Transcript Vision of TALC - AIDSTAR-One

TREATMENT ADVOCACY AND
LITERACY CAMPAIGN
Who is TALC?
Profile of TALC
• TALC is a membership organization; founded and registered
with Registrar of Societies in Zambia
• TALC operates as a national organization with its Secretariat
located in Lusaka.
• The programme seeks to advocate for policy change and an
equitable institutional and legal framework which emphasizes
on policy change and behavioral change.
• TALC seeks to address issues of HIV and AIDS through
treatment literacy and treatment advocacy covering the entire
continuum of treatment.
• TALC was initially started by a group of AIDS/Treatment
Activists, legal and human rights advocates that came together
in 2004 to lobby for equitable, affordable and sustainable
access to diagnosis, treatment, care and support for people
living with HIV and AIDS in Zambia.
TALC Vision and Mission
Vision of TALC
• A healthy Zambian Society free of HIV and
AIDS
Mission of TALC
• To advocate for equitable access to
comprehensive and complete continuum of
treatment, care and support for people living
with HIV and AIDS and the affected
Core Values
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Inclusion/Participation
Rights Based
Equity
Equality
TALC’s Main Objectives
• To understand, articulate and advocate for improved
systems, issues, concepts, practices in addressing existing
and emerging issues related to treatment, access and care.
• To use HIV and AIDS treatment, access and care issues as an
entry point to understanding and addressing opportunities,
needs and constraints of TALC communities and devising
and promoting appropriate policy options for equitable
access to and control of resources in relation to treatment,
care and support of PLWHAs.
• To engage and use advocacy in addressing issues of
treatment, care and support for PLWHAs and affected.
Governance
• TALC’s governed by a Constitution drawn by its
general membership which is the supreme
body of the organization
• From the general membership, a Board is
elected.
TALC NATIONAL STRUCTURE
General Membership
Board
Secretariat
Provincial Hubs
Sub-Committees
Research
Advocacy
IEC
Women
Youth
Elderly
/Grannies
National Presence
• TALC has a presence in 7 provinces through satelite offices
referred to as Provincial Hubs: These are in Lusaka, Central,
Copperbelt, Western, Southern, North- western and Eastern.
The organization also has contacts in the remaining two
provinces (Luapula & Northern)
• The hubs are organized at the provincial level with
representatives from each district.
• The work of the hub is to empower the people in a particular
province in treatment literacy and advocacy skills and to
compliment Government’s efforts in treatment information
dissemination
• TALC’s networks and stakeholders in the 7 regions identify
mechanisms for scaling-up treatment literacy & treatment
advocacy & enhance mechanisms for collaboration among the
stakeholders that include Government through PATFs/DATFs
Hub Structure
General Membership
Provincial Board
Provincial Coordinator
District Hubs
Sub-Committees
Research
Advocacy
IEC
Women
Youth
Elderly
/Grannies
Membership
• TALC has an organizational based
membership with representation from:
Support Groups of people living with HIV and
AIDS (PLWHA)
Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs)
Community Based Organisations (CBOs)
 Faith based Organisations (FBOs)
Researchers & human rights advocates
Networking and Linkages
Local
 Zambia AIDS Agenda Alliance (ZAAA), Zambia
Workplace AIDS Programme (ZWAP)
Regional
 Southern Africa Treatment Access Movement
(SATAMO), AIDS & Rights Alliance for Southern Africa
(ARASA), Pan-African Treatment Access Movement
(PATAM)
International
 World AIDS Campaign, G8 Civil Society, International
Treatment Partnership Coalition (ITPC), UNITAID & Stop
TB Partnership, Global AIDS Alliance & Health Gap
(Global Access Project)
Some of Our Partners
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National AIDS Council
Ministry of Health,
Forum Syd
International HIV/AIDS Alliance
Voluntary Service Overseas
Concern Worldwide
Afya Mzuri
Prisons Care & Counselling Association (PRISCCA)
Zambia AIDSLaw Research & Advocacy Network (ZARAN)
Southern Africa HIV & AIDS Information Service (SAfAIDS),
World Health Organization,
Joint United Nations Programme on AIDS (UNAIDS),
Health & Development Networks (HDN)
Zambia Tuberculosis & Leprosy Trust (ZATULET)
80:20
Our Funders
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Hivos
Stephen Lewis Foundation
American Jewish World Service (AJWS)
Forum Syd
Concern Worldwide
Global AIDS Alliance
Diakonia (Strategic Planning process)
Programme Areas
1. Lobby and Advocacy
2. Treatment literacy information, education
and communication
3. Care and support for people living with
HIV/AIDS (prevention and positive living
community drive)
4. Capacity building of TALC Provincial Hubs
and district Hub structures
Treatment Literacy and Advocacy
as defined by TALC
