World AIDS Day 2011 Report
Prepared By:
Fadi Halabi
National Officer on Reproductive Health Including HIV/AIDS (LeMSIC-Lebanon)
Joško Miše
IFMSA Director on Reproductive health including HIV/AIDS 2011/2012
IFMSA
The mission of IFMSA
was founded in May 1951 and is run by medical students, for medical students, on a non-profit basis. IFMSA is officially recognised as a non-governmental organisation within the United Nations’ system and has official relations with the World Health Organisation. It is the international forum for medical students, and one of the largest student organisations in the world.
is to offer future physicians a comprehensive introduction to global health issues. Through our programs and opportunities, we develop culturally sensitive students of medicine, intent on influencing the transnational inequalities that shape the health of our planet.
Imprint Content Editors Fadi Halabi, Lebanon Joško Miše, Croatia Design/Layout Omar H. Safa, Egypt
Publisher
International Federation of Medical Students’ Associations General Secretariat: IFMSA c/o WMA B.P. 63 01212 Ferney-Voltaire, France Phone: +33 450 404 759 Fax: +33 450 405 937 Email: gs@ifmsa.org Homepage: www.ifmsa.org
Contacts publications@ifmsa.org
Contents - Introduction ................................................................................. 4 - Contributors ................................................................................ 5 - Main Themes .............................................................................. 6 - Summary of the World AIDS Day Activities ............................ 7 - Activities on the International Level ............................... 7 - Local and National Activities ......................................... 9 - Awareness, Protection and Prevention - Rights Here, Right Now! - Arts and HIV/AIDS - AIDS Outdoors - Social Media and the Press - Conclusions and Recommendations ......................................... 20
World AIDS Day 2011 Report
Introduction By the end of 2010, 34 Million people were living with HIV/AIDS worldwide. In many parts of the world, the number of new infections continues to be on the rise and so does the suffering of those living with the virus. It has been years since treatments that can both prolong and improve the quality of the lives of people living with HIV/AIDS were made available. It has also been a long time since the real risks of contracting the virus have been deciphered. However, we still live in a world where millions of the people living with HIV/AIDS do not have access to medication. We still live in a world where millions continue to die because of complications related to AIDS. We still live in a world where HIV patients are denied their jobs, education, and many basic human rights only because of their HIV status. The year 2011 marked 30 years of AIDS! 30 years of fighting with a virus that changed and took the lives of millions. However, 2011 also marked the birth of the World AIDS Day Campaign, “Get to Zero”, a campaign coined to denote the “beginning of the end” of HIV! Zero new HIV infections, Zero AIDS-related deaths, and zero discrimination against people living with HIV/AIDS – UNAIDS three strategic directions for a renewed HIV response all embodied in the 2011 World AIDS Day Campaign slogan, “Get to Zero”. The International Federation of Medical Students’ Associations, IFMSA, hosting more than 1.2 million medical students in this world, adopted this year’s World AIDS Day Campaign’s theme. The Standing Committee on Reproductive health including AIDS, SCORA, was able to get millions of students to unite under one slogan: “Get to Zero”, a campaign that produced many projects summarized in this report.
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www.ifmsa.org
(SCORA) Standing Committee on Reproductive Health including HIV/AIDS
Contributors This year, the World AIDS Day Activities took part in all the regions in which SCORA is represented. The National Officers of the following countries contributed to this report by submitting their reports: Country
NMO
Austria
AMSA
Bangladesh
BMSS
Bolivia
IFMSA-Bolivia
Bosnia and Herzegovina
BoHeMSA
Brazil
IFMSA-Brazil
Catalonia – Spain
AECS
Colombia
ASCEMCOL
Croatia
CroMSIC
Denmark
IMCC Denmark
Ecuador
IFMSA-Ecuador
El Salvador
IFMSA-El Salvador
Estonia
EstMSA
Ethiopia
EMSA
Georgia
GYMU
Germany
BVMD
Greece
HelMSIC
Hungary
HuMSIRC
Indonesia
CIMSA-ISMKI
Italy
SISM
Jordan
IFMSA-JO
Lebanon
LeMSIC
Lithuania
LiMSA
Malta
MMSA
Mongolia
IFMSA – Mongolia
Nepal
NMSA
Peru
APEMH
Poland
IFMSA-Poland
Quebec – Canada
IFMSA-Quebec
Rwanda
MEDSAR
Serbia
IFMSA-Serbia
Slovakia
SloMSA
Slovenia
SloMSIC
Switzerland
SwiMSA
Taiwan
FMS Taiwan
The Netherlands
IFMSA-The Netherlands
United Kingdom
Medsin UK
medical students worldwide
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World AIDS Day 2011 Report
Main Themes Although the projects and the activities that were conducted by the different countries that submitted their reports varied greatly, the purpose of these endeavors could be clustered under the following 3 missions:
Getting to “Zero New HIV Infections”: The growing number of HIV cases is to a certain level a reflection of lack of knowledge or the lack of application of such knowledge. Awareness about HIV/AIDS, methods of protection, and services related to sexual health, remain an important aspect of spreading information and changing the behavior of the youth, and thus, controlling the spread of HIV. In a way or another, each of the NMOs (National Member Organizations) that contributed to this report held activities that aimed at spreading awareness. The target population varied in these activities between school students, university students, and the general public. The activities in this realm ranged from peer-education sessions at schools to stands in universities and outreach activities on the streets. Some NMOs also relied on social media, prints, and even audio-visual media to relay their messages. Getting to “Zero Discrimination”: This year, discrimination was an essential cornerstone in many of the WAD activities organized in various parts of the world. In fact, some NMOs focused on discrimination as the central theme of their WAD campaigns while others held symbolic activities that aimed at raising awareness on the impact of discrimination. In ASCEMCOL-Colombia, “Anti-Stigma” vaccines were given at malls to decrease the discrimination against those living with HIV/AIDS. MMSA-Malta organized a series of seminars on the psychological impact of HIV/AIDS and the stigma associated with it. Similar seminars were also organized by BoHeMSA-Bosnia and Herzegovina. LeMSIC-Lebanon chose discrimination as
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their central theme for this WAD campaign with the message: “If you can point a finger, you can lend a hand”. In FMS-Taiwan, flashmobs were started to mobilize people against discrimination. Those are only a few examples!
