Past activities- Capacity building and advocacy:
Workshop on Treatment Literacy and Advocacy for Universal Access (7-10 June 2010) – The Training of trainers workshop was the outcome of a newly emerging partnership between WATAG-ITPC, UNAIDS, WHO, WAC and Alliance/IPC intended to develop capacity of HIVCF grantees in 15 countries in advocating for Universal Access. In a session on treatment literacy, the participants criticized the fact that the new WHO guidelines (early treatment when the CD4 count < 350 cells/mm3 regardless of the symptoms of OIs) are not well communicated to communities of PLHIV, while in the advocacy session, poor leadership, human right violations, weak health system and lack of understanding of universal access were identified as major obstacles to achieving goals. The testimony evening on Universal Access in West Africa saw participants, local activists and UN representatives listen to how the issues of drug stock-outs, reduction of international funding,and unaffordable prices of essential medicines affect individuals and communities .
Past activity- Communication:
WATAG recently launched a new bilingual (French-English) website (http://www.watag.org/) to provide information related to WATAC activities. Three discussion groups were created to facilitate the communication and information sharing among key community actors on issues of universal access to treatment.
Current and future activities
Thanks to the overwhelmingly positive response to Treatment Literacy & Advocacy workshop organised by WATAG-ITPC, Sylvere is now in consultation with WHO regional office about conducting a similar kind of workshop at the national level. The discussions are underway to bring the workshop to Gambia and Ghana (October-November 2010).
Sylvere will co-organise with James Kayo (RCs for Central Africa) the donor meeting (October 18-20) and facilitate regional and national advocacy planning at the next Regional Advisory Board meeting (October 5-8).
Sylvere also has started coordinating data collection on drug stock-outs at the regional level and looking for possibilities of co-hosting a regional workshop on AIDS criminalization law early next year.
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