic faces take over the battle and fight with passion” said Tita Isaac, Network of African People Living with HIV/AIDS, Central Africa Branch
A special session, “Reclaiming Our Lives” will be held at the XVII International AIDS Conference on August 5th from 12:45 to 14:15 in SR 10 to highlight the outcomes of the summit and to share the strategic agenda with AIDS advocates from around the world.
“It’s time for us to be at the center of the response to this epidemic instead of remaining on the sidelines watching others determine our fate” said Louise Binder, chair of Canadian Treatment Action Council.
This press release was authored by HIV-positive journalists, Regan Hoffman, Louise Binder, Cathy Olufs and Renaud Persiaux
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