Getting to “Zero AIDS-Related Deaths”
A few NMOs organized activities and drives that aimed at fundraising for HIV patients. The money funded was either used in initiatives that those NMOs manage or in some cases, the money went to organizations that provide for HIV patients, particularly children living with HIV. AMSA-Austria, fundraised for an HIV orphanage in Ghana, while others like MMSA-Malta and SISMItaly fundraised for local organizations. Still others, like LeMSIC-Lebanon fundraised for their own CD4 Count fund. Medsin-UK chose to fundraise for their National AIDS Trust in the UK. These funds all aim at providing better and fairer access to healthcare, contributing to the general health of people living with HIV/AIDS.
www.ifmsa.org
(SCORA) Standing Committee on Reproductive Health including HIV/AIDS
Summary of the World AIDS Day Activities The SCORA activities within this World AIDS Day Campaign ranged from local, national, regional, to international activities.
Activities on the International Level “Get To Zero” Video
On the International Level and in light of the theme of this World AIDS Day campaign, a video was produced by SCORA. Twenty-three NMOs were part of this. The video consisted of SCORA members from all over the world carrying the number of new HIV infections reported in their country in 2010. The video then showed the members of each of the participating NMOs saying “Get To Zero”, a symbolization of the unity in the fight against HIV. The video was created by the driven members of SCORA and was posted on different social media channels – e.g. YouTube http://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=MwrnG6cmL2Q where it made a huge impact. It was also well publicized outside of the IFMSA (UNESCO Newsletter, FIGO website).
Picture 1. Medical Students from Tanzania preparing for the video making
World AIDS Day Poster
To showcase the work done in the different NMOs throughout this campaign, a World AIDS Day poster was created. Fifteen NMO’s contributed their most symbolic photos and participated in the making of this poster. The posters were translated into six languages and featured on Youth, The Arts, HIV/AIDS Network (YAHAnet).
MEDICAL STUDENTS AROUND THE WORLD ARE SAYING :
IFMSA World AIDS Day Statement
As every year, the IFMSA SCORA Director released a statement on behalf of IFMSA for World AIDS Day. The statement can be found on official IFMSA blog - http://ifmsa.wordpress.com/2011/12/ page/3/ and was featured on UNESCO and FIGO websites. The statement pointed out that young people aged 15-24 account for 42% of the new HIV infections which is a clear evidence that they are disproportionately affected by the HIV epidemic and that the AIDS response must be shaped to respond to these urging numbers of young people being at the spear tip of the epidemic.
medical students worldwide
Picture 2. IFMSA World AIDS Day 2011 poster 7
World AIDS Day 2011 Report
MEDICAL STUDENTS AROUND THE WORLD ARE SAYING :
Picture 3. IFMSA World AIDS Day 2011 poster 8
www.ifmsa.org
(SCORA) Standing Committee on Reproductive Health including HIV/AIDS
Summary of the World AIDS Day Activities Local and National Activities A very wide variety of activities took place within each of the contributing NMOs this year. The target of these activities varied between university students, high school students, youth, and the general public.