• Organizations use different terminology to refer to treatment
literacy, education & communication around ART & HIV/AIDS
• Treatment literacy could be seen as forming the bridge
between the provision of treatment & the preparation &
involvement of people & communities in comprehensive
responses to HIV and AIDS
• Treatment literacy encourages people to know their HIV
status, explain how to get access to treatment, offers
information on drug regimens, offers support & ideas for
adhering to treatment & helping others to do so, emphasises
the importance of maintaining protective behaviours and
healthy living, & suggests strategies for overcoming stigma &
discrimination and gender equality
Treatment Literacy & advocacy…cont’d
• Treatment literacy means people both individually & in
communities understand what ARVs are, why they are needed
& what they can and cannot do;
• Treatment literacy translates medical information about ART
into languages and formats that are accessible to everyone;
• Advocacy is a process of using information strategically to
change policies that affect the lives of disadvantaged people,
PLWHAs and those affected by it;
• The main focus in the advocacy campaign is to target the
Government to come up with appropriate policies and
practices in relation to issues of treatment, prevention, care
and support
Record of HIV Programmes
Treatment Literacy at TALC
• Since inception TALC has been offering free
treatment literacy trainings at its offices to its
members
• TALC also ensures there is a treatment literacy
component in its quarterly meetings to members
• often inviting scientists, doctors and other health
experts to provide information and answers to
questions from members about relevant issues
Free TALC Treatment
Literacy Sessions
Treatment Advocacy
• Advocacy is fundamental to the work of TALC
• Advocacy issues are identified by TALC Secretariat
staff and TALC members, based on personal
experiences, media reports, policy decisions, research
and current events.
• When TALC identifies issues of concern the members
and staff take an active approach to developing
specific and dedicated advocacy tools and programs
to address the issue in short-term and longer-term
basis
Examples of TALC’s Advocacy Work
• Media releases, press conferences, radio & TV talk shows
interviews,
• Publishing Talcing points on issues of concern
• Holding public marches and peaceful demonstrations,
• Presenting petitions to Government and attending policy and
decision making forums to ensure meaningful involvement of
PLWHAs & those affected
• Parliamentary Submission (Committee on Health) – Fake Cures
& PMTCT
• Networking, collaborative efforts and internet connections
with stakeholders at national, regional & international level
(UNITAID partnership)
The AIDS March – 29 July, 2006
AIDS March Cont’d
Call to action – protecting people from
fake AIDS cures
Call to action – protecting people from
fake AIDS cures
Research conducted by TALC
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Election Questionnaire
TB/HIV Co-infection
Missing The Target 4 & 6
Task Shifting on a joint WHO/UNAIDS/PEPFAR
Collaboration through connections with Health Gap
(Global Access Movement)
• TALC contributed to publication of a book by WHO
on global guidelines & recommendations on task
shifting on a “treat, train & retain” approach which
were later launched through the Addis Ababa
Declaration in January 2008.
Election Questionnaire Cont’d
Publications
• My Mum has HIV Book
• TALCing Points
• Newsletters
The US Ambassador reading the ‘My
Mum has HIV’ book to children at the
Launch
Outreach programmes
• Mass VCT Day (June 30)
• TALcing HIV in Churches
• Global Week of Action
• Exhibition during the Agriculture Commercial
show (second best NGO with DAPP in 2007)
Sensitisation during Mass VCT Day
Challenges
• Advocacy being perceived as anti-government;
• Non- availability and access to funds for
treatment literacy and advocacy work;
• High illiteracy levels especially in rural areas
makes work difficult;
• Unhealthy civil society competitions in the
area of HIV/AIDS & advocacy;
Opportunities
• TALC having been recognized as a leading civil society
organization in community mobilization by the National AIDS
Council;
• The political will demonstrated by government in the fight
against HIV and AIDS through creation of structures within
Government and Civil Society to coordinate efforts among the
various stakeholders in the quest to combat HIV and AIDS;
• A commitment by international partners and other financing
initiatives to fund HIV and AIDS programmes;
• A decentralized health structure that is integrated into
provincial, district and community level structures;
• A high level coordinating body (National AIDS Council)
Way Forward
• The way forward lies in the 3 Year strategic
plan that the organization has managed to put
up together with cooperating partners.
• This 3 year plan outlines the strategic
direction which the organization will take from
now up to 2010.