Launch of GIPA Toolkit by India HIV/AIDS Alliance

[Guest guest]

India HIV/AIDS Alliance and UNAIDS India announce the launch of:

Enhancing the Greater Involvement of People Living with HIV/AIDS (GIPA) in

NGOs/CBOs in India: A Handbook of Information and Tools

The Toolkit will be released by Dr. Nafis Sadiq, Special Advisor to the UN

Secretary-General & Special Envoy of the UN Secretary-General for HIV/AIDS in

Asia & Pacific on 22nd September 2006 in Delhi.

Background

Since its recognition as an incontrovertible principle underlying the

response to HIV/AIDS over a decade ago, Greater Involvement of People

Living with HIV/AIDS or " GIPA " has remained more rhetoric than reality.

Despite their invaluable contribution, people living with HIV/AIDS are still not

meaningfully involved in HIV/AIDS programmes and services.

Studies reveal that that GIPA is not properly understood let alone

utilized by AIDS service organisations. To bridge the gap between policy and

practice of GIPA, India HIV/AIDS Alliance has developed a new Handbook to guide

civil society organisations to implement GIPA through tangible, practical

measures.

About the Toolkit

The Handbook contains a series of participatory tools including

information sheets, activity notes with guidelines and action cards for NGO

managers, staff and volunteers to discuss ways to involve HIV

positive people more meaningfully within their organisation(s). The

toolkit also provides valuable information on rights of PLHA including

confidentiality & non-discrimination and a model HIV/AIDS workplace policy that

organisations may adopt.

Availability

The Handbook is available online on the International HIV/AIDS Alliance website

http://www.aidsalliance.org/sw38800.asp

To encourage wider use and access, Alliance India is also publishing the

Handbook in Tamil, Telugu and Hindi languages. Translated copies will soon be

available on CD and uploaded to the Alliance website.

_____________________________________________

Anandi Yuvaraj

Senior Programme Officer - Policy and Advocacy

India HIV/AIDS Alliance

Kushal House, Third Floor

39 Nehru Place, New Delhi 110019. India.

Switchboard:+91-11-41633081-84 Extn:116

Fax:+91-11-41633085

E-mail: ayuvaraj@...

www.aidsalliance.org and www.aidsmap.com