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| THE PROCEEDINGS OF THE 8TH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE OF THE SOCIETY OF WOMEN AGAINST AIDS IN AFRICA |
| THEME:“Children And Aids: Challenges And Strategies To Cope” |
Convened by:
Society Of Women Against Aids In Africa (SWAA)
Co-Sponsored by:
The Joint United Nations Programme on AIDS (UNAIDS), UNICEF, Case-Western University, AYA-UGANDA/UNFPA, The World Health Organisation (WHO) SARA- Initiative (USA), AVSI (Italy), and Ministry of Health Uganda.
Background:
The HIV/AIDS epidemic in Africa and in many parts of the developing world is extremely serious and depriving society of the opportunity to advance in our socio-economic, political and cultural development. Efforts to both prevent the further spread of HIV and to mitigate its impact have had mixed results in many parts of the world. There are reported areas of success. But in many countries the situation remains grave. AIDS has reached pandemic levels in many African countries, especially those in sub-Saharan Africa with increasing numbers of infected and affected children.
The conference was convened with the Theme: “Children and AIDS: challenges and Strategies to cope” with the following objectives;
· To undertake a critical appraisal of its HIV/AIDS priorities and begin to re-focus interventions and strategies to prevent HIV.
· To critically review continued collective efforts in understanding and responding to the complexities and challenges posed by the HIV/AIDS epidemic and
· To ensure that its myriad impacts are addressed.
The result of the deliberations it is hoped will rekindle the vision of SWAA to achieve a healthier, productive and threat-free Africa and the rest of the world.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
AIDS has caused considerable and extreme suffering to individuals, families and communities throughout the world. In Africa alone, experience of HIV/AIDS has shown that children are most vulnerable. They are either infected through maternal contact or are affected as orphans at a tender age. Inaccessibility of health services, absence of support services such as counselling, and therapy which is unavailable or expensive to most African families, are some of the challenges that compound intervention strategies.
The 8th International Conference for the Society of Women against Aids in Africa (SWAA) was held between 2nd and 6th April, 2001 at the Kampala International Conference Centre in Uganda to critically review collective efforts in understanding and responding to complexities and challenges posed by the HIV/AIDS epidemic and to address its impacts on children as a special group. The Conference brought together women and children from all over the world as stakeholders, with other participants, and provided them the opportunity to share experiences on intervention strategies in the prevention and control of HIV/AIDS among children in Africa. They identified areas of collaboration and net-working to promote cooperation in the fight against AIDS; Advocacy for conductive policies as well as legislation to integrate reproductive health and rights, family planning, counselling and testing, STD case management in HIV/AIDS prevention and control. Participants reviewed the implementation of the Dakar Platform of Action resolutions, and assessed the contribution of men as partners in the fight against Aids. They were also provided opportunity to draw a strategic plan for SWAA on children and Aids in Africa for the next five years.
There were a number of participants from 44 countries world-wide whose experiences, view points and arguments propelled discussion of the Conference whose theme was “Children and Aids: Challenges and Strategies to cope”. Stakeholders reviewed the status of implementation of recommendations previously made and how these affect children. Their presentations rotated around the need for leaders and communities to get involved in care, support, counselling and other preventive programmes, they also centred on the need to work towards the empowerment of stakeholders through health education and training in health care, which was a critical part of building infrastructure and capacity to manage the Aids epidemic.
CRITICAL NATURE OF THEME AND JUSTIFICATION
The challenge of finding practical and effective measures to address needs of vulnerable children is enormous. 13.2 million have been orphaned a majority of them are below 15 years of age, and are at risk of illness, abuse and sexual exploitation. They struggle with the stigma, discrimination and deprivation. Loss of income means, change in family life to them, for it leads to depletion of family resources and destitution.
Poverty is a key factor in the spread of Aids. Infected people if poor cannot afford the cost of care, they lack sustained access to basic essentials, nutrition and sanitary environment, as children are victims, their perspectives need to be heard.
