This text was presented july 3rd at the press conference after the meeting of Solidarité Sida, Solidays, and 35 associations have already signed it.
We, community groups, people living with HIV/AIDS, frontline workers note :
– Since the beginning of the AIDS epidemic, 25 million people have died – Throughout the years, community workers, people living with HIV/AIDS, and health care workers have mobilized day after day to respond to the impact of this epidemic and protect the lives of people with HIV/AID. Community groups and researchers have proven the feasibility of the use of anti-retrovirals in resource poor countries, the capacity of people living with HIV/AIDS whatever their country of origin to undertake a drug regimen to maintain their lives
– Today, 10 millions people are in urgent and immediate need of tri-therapy, yet, only 230 000 are on ARV treatment. But, we know that it is possible to significantly increase the number of people being treated and saved; to finally put forth policies that are adapted to the response to the epidemic which brings together care for people living with HIV/AIDS and prevention of new infections. Front-line workers cruelly lack the much needed resources to develop their programs, to care for a more increasing number of people who are sick and to avoid interruptions in drug stocks
We hold responsible governments from rich countries, governments from developing countries, the United Nations and its agencies,
1 For having denied the fundamental right to life and to health of people living with HIV/AIDS.
2 For not sufficiently acknowledging and giving value to the status and the work of community groups and field workers in its policies and in AIDS programs
3 For having made unkempt promises. One year after the highly publicized announcement made in Genoa by the G8 of the creation of the Global Fund, contributions from the richest nations have not reached one tenth of its objective.
Where are the 10 billion dollars that were promised? Today the urgency is in financing public health structures and community groups already involved in health care for people living with HIV/AIDS and to expand access to quality care and treatments in all countries.
We will no longer tolerate this impunity and therefore we commit to using every means possible to ensure that those who are responsible assume their responsibilities.
Every eleven seconds, a person with HIV dies. It is our duty to stop this massacre.
During the next call for projects, the Global Fund must commit to prioritizing the central place of access to anti retrovirals as well as to generics for country programs.
Rich countries, developing countries, the United Nations and its agencies need to make a choice… condemn to death millions of people and take public responsibility for their acts in supporting this health catastrophy without precedent or intervene, FINALLY.
If you want to sign this manifesto, please send an email to actsud@actupp.org
Signatories Associations
AAS (Burkina Faso) ; Act Up Paris (France) ; Action contre le sida (Togo) ; Actions Traitements (France) ; ADIP/S (Burkina Faso) ; Aides (France) ; Aides médicales et charité (Togo) ; Aidsi Tugikeskus (Estonie) ; ALAVI (Burkina Faso) ; ALCS (Maroc) ; Amal SIDA (Tunisie) ; Amepouh (Côte d’Ivoire) ; ANBEP (Sénégal) ; ANSS (Burundi) ; APCS (Algérie) ; Aras (Roumanie) ; Arcad-Sida (Mali) ; Association Dialaw Takkul (Sénégal) ; Cambodian organization of PLWH/A (Cambodge) ; Elus Locaux contre le Sida (France); Enda Tiers Monde (Sénégal); Ensemble contre le sida (France) ; Espoir Vie Togo (Togo) ; Grupo de Apoio a prevencao a Aids (Brazil) ; Ker Xaleyi (Senegal) ; Kidz positive Family Fund (Afrique du Sud) ; Lumière Action (Côte d’Ivoire) ; Mieux vivre avec le Sida (Niger) ; Positive Action Foundation Philippines, INC. (Philippines) ; REVS + (Burkina Faso) ; RIVE (Ile de la Réunion) ; Ruban Rouge (Côte d’Ivoire) ; Social Activities Integration (Inde) ; Solidarité Sida (France) ; Thaï Youth Aids Prevention Project (Thaïlande) ; UNALS (France)
