Strengthening Community Participation in Chinas AIDS Response among MSM

1
Strengthening Community Participation in Chinas
AIDS Response among MSM

• XVII International AIDS Conference
• Mexico City, 3-8 August 2008
• Edmund Settle
• HIV Programme Specialist
• United Nations Development Programme

2
UN Technical Working Group on MSM and
HIVIncrease community based organizations
participation in support of Chinas national
efforts to reduce HIV among MSM

• Improve communication and co-ordination between
  MSM CBOs and between MSM CBOs and government,
  PLHIV, INGOs and donors
• Build government capacities to involve MSM CBOs
  in policy-making and public service delivery
• Develop the capacities of MSM community
  organizations and individuals to increase the
  coverage, sustainability and impact of community
  based interventions and advocacy efforts
• Identify opportunities and increase involvement
  of Chinese MSM in global and regional advocacy
  initiatives
• Promote leadership among MSM CBOs and individuals

3
Government Response to HIV among MSM

• 1989 First reported domestic case of HIV
  transmission identified through homosexual
  behavior (three evils)
• 2005 Identified MSM as a key population at
  higher risk in the Joint Assessment on AIDS in
  China (MOH UN)
• 2006 Participated in national consultation
  sessions leading up to Risk and Responsibilities
  Conference and R/R Conference
• 2006 Convened government-led national meeting
  on MSM and HIV launched national MSM experts
  group
• 2006 PR for Global Fund 6 MSM major focus
• 2007 Released National Framework on MSM and HIV
• 2008 Launched national programme to reduce and
  prevent HIV among MSM

4
Existing HIV prevalence data - MSM

• 2007 - MSM account for 12.5 percent of estimated
  HIV cases in 2007, up from 2.5 percent in 2005
• 2003 2007 prevalence rate increased from 0.6
  to 10.6 (single urban area)

5
UN Technical Working Group on MSM and HIV
Activities (2006 2007)

• Initially held bi-monthly information sharing
  meetings on topics identified by group members
• Lead in-country national consultation process to
  identify major issues relating to MSM and HIV in
  China related to Risk and Responsibilities
  (UNAIDS)
• Convened national meeting on MSM/CBOs role in
  increasing access to VCT services (WHO)
• Supported the development of the National
  Framework on MSM and HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS, WHO)

6
UN Technical Working Group on MSM and HIV
Activities (2008)

• Held donor and INGO meeting to identify common
  areas of support for MSM CBOs
• Supported MSM CBO to convene national meeting on
  engaging owners of gay entertainment
  establishments (GEE) (ILO)
• Supported community-led development and
  consultation process on National MSM Community
  Strategy on AIDS included MSM CBOs, MSM PLHIV
  and GEE
• Convened MSM Community Consultation and Action
  Plan Workshop
• Hold national dialogue on the role of rapid
  testing and community based counseling in
  increasing access to VCT/STD services for MSM
  (WHO) this Fall

7
National MSM Community Strategy Development
Workshop (Nanjing)Increased coverage,
sustainability, impact and effective monitoring

• Community facilitated
• MSM CBOs, MSM PLHIV, GEE
• Local partnerships (local MSM CBOs, local health
  departments) identified and defined
• Prevention/awareness VCT Support/care Advocacy
  and Addressing capacity needs - outcomes
  identified
• Potential mechanism to facilitate funding to CBOs
  through national and local partners established
• National community network on MSM dialogue
  initiated

8
UN Technical Working Group on MSM and HIV
Promoting Leadership

• Supported MSM CBOs to develop, convene and
  facilitate consultations/meetings to produce
  community endorsed, advocacy documents and
  potential joint community programme proposals
  (UNAIDS, WHO, ILO)
• Facilitated some 20 representatives from MSM
  CBOs, 2 government health officials and 1
  academic to attend and participate in the R/R
  conference (UNAIDS)
• Supported development of APCOM, Chinas MSM CBO
  representative and government sector
  participation (UNAIDS)
• Supported MSM community based organization
  representative to participate in regional
  advocacy training and attend UNGASS 2008 (UNAIDS)
• Facilitated three Chinese MSM representatives to
  attend regional consultation of MSM outreach
  worker manual, and contracted to MSM CBO to adapt
  and translate (UNESCO)

9
Progress in Community Participation

• Multiple provincial MSM working groups formed
• MSM participation in policy development,
  programme design and implementation, and
  monitoring increased
• MSM community involvement in regional and global
  MSM initiatives increased
• National Community Network dialogue initiated
• Advocacy documents highlighting the roles and
  responsibilities of MSM CBOs in Chinas AIDS
  response produced

10
Trends Among Community Groups

• Dual roles as advocates (right holders) and
  service delivery providers (duty bearers)
• Target groups gt Community response
• Volunteer groups gt Partners in the response
• Tokenism gt Community experts
• Activity based funding gt Output based funding
• Intense competition gt Partnership building

11
Working through partnerships

• Capacities and mandates of UN agencies
• International NGOs and donors
• Government and GoNGOs
• Community based organizations