Awareness, Protection, and Prevention Information Stands and Distribution of Condoms, Leaflets, and Red Ribbons:
For the purpose of dispelling of the myths and the inaccurate information about HIV and AIDS and spreading awareness about the appropriate methods of protection from HIV and other STIs, almost all of the NMOs organized stands through which they distributed information leaflets, condoms, or red ribbons. These activities mostly took place on the local level, within universities, streets, or clubs. AECS - Catalonia organized such stands in all of their local committees. Members of AECS-Catalonia were in contact with the Catalan government that provided the appropriate information and material to disseminate on their stands. There, their members didn’t only spread information, but they also created informative games to attract people and to educate them about HIV/AIDS. APEMH – Peru also coordinated with their government concerning the information that they want to spread on their stands which also included competitions pertaining to correct condom usage. Similarly, in ASCEMCOL – Colombia, and as part of a wider awareness campaign, many local committees organized such stands. Some of these stands were located in universities, however, others, were set up in big malls. To dispel myths, members of ASCEMOL-Colombia wrote many of the myths about HIV on a wall, they then corrected these myths on their stands, gave additional information about HIV and STIs, and distributed condoms and red ribbons. NMSS – Nepal also put up a stand in front of a big medical center (TUTH). At that stall, medical students and colleagues from other specialties within the field of healthcare were present to give out information and to deliver a quiz for passers-by. The stand attracted patients visiting the Outpatient Department, visitors, as well as students medical students worldwide
from neighboring schools. In Bangladesh, BMSS were able to distribute more than 4000 Red Ribbons at multiple booths in universities and malls. At those stands, they also distributed pamphlets and had passers-by sign petitions about HIV. IFMSA-Ecuador also set up a very interesting stand in a busy shopping mall in one of their cities. The stand included information about the risks of HIV transmission through different practices. It served to dispel many of the myths about HIV contraction such as using toilet seats, etc. The stand set up by SloMSIC-Slovenia featured Helium balloons on which participants wrote a message. This was under the motto, “Send a Message, Use A Condom”. A famous Slovenian actor endorsed this message by participating at the stand. There, the member of SloMSIC also wrote “HIV” using condoms to spread awareness about condom usage. Such stands were also part of the activities of many other NMOs including IFMSA-Mongolia, IFMSA-El-Salvador, IFMSA– Bolivia, GYMU & IFMSA-Georgia – Georgia, SloMSICSlovenia, SloMSA-Slovakia, SISM - Italy and IFMSA-Serbia.
Picture 4. Informational leaflet made by medical students from Georgia
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World AIDS Day 2011 Report
Summary of the World AIDS Day Activities Local and National Activities Outreach and Information on the street:
Picture 5. Informational stand by medical students from Nepal
Many NMOs decided to directly reach out to people on the streets. In 3 different cities in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the members of BoHeMSA, walked around, talked to people, and distributed condoms, booklets, and educational material. The Medsin-UK members in Leeds went to bars where they shared information about HIV. IFMSA – Brazil also had such a campaign in one of their hospitals. Similarly, in HelMSIC-Greece and LeMSIC-Lebanon, and in separate projects, members received trainings on how to approach people in the streets and effectively communicate messages about HIV/AIDS. Following those trainings, the members went to crowded streets, frequented by the youth and spread messages of awareness and anti-discrimination. IFMSA-The Netherlands also distributed packages of postcards and condoms on the streets, including positive messages about HIV to raise awareness and reduce discrimination. MMSA-Malta organized an outreach activity at a crowded mall and in multiple campuses. These outreach activities were concomitant with a certified online course organized by Maltese medical school in which MMSA contributed in facilitation.
Peer-Education Sessions on Sexual Health
Picture 6. Peer education session in a school in Lebanon
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Peer-education sessions on sexual health remain a cornerstone in spreading awareness about safe sex and condoms. Around World AIDS Day, many NMOs choose to have more awareness sessions in schools, universities, and in other NGOs. This year was no different for many of the members of IFMSA. The members of IMCC Denmark have a tradition of visiting a big public school every year around World AIDS Day and delivering educational sessions on sexual health. This year, they were able to reach 5 classes educating them about issues related to sexual health without forgetting activities such as “Condom Race” and various ice-breakers. In Ethiopia, the members of EMSA were able to reach more than 900 students in a peer-education marathon that they held in 3 different schools! These students also underwent a quiz after which winners were selected and rewarded. As part of the project, “SCORA GOES TO SCHOOL”, CIMSA-ISMKI –Indonesia, went on marathon trips to different schools in the West Sumatera district. The focus of their peer-education sessions was on HIV as well as other problems related to teenage sexual health such as dysmenorrhea, leucorrhea, and masturbation. On their first trip alone, members of CIMSA-ISMKI were able to reach out to over 300 students. www.ifmsa.org
(SCORA) Standing Committee on Reproductive Health including HIV/AIDS
Summary of the World AIDS Day Activities Local and National Activities organized multiple peer-education sessions for different audience, focusing on different matters. To high school students in the 7th grade, they gave sessions on “Sexually Transmitted Infections”, while to university students, they gave multiple sessions on habit, prejudice, and STI’s. A local committee within IFMSA-Poland also managed to invite 200 high school students to their university where they gave peer-education sessions on various issues related to sexual health. While in Croatia, CroMSIC members managed to reach out to 500 high school students through their Y-Peer Sexual Education sessions. The members of BoHeMSA – Bosnia and Herzegovina also delivered multiple peer-education sessions, including surveys, in 3 different cities. Other NMOs that also organized peer-education sessions around World AIDS Day included APEMH–Peru, HumSIRC–Hungary, MEDSAR–Rwanda, Medsin– UK, SISM–Italy, and SloMSA–Slovakia. According to the reports submitted, IFMSA members gave peer education sessions on HIV prevention and sexual and reproductive health to over 7000 young people between the age 14 - 20. IFMSA-Serbia
Seminars and Discussions
On the occasion of World AIDS Day, many NMOs hosted and/or organized a multitude of seminars dealing with HIV/AIDS, sexual health and discrimination. AECS – Catalonia organized a seminar in which a doctor and a person living with HIV were guest speakers. A seminar was also organized in Malta by MMSA-Malta. The discussions were very comprehensive conferring topics on discrimination, epidemiology and ethics, as well as an overview of the opportunities on advocacy and activism in the field. Many speakers were invited to this seminar including doctors, psychologists and pharmacologists. IFMSA-Quebec’s Colloqum this year was also about Discrimination against people living with HIV and it featured an individual living with HIV speaking his experience, as well as a medical student and an organization discussing the work done in the field. The NORA from SISM – Italy participated in a conference organized by one of their partners, CESVI, in which she briefed the audience about the activism SISM – SCORA is involved in and their collaborations. The attendance included medical students as well as high school students.
