Inclusion of persons with disabilities in national AIDS policies and programmes in Africa:

1. Inclusion of persons with disabilities in national AIDS policies and programmes in Africa: Examples and opportunities Muriel Mac-Seing HIV and AIDS Technical Advisor Africa and South East Asia Handicap International July 26, 2012 19th International AIDS Conference Washington, DC

2. From the UNGASS report of 2010 People living with HIV, people with disabilities and transgender people have been added to the list of key populations.

3. For the first time in UNAIDS’ Strategy 2011-2015 “When social support and other programmes for persons with disabilities are delivered in an HIV-sensitive manner, they contribute to overcoming the historic neglect of HIV prevention and support to persons with disabilities.”

4. The Political Declaration on HIV and AIDS: Intensifying our efforts to eliminate HIV and AIDS (June 2011) … recognizes the need to take into account the rights of persons with disabilities as set forth in the UN Convention on the Rights of persons with disabilities, in particular with regard to health, education, accessibility and information, in the formulation of our global response to HIV and AIDS.

5. Presentation outline • Main key milestones related to disability and HIV • What to keep of the African Campaign on Disability and HIV • Examples of countries where HI is present and which include persons with disabilities in their NSPs and programming • Lessons learnt from Handicap International’s ground experience • Ways forwards

6. Key milestones related to disability and HIV UNAIDS policy paper on HIV and disability + Presentation on inclusive Framework with UNAIDS Global survey on disability and HIV (WB and Yale U) UNAIDS policy brief on disability and HIV 2009 Framework on disability inclusion in NSP with UNAIDS UNCRPD 2006 Political Declaration on HIV and AIDS including disability Elaboration of the Campaign strategy 2007-2011 UNAIDS strategy 2011-2015 Meetings in Maputo, London and Abuja Washington IAS 2012(disability zone, sessions with UNAIDS, accessibility) Dakar: Pre-ICASA meeting Decision to work on advocacyfollowing evaluation of HI’s HIV project in MozambiqueBurundi and Kenya UNGASS report 2010 Cape Town: Launch of the Africa Campaign on disability and HIVby the Secretariat of the African Decade of PWD and HI Addis: ICASA 2011(ISC, disability zone, sessions with UNAIDS, peaceful demonstration, accessibility) Nairobi: taking stock of HIV and disability advocacy Dakar: ICASA 2008 (sessions) Vienna: IAS 2010 (disability zone and sessions) Kampala declaration 2004 2005 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

7. What to keep of the African Campaign on Disability and HIV and AIDS • Co-founded by the Secretariat of the African Decade for Disabled Persons (1999-2009) and Handicap International in 2006 • An unifying umbrella composed of disabled people’s organisations (DPOs), organisations of PLHIV, NGOs, AIDS organisations, WHO, researchers and activists • Launch of the Campaign in 2007 in Cape Town • In 2008, the Kampala Declaration on Disability and HIV and AIDS was adopted and disseminated at ICASA Dakar 2008 in French, English and Portuguese • After 2008-2009, many countries which were involved in the African Campaign decided to “indigenize” the Campaign at the national level, e.g. Kenya, Uganda, Mozambique and South Africa • Steering Committee of Campaign dissolved in 2010 to allow full ownership of various countries who have decided to work on disability and HIV at national level

8. Some examples of countries where HI works:Disability prevalence and ratification of the UNCRPD

9. Countries that include persons with disabilities in their NSPs and programming* • Identification of disability as key issue in situational analysis: Kenya, Mozambique, Rwanda and Senegal • Inclusion of principles (such as human rights) relevant to persons with disabilities: Kenya, Mozambique, Rwanda and Senegal • Creating a framework for the involvement of persons with disabilities in HIV response: Kenya and Rwanda • Protecting the rights of persons with disabilities: none specifically • Providing HIV-related prevention, treatment, care and support services to persons with disabilities: Kenya (HIV prevention), Mozambique (CHBC), Rwanda (HIV prevention) • Monitoring and evaluation inclusive of persons with disabilities: Rwanda • Research on persons with disabilities: Rwanda *Using the methodology of NSP review by HEARD

10. Countries where HI is undertaking HIV and disability initiatives

11. Lessons learnt from Handicap International’s ground experience • Importance of undertaking studies such as KAP surveys (Kenya, Mozambique, Rwanda, Burundi, Ethiopia and Cambodia) or epidemiological surveys (Senegal and Mali) involving persons with disabilities to inform policy-makers and programmers of the HIV response • Utilisation of country level evidence-based information related to persons with disabilities key to get into NSPs • Dissemination of pilot/implementation of HIV and disability projects’ results, lessons learnt and good practices key to attract more funds for persons with disabilities in the HIV response • Involvement of DPOs crucial for community mobilisation and ownership of persons with disabilities • Partnership between DPOs and AIDS organisations/VCT centres pivotal for scale up of uptake of HIV prevention services

12. Lessons learnt from Handicap International’s ground experience (cont’d) • Disability disaggregated data in data collection tools and M&E system crucial to ensure visibility of persons with disabilities and devise appropriate disability inclusive services in the HIV response • Disability inclusion activities (such as adaptation of IEC material or reasonable accommodations) need to be linked to appropriate budget allocation for inclusive services to be effective • Active involvement in national technical committees/groups essential for advocacy, lobbying and dissemination of good practices, such as the national HIV and disability platforms • Advocacy among development partners and governments to respect and apply their own engagement for the rights of persons with disabilities (UNCRP, disability laws and policies)

13. Ways forwards • Capitalize on these lessons learnt to not reinvent the wheel • Use the Framework on the inclusion of disability in NSPs by UNAIDS, HEARD, HI, UCL, DHAT, CWGHR, Barret Advocacy & Training and AIDS Free World (2011) • Lobby and advocate for the inclusion of persons with disabilities in national behavioural and epidemiological surveys and M&E system • Take advantage of donor’s calls for proposals that target persons with disabilities: EC, EIDDH, USAID, AusAID, AFD, UNICEF, etc. • Be alert on the monitoring process of the application of the UNCRPD at each country level

14. Thanks! Merci !