Women4GlobalFund (W4GF) organised a three-day workshop (December 6 – 8 2015)[1] for 40 HIV, TB and malaria advocates primarily from Africa, with the participation of W4GF Steering Group Members from Latin America and Asia. This W4GF workshop (hosted by Pangaea Zimbabwe AIDS Trust) was organised with support from ViiV Healthcare, Stop TB Partnership, The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (Global Fund), and the Communities Delegation on the Board of the Global Fund. For more workshop objective and outcomes click here.
W4GF followed up on further developments regarding the participants commitments made at the end of the workshop. From the follow up, and the actions and commitments from W4GF advocates after the workshop, it is clear that W4GF advocates are meaningfully involved in Global Fund country processes and are organising to influence change and demanding spaces in their own countries!
Here are some updates from some W4GF advocates since the workshop:
In Cameroon – Angele Mouangue worked with two groups in two different villages addressing issues around malaria, including basics on malaria, how to prevent and how to treat it (especially for children under 5 and for pregnant women who are most at risk). For an in-depth article on this work please click here. Another W4GF advocate in Cameroon shared workshop presentations and tools with partners who were grateful for the information as this was the first time they had received tools relating to malaria and gender.
In Ghana – One W4GF advocate has achieved the following: 1) Shared tools obtained at the workshop with key stakeholders which are now guiding work within the W4GF advocates own organisation’s programming and discussions have taken place with the Stop TB Partnership Ghana Secretariat on how these could be used. 2) Proposed a TB/HIV working group to ensure more integration around HIV and TB during the Ghana CCM Annual Stakeholder Forum and this was welcomed by NTP. W4GF advocates are currently following up with the Ghana AIDS commission to move this important and necessary working group forward.
In Nigeria – discussions from the workshop were shared with the Nigerian CCM community representative for people living with HIV who promised to table key concerns at the upcoming CCM and provide feedback to communities. Key tools gained at the workshop have also been shared.
In Tanzania – W4GF advocates included an agenda item on why the Global Fund replenishment is important as part of the Anglophone Africa regional meeting in Dar es Salaam on Jan 15 – 16, 2016 and also recently met other W4GF advocates to the meeting. Key messages developed in Dar es Salaam around the replenishment were shared with the Minister of Health from Malawi to include in his talking points during a meeting held in Addis Ababa on 1st Feb.
In Uganda – W4GF advocates shared materials with networks of people living with HIV in as well as with the Ugandan CCM representative for women living with HIV. Other W4GF advocates in Uganda are strategising their engagement and need support on how to engage women and girls in reproductive rights as many find it difficult to speak openly. One W4GF advocate representing key populations tracked down the approved country concept note and is understanding what was allocated to address key populations in Uganda and searching for resources to support their work to create a safe space for young transgender persons and other young people living with HIV, TB and malaria to share, create and learn.
In Zimbabwe – W4GF advocates developed a video on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and made gender a key priority going forward. Another W4GF advocate in Zimbabwe provided feedback to the sector of the key points raised at the W4GF meeting and participated in the MIPA Strategic and Review meeting In Zimbabwe and shared an overview of W4GF. Connections were made with young people living with HIV who attended the Replenishment meeting in Tokyo and this same W4GF advocate was part of the Africa Health Civil Society Advocates recently formed with a key issues to strengthen networks in Africa around the Global Fund Replenishment.
As a key supporter of the W4GF workshop – the Stop TB Partnership published an article in their December newsletter reaching 1300 partners. The Stop TB Partnership are also finalising mini guides for TB key populations, which W4GF advocates reviewed and provided input. W4GF will be sharing the mini guides when they are finalised.
[1] Following the 18th International Conference on AIDS and STIs in Africa (ICASA)