medical students worldwide
Picture 7. Red ribbon formed by the students in school in Poland
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World AIDS Day 2011 Report
Summary of the World AIDS Day Activities Local and National Activities To open a space in which people with different beliefs can share their opinions, IFMSA-Bolivia organized a forum in one of their local committees in which discussions on the social aspect of HIV were opened. This latter topic was also a major aspect of BoHeMSA – Bosnia and Herzegovina’s activities. A seminar on the “Impact of stigma, discrimination, and marginalization on HIV spread” was given by representatives of “XY Association” and “APOHA” to medical students in Sarajevo. During the same week, another discussion on “Improvement of life quality of people infected with HIV” was hosted at the Parliament House of BiH. BoHeMSA participated in the organization of both of these seminars. EMSA-Ethiopia also organized discussions about HIV/ AIDS. Those were done during a coffee ceremony in one of their campuses. The participants were all medical students. NMSS-Nepal organized a symposium in which speakers from different fields talked about the complications of HIV, the facilities available to HIV patients at the local
committee in which the seminar was held, and the postexposure prophylaxis for HIV. The discussion panel organized by BMSS – Bangladesh featured experts from different departments in medicine. Participants were students from all over Bangladesh. Different topics pertaining to HIV infection were discussed and a big part of the discussion was opened for questions and answers. In Bangladesh also, SCORA volunteers received a lecture by one of the WHO HIV consultants as part of their pre-WAD Workshop which aimed at preparing the members for the WAD events. Members of IFMSA – Poland participated in a “Youth’s Forum” conference in which lectures on HIV/AIDS were given to an audience that is mostly composed of high school and university students. Organizations participating in this conference also had the chance to represent themselves in an allocated space. Other NMOs, such as Medsin – UK, SISM – Italy, and IFMSA – El Salvador also held similar seminars.
Picture 8. Panel discussion organized by BMSS Bangladesh 12
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(SCORA) Standing Committee on Reproductive Health including HIV/AIDS
Summary of the World AIDS Day Activities Local and National Activities HIV Testing
Another aspect of awareness is the promotion of HIV testing. This was featured in many of the campaigns organized this year for World AIDS Day. In Estonia, EstMA - Estonia provided free HIV testing to the university students in the region of Tartu with the help of the town health department. This event also included education about HIV and sexual health. In IFMSA – Ecuador, over 200 anonymous HIV tests were realized in a busy shopping mall to those interested. This was in exchange to hearing a talk about HIV and protection. IFMSA – Brazil also promoted the use of the HIV Fast Test by directly talking to people in multiple places, including hospitals. In Lebanon a TV Commercial prepared by LeMSIC- Lebanon in 2010 with the message: “Test Yourself: Protect Yourself, Protect Others” aired again this year on national TV for 10 days starting December 1.
Picture 9. Free HIV testing in Tanzania medical students worldwide
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World AIDS Day 2011 Report
Summary of the World AIDS Day Activities Local and National Activities Rights Here, Right Now! Free Hugs
The Free Hugs campaign, which was initiated in 2004 has been adopted by IFMSA-SCORA for many years. The purpose of the Free Hugs is to first transmit the message that hugs do not transmit HIV, also, it is a way to fight discrimination. Many NMOs organized Free Hugs campaigns. This list included: CroMSIC-Croatia, IFMSA-Quebec, IFMSA-JO, LeMSICLebanon, FMS–Taiwan and ASCEMCOL–Colombia.
