Haitis Five 5 Years experiences of GIPA

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Haitis Five (5) Years experiences of GIPA
Moving from denial to action
?
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Definition

• GIPA means (Greater involvement of people living
  with HIV/AIDS)
• conceptual framework of GIPA
• facilitating and coordinating the establishment
  of sustainable operational national networks of
  PLWHA
• promotion of self-support groups
• information sharing among People Living With
  HIV/AIDS (PLWHA).
• Involvement and empowerment

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Living with HIV/AIDS in the 1990s

• Contribution de lartiste Jean Réné Jérôme au
  montage du film VIV ak SIDA
• For the first time AIDS had a face and a Voice
• Thousand copies distributed
• AIDS Awareness creation

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Support Group of POZ1998
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How this was taken place in Haiti ?

• Starting the first support group named POZ
• Recruit PLWHA with friends or relatives
• Meeting once a month
• Shares information and testimonies
• Learnt skills and knowledge on HIV/AIDS
• Participate in mobilization activities
• Dialogue with leaders
• Commitment to combat stigma and discrimination

Attendees at the support Groups meeting
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Where do the sparkles come from?

•  Le terrain nest pas facile. Cependant notre
  volonté
• est ferme de lutter nous aussi à coté des autres.
  Cette
• phase de recrutement devra sûrement nous conduire
• bientôt à une grande rencontre élargie afin de
  démarrer
• de façon pratique notre réseau. D autres
  expériences à
• travers d autres conférences internationales
  nous
• aideront à mieux assister et encadrer nos
  siens. 
• Jean Jonas Deriveau (POZ)

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How GIPA developed in Haiti ?

• The GIPA movement established in 3 Phase
• Initiative phase
• Implementation phase ( GIPA) supported by UNVs
• Extension and replication phase.

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Characteristics and lessons learnedPhase 1

• Low profile participant
• Interaction with others limited
• Shows interest in learning more
• No access to drugs
• Sense of solidarity between members
• Commitment to combat SD
• Breaking the silence

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Characteristics and lessons learnedPhase 2

• More visibility among PLWA at the international
  levels
• More contacts and interaction with providers and
  leaders
• Status of NUNV
• Access to treatment and solidarity international
• Sense of contributing to the programme
• Benefits social recognition economical support
• Community acceptance
• Empowerment ( skills)

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Characteristics and lessons learnedPhase 3

• More empowerment and involvement
• Emergence of more PLWA
• Access to treatment and ARVs
• Strengthening of UNV association
• More visibility
• Access to work
• All forms of Solidarity with PLWA who disclosed
  publicly
• More support from the international agencies

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Whats work

• It gives PLWA more direction and power to
  involve and participate in the programme
• Opportunity to advocate and to combat SD
• Access to resources national and international
• International visibility
• Could be in the frontline as additional
  resources to promote safe and preventative
  behaviour
• Influence Leaders at all level ( Church,
  political figures, congressman)
• Brings support to infected and affected

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What doesnt work

• Activism Vs Advocacy
• Volunteers GIPA and hidden HIV status
• Conflict of interest
• Ethical issues related to drugs access for GIPA
  coordinators and not for others members in the
  networks
• PLWA not represented at higher political level
• Can do everything because ones is PLWA
• Needs of coordination between different networks

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Conclusion

• Involvement of PLWAS in the frontline of the
  Haiti AIDS National program suggesting that even
  in the context of an environment of strong SD
  empowerment of PLWHA can result in hope,
  reduction of fears and development of social
  support to contain the HIV/AIDS epidemic
• Given the actual number of PLWHA, around 260,000
  and the fact they are at greater risks of
  transmitting HIV and STI, more programmatic
  interventions and more funding are needed to
  scaling up these initiatives in all caribbean
  countries