What happens after the Mexico City XVII International AIDS Conference 2008

Human Rights Violations, Gender Inequality, Stigma, Discrimination and Homophobia Lead to HIV:

What happens after the Mexico City XVII International AIDS Conference 2008?

Human rights violations, gender inequality, stigma, discrimination and homophobia were unequivocally identified as major, structural drivers of the global AIDS pandemic at the recently concluded XVII International AIDS Conference in Mexico City , August 3 – 8, 2008 (AIDS 2008). SASOD delegates, Joel Simpson and Namela Baynes-Henry, joined over 25,000 scientists, community and political leaders from around the world, region and country calling for “universal action now” to tackle these underlying drivers of HIV vulnerability and reverse the tide of the AIDS epidemic.

As part of SASOD’s participation at AIDS 2008, an abstract titled “Spectrum Health Net: reaching the invisible with holistic sexual health education” (see attached) was one of over 5000 presented at the conference, selected from over 10,600 submissions (another 2,742 appear on the CD-ROM only). This abstract was accepted for poster exhibition (photograph attached) under the cross-cutting theme “4 - Stigma, Discrimination and Social Justice.” The poster is available for download on SASOD’s website at http://www.sasod.org.gy/?q=node/112

In an effort to disseminate the knowledge and catalyze action, SASOD is convening a facilitated AIDS 2008 Debriefing Forum with Guyanese delegates who work in key, vulnerable sectors to provide feedback, find solutions and take collective action among local stakeholders to address these issues in the context of the AIDS epidemic in Guyana . The meeting will take place on Thursday, August 21, 2008 from 16:00 to 17:30 hrs at the CIDA PSU Main Conference Room, New Market and Main Streets, Georgetown . It is open to the public and any interested persons are invited to attend.

Programme participants include :-

Women and Girls

Lydia Fraser
Health Director
Guyana Red Cross

Young People

Norwell Hinds
Youth Focal Point
UNFPA Guyana

Sex Work

Miriam Edwards
Director, “One Love”
Kwakwani Sex Work

Sexual Minorities

Joel Simpson
Co-Chairperson
SASOD-Guyana

Role of the Media

Namela Baynes-Henry
Editor-in-Chief
First Look News

Facilitated Plenary Discussion

Dereck Springer
Chairman, Lifeline
Counselling Services