Action 35 & 36

 

October 2021

• Through the UNAIDS - PEPFAR Faith Initiative - National Paediatric Consultations on HIV and TB in children living with HIV - took place in Cameroon, Ivory Coast and Kenya. The purpose of the National Paediatric Consultations was to support the development of Paediatric Action Plans with key solutions to increase the introduction of, roll out of and access to optimal tools and medicines to find, diagnose, treat and prevent HIV and TB among children living with or at risk of HIV in the concerned countries, including through direct engagement of faith-care health providers and faith groups and agree on priority actions at country level going forward. 

• The Paediatric Action Plans are under finalization. 

• The UNAIDS – PEPFAR Faith Initiative is also finalizing the Compendium of Promising Practices and Lessons Learned on Paediatric and Adolescent HIV by faith groups and communities – The compendium is a qualitative study to collect and document evidence about promising practice interventions by faith communities. It includes 52 interventions. The study used a combination of methods including literature review, online survey and selected follow-up key informant interviews. The compendium collects promising practices by faith groups in the following areas: i) service delivery through faith-inspired health service providers, ii) community outreach through faith community groups, iii) demand creation in places of worship, iv) advocacy by religious leaders and FBOs speaking out on bottlenecks preventing children accessing treatment and holding government accountable for their commitments and v) religious schools and youth centres.The Compendium will be launched on World AIDS Day. 

• The Start Free, Stay Free and AIDS Free – report on targets set for children and adolescents in 2016 was launched in July 2021.

 

April 2021

• In the process of working with countries to elaborate the GAM report, to be launched in mid-2021, and we are confident that we would be able to share with all stakeholders in a forthcoming webinar where we are in this regard. 

• UNAIDS - PEPFAR Faith Initiative National Paediatric Consultation on HIV and TB in children living with HIV - led by the governments of Cote d'Ivoire, Cameroon, Kenya, DRC, Tanzania and Nigeria. The purpose of the National Paediatric Consultations is to increase the introduction of, roll out of and access to optimal tools and medicines to find, diagnose, treat and prevent HIV and TB among children living with or at risk of HIV in the concerned countries, including through direct engagement of faith-care health providers and faith groups and agree on priority actions at country level going forward. The consultations will highlight key solutions and support the identification of potential resources for addressing key priority issues identified by the countries – 

• UNAIDS – PEPFAR Faith Initiative: Documenting Promising Practices and Lessons Learned on Paediatric and Adolescent HIV by faith groups and communities – in line with UNAIDS New Strategy, the Rome Paediatric HIV & TB Action Plan commitments, and the work of the AIDS Free WG (FYI we have more than 30 best practices from around the world and we are analyzing them) https://www.interfaith-health-platform.org/lessons-learnt-promising-practises

• UNAIDS Strategy beyond 2021 – which is prioritizing children in the global AIDS response and it has key recommendations to address remaining gaps and challenges, plus specific targets for children

• Revision of the Start Free, Stay Free and AIDS Free Framework: interviews and consultations with key players to identify the best way to coordinate global and national advocacy and priorities around paediatric HIV and EMTCT

• Prioritizing Paediatric HIV & EMTCT in preparation of HLM 2021

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Previous

UNAIDS: The global AIDS update report was published and launched in July 2018 with full tables in the back on the 2017 data.  UNAIDS is working with countries on setting pediatric treatment targets within NSPs. The Free to Shine Campaign was launched by the Organization of African First Ladies Against HIV/AIDS (OAFLA) and the African Union on the sidelines of the 30th Ordinary Session of the African Union in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (January 29). UNAIDS, WHO, Abbott, EGPAF, United Nations Children's Fund, UNDP and  AIDS Accountability International, are partners in supporting the Campaign. UNAIDS has also instructed their country offices to support the in-country offices of the First the Lady to establish teams that will plan national activities and rapidly move the Free to Shine Campaign forward. http://www.unaids.org/en/resources/presscentre/featurestories/2018/february/20180106_OAFLA. ​

The annual 3 Frees report, with 2017 data, is expected for Q3 or Q4. 

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The 2019 addition of the 3 Free's report will be realist in June 2019, including with the new 2018 PMTCT/PEDS data.

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The following 5 countries have launched Free to Shine campaigns in 2019 with the leadership of First Ladies, with UNAIDS and partner support

• Central African Republic (February 4)

• Congo (March 31)

• Ghana (January 24)

• Niger (January 22)

• Sudan (March 2019

 

PEPFAR: PEPFAR included pediatric treatment targets in all 2018 COPs.

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UNAIDS has launched both the 2019 Global report and the 2019 Start Free Stay Free Aids Free report highlighting the main results on PMTCT and paediatrics which show the failure to reach the 2018 targets.

 

On 12th December 2019 the UNAIDS Programme Coordinating Board (PCB) thematic segment will focus on children and youth and give the opportunity to discuss strategies to increase uptake of services to children and youth.

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