Red Shirts / Red Ribbons
Picture 10. The Human Is not the Virus campaign by students from Lebanon
To remind their communities about the existence of HIV, many NMOs chose to organize “Red T-shirt” days, to design their own t-shirts, to participate in human red ribbons, or to simply distribute red ribbons. APEMH - Peru organized “Red Days” in many local committees. They also used big banners for people to post red ribbons on. Moreover, they participated in the forming of human red ribbons in other local committees. Similarly, bvmd–Germany managed to create multiple human red ribbons all over Germany. IFMSA–Poland formed a red ribbon out of candles in the City Center of Byalistok. This was concomitant with the other activities taking place in the city at the time. LeMSIC-Lebanon members designed a red shirt with the message: “If you can point a finger, you can lend a hand”. They wore these shirts throughout the 3 weeks of their campaign. A t-shirt was also designed by BMSS-Bangladesh and was used throughout their campaign. EMSA–Ethiopia also managed to have participants in a football match which took place on December 3rd, at one of their local committees, to wear red t-shirts. IFMSA-Ecuador chose to promote the use of condoms by painting a canvas with red paint wearing gloves. Their motto was “If you use gloves to not get dirty, use a condom to not get infected”.
Candle Vigils, Memorials, and Advocacy
Picture 11. Informational leaflet on HIV discrimination made by students from Malta 14
To commemorate the people who died due to complications of AIDS, some NMOs organized Candle Vigils to mobilize people and to honor those who lost the battle. Not only did these Candle Vigils show solidarity and respect, but they also gave hope and promoted tolerance amongst the newer generations. This year, MMSA – Malta organized a candle vigil during which the participants stopped in front of the ministry of health where many politicians were present. The press was also present to cover the event. LiMSA – Lithuania gathered people and lit candles in the center of www.ifmsa.org
(SCORA) Standing Committee on Reproductive Health including HIV/AIDS
Summary of the World AIDS Day Activities Kudirkos Square, this was part of the Lights for Rights campaign in which they collaborated with the Red Cross. SloMSA–Slovakia also had candle vigils in all the cities in which they have local committees, again, they collaborated with the Red Cross in some aspects of the organization. CIMSA–ISMKI planned a march in one city in which all the participants were wearing red. Afterwards, red balloons were released to mark the joint efforts of fighting HIV. CroMSIC–Croatia created a pledge against the discrimination of people living with HIV/AIDS in the healthcare settings. The pledge was a vow that medical students, future doctors, will treat people living with HIV/AIDS without any form of stigmatization. This pledge was later adopted by IFMSA-SCORA and will be shared with all NMOs participating in IFMSA. AMSA–Austria, APEMH–Peru, IFMSA-Bolivia and MEDSAR–Rwanda were among the NMOs that also organized candle vigils and AIDS marches.
Picture 12. WAD March by students from Jordan medical students worldwide
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World AIDS Day 2011 Report
Summary of the World AIDS Day Activities Local and National Activities Arts and HIV/AIDS Parties, Concerts, and Drama
A common activity among many of the NMOs this year was organizing parties and concerts both at the local and national levels. Some of these activities were done for the purpose of education and distributing condoms, however, many NMOs used those activities to fundraise for their own funds or for local charities and organizations. Of those that aimed at fundraising, MMSA–Malta, in collaboration with the Malta Pharmaceutical Students’ Association, organized a red party whose proceeds went into the Xefaq (a subdivision of caritas that provides counseling to people subject to STIs). They also organized a concert that featured many of the hip bands from Malta. The purpose of the second concert was mostly raising awareness. While in Italy, many of the local committees of SISM– Italy organized parties and concerts and in total fundraised 10000 Euros for the NGO CEVSI that has been partners with SISM–SCORA for several years. CEVSI mostly works with developing countries to raise awareness on HIV. IFMSA-The Netherlands organized a party that aimed at both educating and distributing condoms; it was also a fundraiser for the “Stop AIDS Now” Fund. AMSA–Austria prepared a WAD party that made a profit of 3000 Euros to be donated to an AIDS orphanage in Ghana. The rest of the proceeds went to a local Picture 13. WAD performance by students AIDS campaign. In the city of Innsbruck, they also organized a red from Tunisia party. LeMSIC-Lebanon organized a nation-wide publicized concert which featured a famous Rock band. The concert was under the title: “HIV: The Human Is not the Virus” and $12500 were made as profit. The proceeds all went into LeMSIC’s HIV/AIDS Fund that covers for the CD4 Count Tests at 3 major medical centers in Lebanon. On the other hand, many of the organized parties and events were educational in nature. NMSS–Nepal members participated in a short play about HIV in front of the outpatient department of one of their hospitals. The purpose was to raise awareness and to portray the social aspect of living with HIV/AIDS. IFMSA-Poland and in partnership with MTV Staying Alive, organized a party at an ice skating arena. The event featured multiple educational stops in which IFMSAPoland gave out information on HIV/AIDS. Many other NMOs also organized similar events. HelMSIC–Greece, SloMSIC–Slovenia, bvmd– Germany, and IFMSA-Serbia all organized educational parties while Picture 14. Music gig organized by students HuMSIRC–Hungary, GYMU–Georgia and Medsin–UK planned concerts from Malta and music gigs.
