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World Bank/Yale University Global Survey on HIV/AIDS and Disability. Nora Groce, Ph.D: Yale University Dr. Debrework Zewdie Global HIV/AIDS Program, World Bank Hon. Judith Heumann- World Bank Office of the Advisor on Disability and Development.
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World Bank/Yale UniversityGlobal Survey on HIV/AIDS and Disability Nora Groce, Ph.D: Yale University Dr. Debrework Zewdie Global HIV/AIDS Program, World Bank Hon. Judith Heumann- World Bank Office of the Advisor on Disability and Development
Unfortunately, too often individuals with disability are not included in AIDS outreach efforts
Incorrectly believed that: • They are not sexually active • They are unlikely to use intravenous drugs * They are less likely to be victims of violence – including sexual abuse & rape
Embarked on Project to • Assess current state of knowledge about the impact of HIV/AIDS on disabled individuals and populations • Document current activities related on HIV/AIDS and disability worldwide • Identify models of good interventions currently in place or in planning • Identify gaps in the current system
Over the past year, have done the following: • Global literature search to identify all knownscientific articles/resources/training manuals/researchers • Developed and disseminated a Survey via e-mail & ground mail on HIV/AIDS
Two Key Questions • Is AIDS a significant concern to disabled population around the globe • Are AIDS messages reaching disabled populations?
Mailed or E-mailed to: * 2800 compiled for the project on on our listserv * Carried by additional listservs to another 2000-3000 sites
Distribution of Responses: 978 responses from 57 Countries • Governmental, NGO, Disability Advocacy organizations • From Organizations serving 5 to > 100,000 • From India and China to Faroe Islands • 43% Sub-Saharan African; 23% Asia, 10% Americas, 3% Pacific Islands
All risk Associated with HIV are increased for individuals with Disability • Stigma • Poverty • Lack of Education • Risk of violence and rape • Substance abuse • Lack of accessible and affordable care
Disability and Sexuality • Adolescents with many (although not all) types of disability reach puberty at the same age as their peers; • Adolescents and adults with disability are as likely to be sexually active as non-disabled peers; • Homosexuality and Bisexuality occurs at the same rate as among non-disabled
Even when in School • Less likely to receive education in science and health education • More likely to routinely be excused from sex education courses • Far more likely than peers to drop out of school & drop out of school at an earlier age • UNICEF. A Global Overview of Young People Living with Disabilities. 1999
Why they are not being reached: • Lack of education inhibits ability to obtain information * Information in Inaccessible Formats: - Radio campaigns miss the Deaf; • Billboards do not reach the Blind; • Complex/ vague messages do not reach those with intellectual impairments • Clinics/services are inaccessible
Subgroups are at still higher risk • Women • Minorities • Individuals with disability who are homosexual or bisexual • AIDS Orphans who have an existing disability
Also Lack of Access to • Health care for HIV/AIDS if infected • Drug and alcohol program • Domestic violence intervention programs • Community Centers, clinics and other places where condoms are distributed, AIDS education is held, etc.,etc.,
Missing • Understanding of what programs work and why they work to provide education, intervention & etc. for disabled populations • What specific clinical needs might exist for individuals with disability vis-à-vis AIDS • For those few pilot projects already available, monitoring or evaluation
Interventions: A Continuum • Type I: Inclusion as part of the general population with little or no adaptation needed • Type II: Inclusion as part of the general population with low/moderate cost adaptations • Type III: Disability-specific, targeted interventions; Involvement of disability advocacy as AIDS educators
Conclusion • Individuals with Disability face all known risk factors for HIV/AIDS and at equal to up to three times greater risk of HIV infection than non-disabled individuals