Invitation: National Civil Society Alliance Building for HIV Response in India

[Guest guest]

Invitation

Meeting on National Alliance Building for Multisectoral Response to

HIV in India: Challenges and Opportunities.

MUMBAI 12th and 13th February. 2009

Dear Friends

HIV response in India and globally is going through a critical phase.

Sustained advocacy has produced results in the area of increased

political commitment and additional resource allocation.

However in order to sustain a committed HIV response further efforts

are needed for reducing health inequalities and improving health for

all: tackling health inequalities through universal coverage, putting

people at the centre of care, integrating health into broader public

policy, and providing inclusive leadership for health.

Relative success in the area of HIV response reaffirm the need to

build sustainable national health systems, strengthen national

capacities, and fully honour financing commitments made by national

governments and their development partners, as appropriate, in order

to better fill the resource gaps in the health sector

We reaffirm the need to take concrete, effective and timely action,

in implementing all agreed commitments on aid effectiveness and to

increase the predictability of aid, while respecting recipient

countries' control and ownership of their health system

strengthening, more so given the potential effects on health and

health systems of the current international financial and food crises

and of climate change;

We strongly reaffirm the values and principles of primary health

care, health as a basic human right, including equity, particularly

of most vulnerable populations, solidarity, social justice, universal

access to services, multisectoral action and community participation

as the basis for strengthening health systems and sustaining HIV

response.

Recognizing the challenges of HIV/AIDS as a critical development

challenge facing the country today and given the fact that several

actors are engaged in addressing the problem locally, regionally,

nationally and internationally; a need was felt to build a national

alliance of various groups and movements to consolidate and

synthesize the efforts and energies of agencies to create a

significant, discernible and tangible impact at the national level.

In this context, we have identified a critical gap in HIV response.

Lack of sustained multisectoral response and lack of an institutional

framework for community participation for HIV response, which is

based on the principles of good governance.

With this reason Asian People's Alliance to combat HIV/AIDS

(APACHA) a broad Asian regional alliance that brings together

people from various walks of life was formally launched. This

movement acknowledges the facts that HIV & AIDS poses political,

economic, human rights and governance challenges locally, nationally

and regionally. Thus, until every facet of society is mobilized, the

battle is not possible.

APACHA attempts to bring likeminded agencies such as trade unions,

student unions, human rights networks, women's rights networks,

lawyers, sex workers networks, MSM networks, media, academia, Dalits

rights networks, land rights movements, indigenous groups, people

living with HIV & AIDS to work together.

The main aim of this alliance is to facilitate and support –

democratic-social and political mobilizations locally, nationally and

internationally and build alliances to effectively address issues

related to the causes and consequences of HIV & AIDS.

A national meeting is called by like minded organizations from

various walks of life to discuss the issues related to NACP III and

role of civil society in the planning of NACP IV, Civil society

engagements and representation in Global Fund decision making

processes, need to expand priorities in critical issues such as fund

utilization for most vulnerable sections in society and staff

retrenchment of most needy during this global financial crisis.

We are proposing this meeting in MUMBAI on 12th and 13th February.

The venue will be informed as soon as you confirm your participation.

The organisers will take care of the boarding and lodging while the

participants will have to bear the cost of travel.

The meeting also will end up with formal National alliance formation

including multi sector participation of all those people who are

involved such as women's groups, youth groups, health workers, CBOs

of IDUs, CBOs of sexual minorities and people living with HIV/AIDS.

We seek your participation to make the meeting a success. We hope to

begin the meeting by 10.00 am on 12th and will conclude with lunch on

13th February, so you may make your travel arrangement accordingly.

Outstation delegates are encouraged to reach Mumbai on 11th evening.

Please send Response to <apachaindia@...>.

Sincerely,

For APACHA India Organizing Committee

e-mail: <apachaindia@...>.

If more information required please contact Mathew @ 9373308126