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(SCORA) Standing Committee on Reproductive Health including HIV/AIDS
Summary of the World AIDS Day Activities Local and National Activities Posters, Exhibitions, and Photo-Competitions Besides the general IFMSA Poster, many NMOs produced their own posters and presentations aiming to present information about HIV/ AIDS or to portray the social aspect of living with the infection. Sexpression-Glasgow, a local committee within Medsin–UK made naked calendars which were sold as a fundraiser for the National AIDS Fund. CIMSA-ISMKI-Indonesia also organized a photo competition as well as essay writing competitions to raise awareness on HIV, this was part of the “AIDS BUZZ” competition. In addition, a SCORA photo competition was initiated between the local committees of CIMSAISMKI. Photos and quotes on HIV were submitted to “Facebook” and the ones with most “Likes” won. In Bangladesh, BMSS planned a scientific poster competition. Participants were from all medical colleges in Bangladesh and the theme of the competition was “Get To Zero”. Also, in IFMSA-Poland, a one week long photo exhibition was also held in one of the local committees.
Picture 15. WAD poster contest in Bangladesh
AIDS Outdoors Carnivals, parades, and other outdoor activities were also a major highlight in this year’s WAD activities. Although these activities required more time and effort to prepare, their outcome was always worth it as they reached to a big number of people and they were also fun. In Colombia, ASCEMCOL organized a very interesting event to fight discrimination. In many local universities and malls, stands were set on which passers-by were given “vaccines” and “shots” that will make them immune to stigmatization. Syringes without needles as well as orange juice were used to mimic a real vaccine. Those who participated received a certificate that said: “I am committed to respect every person for who they are and to inform myself about STI and HIV/AIDS, so that I can decrease the discrimination towards PLWHA”. In other local committees, members of ASCEMCOL also rode in “Chivas” and went to clubs and bars, giving out condoms and information about HIV/ AIDS. Also in ASCEMCOL, a “Get To Zero” Marathon, ZEROTON, was organized. The purpose was to test people’s knowledge about HIV and to inform them about correct facts. The participants had to reach the target “Get To Zero” first. However, to get to the finish line, they had to make several stops where they were asked questions at each stand about HIV and sexual health. The event was a major success and the winners received multiple donated gifts. medical students worldwide
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World AIDS Day 2011 Report
Summary of the World AIDS Day Activities Local and National Activities AIDS Outdoors IFMSA–Poland prepared a race called “The City Game”. Groups of youngsters received maps of the city of “Bialystok”
on which multiple check-points were marked. On each of those check-points, activities related to sexual health, such as putting condoms on cucumbers or answering questions were prepared. Of course, there were multiple gifts awaiting the winners. In Jordan, IFMSA–JO participated in the “Carnival of Compassion” which was organized by the “Friends of Global Fund”. IFMSA-JO took care of preparing the “medical” aspect of the carnival. Their services included giving out information about HIV/AIDS and other health conditions. They also offered screening tests for many conditions such as diabetes and hypertension. “Route 153 → 0” was the name of the main event that LiMSA–Lithuania organized for World AIDS Day. 153 is the number of new HIV infections reported in Lithuania in 2010. Of course, like in other NMO’s the target was getting to zero. Supported by “Association of HIV/AIDS suffering women and their relatives”, LiMSA rented a bus and decorated it with lots of red balloons, posters and red ribbons. Most importantly, “153 → 0” was painted on the bus symbolizing the path to zero. The bus made several stops in streets and bars frequented by the young people and picked up passengers, those received condoms, information, and red ribbons for their participation. In one of the local committees in Bangladesh, BMSS organized a rally to raise awareness on HIV/AIDS. A charity bazaar was also organized in Taiwan by FMS–Taiwan where bracelets and other homemade items were sold to fundraise for a local non-profit organization.
Picture 16. WAD rally in Bangladesh 18
www.ifmsa.org
(SCORA) Standing Committee on Reproductive Health including HIV/AIDS
Summary of the World AIDS Day Activities Local and National Activities Flash Mobs:
What’s a better way to attract people’s attention to HIV than having a nice group of people dancing and chanting? Well, this is probably why many NMOs chose to plan Flash Mobs in their cities and universities. CroMSIC–Croatia, FMS–Taiwan, IFMSA–JO (Jordan) and HuMSIRC– Hungary were some of these NMOs.