Africa alone has the worst burden of HIV/AIDS with nearly 2.4 million dying annually in sub-Saharan Africa. Women experience traumatic situations caring for infected and affected children. Of the many orphans, girls are disadvantaged, a greater proportion are out of school compared to boys, as they are removed from school to take care of the sick. Poverty exacerbates the situation, because it is the girl-child who is first out of school. Boys get out of school due to inability to pay fees or to earn income.
Access to health services is determined by gender. Parents have difficulties discussing sex and sexuality. There are different values attached to children, preventing enjoyment of equal opportunities and care. The challenge is how people can be sensitive to gender issues vis-à-vis culture, and Involving children or youth in prevention care and support. Leadership needs to provide a conducive environment for programmes dealing with HIV/AIDS problem, so that there is coping with care and solidarity.
Infection among children was identified to be through mother to child transmission, blood transfusion, and sexual abuse and exploitation. The increase of child mortality is a direct impact of the epidemic. Therefore, discussion of this theme was important in so far as it addressed preventive strategies, behavioural change and empowerment of women and children to reduce their vulnerability.
There are many challenges to be confronted in the fight against Aids spread and prevention, women are still too far powerless to support children. They need Counselling and education on use of Female condoms, Antiretroviral drugs, and knowledge on improved Antenatal and delivery practices which opportunity the conference provided.
INVOLVEMENT OF CHILDREN
Children need to be open about their needs. It is important for them to be counselled and trained to participate in prevention, care and support programmes for their peers
and mobilisation of resources to be used in implementation strategies. They should be encouraged to openly discuss their sero-status to encourage behavioural change.
The 2001 Kampala Declaration of SWAA
This was compiled from the Consensus Building Sessions, the first Ladies declaration statements, and Policy maker’s pledges during the Voices of children’s Session
DECLARATION
We Participants, Stakeholders and Scientists from Africa and other concerned nations all over the world. Meeting in Kampala this 6th Day of April in the Year Two Thousand and one;
RECOGNISING that; HIV/AIDS has had immense effects on the development and growth of many countries by depriving them of the opportunity to advance economically and socially
NOTING with regret that HIV/AIDS affects over 34 million people, a majority of whom are women and children and yet most of these countries have no resources with which to respond meaningfully to prevent its spread
RECOGNISING that; the number of women and children affected by AIDS continues to increase at an alarming rate
NOTING that;
i) absence of clear policies to protect sexual and productive rights of women is a contributory factor to acquisition of HIV/AIDS
ii) information sharing and networking are vital components in developing effective responses to stem the HIV/AIDS epidemic
iii) in all planning interventions stakeholders need to be part of the solution at community level
AWARE that many governments have not developed policies on MTCT prevention and which focus on women’s rights, social and gender equality issues
REALISING that lack of coordination of efforts and limited resources hampers collective initiative in provision of meaningful responses now
COMMIT OURSELVES
· To use existing social structures to guide the planning process to best serve communities
· To build awareness and reduce stigma associated with HIV/AIDS, extend the life of parent, child relationship in preparing for family transition for affected children and ensure the child’s future
· To address needs of infected and affected children through advocacy capacity building and partnership
· To ensure that all resources mobilised between efforts are used at community level by involving leadership and stakeholders in implementing community based intervention
COMMIT OURSELVES further, to reduce the burden of HIV/AIDS on affected families which is critical to ensure their economic independence.
DECLARATION OF THE FIRST LADIES
   
We the first ladies of our countries, Concerned about the terrible threat that HIV/AIDS poses to the future of our countries and to the whole mankind
COMMIT OURSLVES to take personal responsibility to ensure proper implementation of proposed responses in our countries knowing that history will judge us by our actions
To mobilise leaders at all levels to involve themselves actively in the struggle against AIDS
To mobilise resources from all well-wishers towards care and support for infected and affected children. |
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