New Momentum In The Fight Against HIV/AIDS

Lourdes Pangelinan

Today, the Pacific Islands region finds itself facing a situation similar to that which Africa confronted 20 years ago when HIV/AIDS was but an emerging threat. The HIV/AIDS levels are not yet high in most of the Pacific islands. Yet, AIDS is already the major cause of death at Port Moresby General Hospital, in Papua New Guinea, where it has become a generalized epidemic. Without sounding alarmist, the tuberculosis (TB) and HIV co-infection, a lethal combination because of the link between a weakened immune system and TB infection, could soon become the leading cause of death in the Pacific Islands region. The threat to our Pacific societies is real.

As Pacific Islanders-whether we're young people, parents, community leaders, politicians, or staff of regional and international organizations-we all have a part to play now in the fight to avoid a Pacific-wide catastrophe that is already having enormous health, social and economic consequences in other parts of the world. The key to this fight is no longer purely a health response, but a committed effort by all partners to encompass strong political and community leadership, supportive legislative and policy frameworks, enhanced access to treatment, prevention, care and support for people living with HIV/AIDS, approaches based on human rights to combat stigma and discrimination, promotion of gender equity, and the active participation of people living with HIV/AIDS and affected communities in the response. This is precisely what the new Pacific Regional Strategy on HIV/AIDS advocates, a regional approach in support of national efforts, where nations working together will develop more effective responses to HIV/AIDS.

The DOTS (Directly Observed Therapy Short-course) Strategy employed to fight TB is a concrete example of an approach that works. It was put together with political commitment and leadership in the community as key ingredients. The Pacific Regional Strategy and Key Actions on HIV/AIDS (2004-2008) is expected to make a difference in the fight against HIV/AIDS and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in the same way that the DOTS Strategy does against TB.

The Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) was tasked with leading the process and developing the strategy. Members of a Regional Strategic Reference Group including representatives of Pacific Islands health ministries, non government organizations working in HIV/AIDS education, people living with HIV/AIDS, organizations such as UNAIDS, and technical agencies such as the World Health Organization and Red Cross International were closely consulted.

One component is the SPC Franco-Australian Pacific Regional HIV/AIDS initiative that will initially facilitate monitoring and implementation of activities, and carry out HIV and STIs disease surveillance activities. The HIV/AIDS component of the Global Fund to Fight HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria is another key initiative.

The situation is not entirely grim, as many among us from local communities to our highest leaders are now fully committed to fighting this terrible disease.

The seventh Commonwealth Women's Affairs Ministers meeting (7WAMM) held recently in Fiji Islands adopted a plan of action for gender equality (2005-2015) that also addresses the HIV/AIDS pandemic. One of the eight Millennium Development Goals of the Millennium Declaration deals with combating HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria and other diseases.

In addition to women, there are a number of vulnerable groups in our societies like, seafarers, those involved in transactional sex, university students, youth at large, and people with specific sexual identities. We must make sure that, along with all others who are likely to experience the devastating impact of HIV/AIDS and STIs, they all have a voice in implementing the regional initiative to be adopted by Forum leaders this August in Samoa.

Lourdes Pangelinan is Director-General of the Secretariat of the Pacific Community.

For more information, visit: www.spc.int or email the SPC at spc@spc.int