Social Media and the Press We are in a time when media outlets, particularly social media, play a major role in not only publicizing events and messages, but also in advocacy. The NMOs within IFMSA understood the importance of this and so, many activities were publicized or even executed through these media outlets. IFMSA-El Salvador shared an awareness video on Facebook spreading awareness on sexual health. While ASCEMCOL–Colombia created a campaign on Facebook called “Expectation Facebook Campaign Day” in which the LORAs and NORA sent a message to all their Facebook friends. The message consisted of phrases that each person was supposed to update as their status based on their date of birth. An example of the phrases used was, “‘Sandra, who is 24 years old, is going to give birth an HIV+ Child. Are you sure about your future children’s health?” The purpose was to attract attention to both the social and medical aspects of HIV. Many NMOs had the chance to participate in radio shows. IMCC Denmark representatives talked through a famous radio show about “Sexekspression”, their sexual education program. BoHeMSA–Bosnia and Herzegovina also participated in multiple radio shows in their local committees. LeMSIC-Lebanon produced a TV Commercial focusing on HIV testing and appeared on multiple national TV and radio programs to promote their activities and to raise awareness on sexual health and condom usage.
Campaign Titles and Messages
Although all the NMOs within the IFMSA adopted the theme of “Get To Zero”, many NMO’s also had some slogans and messages that they sought to deliver through their campaigns. The following is only a short list of these messages. medical students worldwide
Picture 17. Flash mob by students from Taiwan IFMSA–The Netherlands: Altijd In De Stemming
This translates to “Always In The Mood”. The purpose was to spread positive messages about HIV to break the stigma surrounding it. LeMSIC – Lebanon: The Human Is not the Virus
“If you can point a finger, you can lend a hand”. The purpose was also to change the message associated with HIV and to spread an antidiscrimination message for those living with the virus. SloMSIC-Slovenia:
“Send a message, use a condom”. This was in parallel with their activities involving writing messages on balloons about HIV. IFMSA-Ecuador:
”Si usas guantes para no ensuciarte, usa condón para no infectarte” This translates to: “If you use gloves to not get dirty, use a condom to not get infected”. This was in parallel with their activities involving painting a canvas with red paint and gloves. 19
World AIDS Day 2011 Report
Conclusions and Recommendations The activities throughout the World AIDS Day campaign this year were very varied and reached thousands of people worldwide. There is no doubt that the NORAs and the local committees were all very professional and capable of handling such activities with great impact. Also, there seemed to be a great unity in the theme of the activities this year, with “Get To Zero” being the common denominator in the campaigns throughout IFMSA. Moreover, more countries began to adopt the issue of “Discrimination” into their activities thus proving to be in accord with the new fronts of the fight against HIV. Many NMOs also benefited from learning the number of new HIV infections in their countries and thus tailored their projects according to such epidemiological data. Other countries, particularly those in which HIV is still not a big problem, opted to work on fundraising activities from which countries in other regions benefited. This is nothing but a reflection of the importance of organizations such as the IFMSA in bringing people from different parts of the world together. Moreover, a lot of NMOs worked with local NGOs that are working in the field of HIV and reproductive health and contributed the medical aspect of some of the activities in certain campaigns. Of note also, was the fact that many of the NMOs in which SCORA only recently started had many activities for World AIDS Day, something that makes the SCORA International Team very proud. The most common obstacles faced by the NMOs were the funding of their activities and their busy schedule as medical students. However, none of the participating NMOs reported canceling their activities because of these obstacles. Also, very few NMOs had websites or pages that documented their projects for externals to access. We are very proud that, this year, the activities on the international level provided a sense of unity for all SCORA members worldwide. Through the IFMSA World AIDS Day “Get To Zero” video and poster campaign, in total, 35 NMOs participated by sending their videos and photos which made a huge impact on the WAD campaign in IFMSA. We created “IFMSA World AIDS Day Resource Package” which was sent to all NMOs over the NMO server. Posters were translated into 6 languages and made available in all formats. We encourage SCORA members and future International Teams to keep building the IFMSA World AIDS Day “warehouse” with new posters, videos and materials each year! Guidance from the SCORA International Team was very visible from the very start as they made sure to promote the WAD theme, ideas for the campaign, WAD Manual, materials and resources which gave the members enough time to plan and organize their activities and events on local and national level. It is highly recommended for International Teams to start with the WAD promotion in late September/early October.
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www.ifmsa.org
(SCORA) Standing Committee on Reproductive Health including HIV/AIDS
Conclusions and Recommendations We hope for more collaboration with external partners in the coming years. On the national and local levels, many NMOs managed to partner and to receive support from local organizations and governments. However, this was not the case at the international level. Although the IFMSA contacted several collaborators prior to the World AIDS Day campaign for materials and resources; and even though we sent out our IFMSA World AIDS Day Package (WAD Video, posters, and WAD Statement) for promotion, we only got timely collaboration from the UNESCO and FIGO. We do believe that the IFMSA did their best in this respect, and will continue to do so in future years. However, since the IFMSA is the largest student-run organization with projects impacting society both in the healthcare field and outside of it, we are sincerely hoping for more collaboration in the coming years to further leave our marks. As for the national levels, a more “needs-based” approach in implementing WAD activities is suggested. As such, each NMO will be advised to collect as much information about the epidemiology and the status of HIV in their own countries and to work together with their governments and public health specialists to direct their activities based on the real needs of their communities. In SCORA sessions, this issue has been addressed in the past 2 General Assembly meetings when a representative from UNAIDS guided participants through the “AIDS INFO” tool in the August Meeting of 2011 and a training on needs-based approach in SCORA projects was given in the March Meeting of 2012. We recommend that more of these sessions be given and to stress on NMOs to implement those tools. Also, to continue the involvement of newer NMOs, we suggest that the Regional Assistants of SCORA continue to guide these new NMOs in the future and to begin working with them at earlier stages of their activities. Furthermore, to publicize SCORA’s activities even more, both at the local and the international level, we suggest that NORAs create activity pages using social media as well as other forms of documentation of their projects to be used for publicity and funding opportunities. Last but not least, it continuously proves beneficial to have a general theme for NMOs to work under. Of course, this does not negate their ability to have their own themes and slogans, however, it helps the NMOs to work in unity. As such, we will continue to unify the SCORA World AIDS Day themes every year. In the hopes that we will soon “Get to Zero”….
medical students worldwide
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Algeria (Le Souk) Argentina (IFMSA-Argentina) Armenia (AMSP) Australia (AMSA) Austria (AMSA) Azerbaijan (AzerMDS) Bahrain (IFMSA-BH) Bangladesh (BMSS) Belgium (BeMSA) Bolivia (IFMSA Bolivia) Bosnia and Herzegovina (BoHeMSA) Bosnia and Herzegovina - Rep. of Srpska (SaMSIC) Brazil (DENEM) Brazil (IFMSA Brazil) Bulgaria (AMSB) Burkina Faso (AEM) Burundi (ABEM) Canada (CFMS) Canada-Quebec (IFMSA-Quebec) Catalonia - Spain (AECS) Chile (IFMSA-Chile) China (IFMSA-China) Colombia (ASCEMCOL) Costa Rica (ACEM) Croatia (CroMSIC) Czech Republic (IFMSA CZ) Denmark (IMCC) Ecuador (IFMSA-Ecuador) Egypt (EMSA) Egypt (IFMSA-Egypt) El Salvador (IFMSA El Salvador) Estonia (EstMSA) Ethiopia (EMSA) Finland (FiMSIC) France (ANEMF) Georgia (GYMU) Germany (BVMD) Ghana (FGMSA) Greece (HelMSIC) Grenada (IFMSA-Grenada) Haiti (AHEM) Hong Kong (AMSAHK) Hungary (HuMSIRC) Iceland (IMSIC) India (MSAI) Indonesia (CIMSA-ISMKI) Iran (IFMSA-Iran) Israel (FIMS) Italy (SISM) Jamaica (JAMSA) Japan (IFMSA-Japan) Jordan (IFMSA-Jo) Kenya (MSAKE) Korea (KMSA)
Kurdistan - Iraq (IFMSA-Kurdistan/Iraq) Kuwait (KuMSA) Kyrgyzstan (MSPA Kyrgyzstan) Latvia (LaMSA Latvia) Lebanon (LeMSIC) Libya (LMSA) Lithuania (LiMSA) Luxembourg (ALEM) Malaysia (SMAMMS) Mali (APS) Malta (MMSA) Mexico (IFMSA-Mexico) Mongolia (MMLA) Montenegro (MoMSIC Montenegro) Mozambique (IFMSA-Mozambique) Nepal (NMSS) New Zealand (NZMSA) Nigeria (NiMSA) Norway (NMSA) Oman (SQU-MSG) Pakistan (IFMSA-Pakistan) Palestine (IFMSA-Palestine) Panama (IFMSA-Panama) Paraguay (IFMSA-Paraguay) Peru (APEMH) Peru (IFMSA Peru) Philippines (AMSA-Philippines) Poland (IFMSA-Poland) Portugal (PorMSIC) Romania (FASMR) Russian Federation (HCCM) Rwanda (MEDSAR) Saudi Arabia (IFMSA-Saudi Arabia) Serbia (IFMSA-Serbia) Slovakia (SloMSA) Slovenia (SloMSIC) South Africa (SAMSA) Spain (IFMSA-Spain) Sudan (MedSIN-Sudan) Sweden (IFMSA-Sweden) Switzerland (SwiMSA) Taiwan (IFMSA-Taiwan) Tanzania (TAMSAz) Tatarstan-Russia (TaMSA-Tatarstan) Thailand (IFMSA-Thailand) The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (MMSA-Macedonia) The Netherlands (IFMSA-The Netherlands) Tunisia (ASSOCIA-MED) Turkey (TurkMSIC) Uganda (FUMSA) United Arab Emirates (EMSS) United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (Medsin-UK) United States of America (AMSA-USA) Venezuela (FEVESOCEM)
www.ifmsa.org medical students worldwide