Scora wad report by Ming Yong

CONTENTS A Statement from the SCORA Director

World AIDS Day in Asia World AIDS Day in the Eastern Mediterranean Region World AIDS Day in Europe World AIDS Day in the Pan American Region Photos from Around the World

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Official SCORA World AIDS Day Statement

Abbreviations

A STATEMENT FROM THE SCORA DIRECTOR

On December 1st, 2013, the Standing Committee on Reproductive health including HIV/AIDS (SCORA) held a successful World AIDS Day Campaign, witt the theme of “Get to Zero”, in line with the UNAIDS Theme running from 2011 until 2015. The Get to Zero campaign has three main goals: Zero New Cases of HIV, Zero HIV Related Deaths, and Zero Discrimination against People Living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA). This campaign furthermore was aimed at achieving Millennium Development Goal #6, part of which is aimed at combating HIV as well as other infectious diseases. Each year, we in SCORA strive to see the amazing work that our SCORAngels do throughout World AIDS Day, and ask for National Member Organizations to submit reports on their activities during this day. It is the summary of these reports that can be found below, categorized according to their region. This year, we received a total of 27 reports from 4 out of the 5 regions in IFMSA, and it’s our hope that these numbers keep increasing next year. Also within SCORA International, we issued the SCORA Official World AIDS Day Statement which was sent throughout all of the servers and networks of IFMSA, explaining the main goals of this years campaign in light of the most recent developments in the fight against HIV/AIDS. A copy of that statement can also be found below within this report. And finally, we decided to have a little fun this year by creating a competition within SCORA as to who could create the Best World AIDS Day Campaigns. So below you will find the winners for the Best Get to Zero Video, Best World AIDS Day Poster, Best Get to Zero Picture, and Best World AIDS Day Project!! I’d just like to say though that this report only a small glimpse into amazing hard work and dedication that SCORA members put into their World AIDS Day Campaigns across the globe. Every SCORA member took time out of their already hectic lives to spread awareness about HIV/AIDS, to give peer education sessions, to distribute red ribbons and condoms and much much more, all in the hopes of making a difference in the fight against HIV/AIDS. So cheers to you SCORAngels! A special thanks goes out to the amazing SCORA International Team and Publications Team for helping to collect and summarize the data listed here. And with that, it gives me great honor to present this year’s official SCORA World AIDS Day Report for the year 2013. Sincerely, Joe Cherabie SCORA Director 2013-2014

ASIA PACIFIC Within the Asia Pacific Region this year, we had two NMOs submit their World AIDS Day Reports: IFMSAâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;Japan and CIMSA Indonesia. IFMSA-Japan this year decided to make a lovely World AIDS Day Peer Education video, which explained basic information about HIV, how it is transmitted, and what are the ways in which we can prevent transmission. The video also spread messages on how we should work to decrease discrimination against people living with HIV/AIDS, through the words of the enthusiastic IFMSA-Japan SCORA members. It is for this reason that IFMSA-Japan has been chosen as the Best Get to Zero Video. The link to this awesome video can be found here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tCZQp2NXcyA CIMSA Indonesia also held an amazing World AIDS Day Campaign involving street campaigns, radio broadcasts, speaking on talk shows and holding training seminars, as well as a poster competition. Overall they had more than 200 participants in this years campaign made a big impact on their community.

EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN REGION We received World AIDS Day Reports from five of the NMOs within the Eastern Mediterranean Region this year: IFMSA-Kurdistan, Associa-Med Tunisia, IFMSA- Egypt, IFMSA- Iran, and LeMSIC Lebanon. IFMSA-Kurdistan this year held street campaigns involving students wearing Red forming a giant Red Ribbon within their university campus. They also held informational seminars within their local high schools about HIV/AIDS to raise awareness Associa-Med Tunisia on the other hand focused their campaign on three main areas. Firstly, they gave peer education sessions on HIV/AIDS and safe sex practices in schools across Tunisia. Their second activity involved a street campaign, promoting awareness on HIV/AIDS. During this street campaign, members handed out questionnaires assessing general knowledge amongst the public on HIV/AIDS, the results of which were published and reported on national TV, radio, and magazines. Also, students held a concert with all participants receiving an envelope containing a condom, red ribbon, and HIV informational pamphlet.

IFMSA-Egypt held a very interesting campaign titled “A Message to the Unknown”, aimed at fighting stigma and discrimination against PLWHA. The project had members of the general public send anonymous letters to PLWHA in Egypt saying that they are not alone and that support is out there. This “A Message to the Unknown” has been chosen as the Best World AIDS Day 2014 Project. Also within Cairo University, members created a giant maze with stories about people living with HIV/AIDS, and in Alexandria University, an awareness campaign was held to try and dispel myths about HIV/AIDS. LeMSIC Lebanon had a multi-faceted World AIDS Day Campaign, involving condom distributions in the pubbing districts of Beirut, distributing informative pamphlets and flyers throughout universities and public areas in Beirut, giving out free hugs, and holding a fundraising concert with all proceeds going towards the LeMSIC CD4 Count Initiative. The main purpose of this initiative is to raise money for PLWHA to pay for their CD4 count tests, the costs of which are not covered by insurance companies in Lebanon with this year’s campaign raising over $10,000 for this fund. LeMSIC Lebanon’s poster “Don’t Test Your Luck, Test Yourself” won the Best World AIDS Day Poster. IFMSA-Iran managed to get over 400 members to hold conferences and seminars within 6 of their Local Committees. They also distributed pamphlets to end Stigma and Discrimination against PLWHA, gave out information on how to get tested for HIV, wrote articles in various newspapers within the country, and held a full media campaign which including radio shows, social networks, and TV coverage. They also managed to garner the involvement of various sports and movie celebrities in their activities.

EUROPE Europe was certainly our most active region within SCORA during this years World AIDS Day campaign, with a total of 16 NMOs submitting reports. HelMSIC Greece held a campaign consisting of Peer Education Trainings on HIV/AIDS as well as a street campaign in which there was distribution of condoms and HIV Awareness pamphlets. Members also screened a movie called “Ruins” about HIV Criminalization in Greece. IFMSA-CZ held Street Campaigns with condom distributions in 5 cities across Czech Republic with MSF (Medicines Sans Frontieres). Also, they held a Streetcar Named Desire campaign, in which they rented a street car, decorated it for World AIDS Day, and drove it around for 5 hours, picking up passengers and giving them information about safe sex, STIs, proper condom use with live dildo demonstrations, as well as handing out pins, pamphlets, and condoms. They also created a live Red Ribbon, held a Medicafe session, which consisted of discussions with a person living with HIV/AIDS in a local café, and threw parties across Czech Republic for World AIDS Day. IFMSA-Poland held activities in their various Local Committees as well. One activity involved creating an awareness campaign in an Ice Skating Rink in Bialystok. Members told stories and gave out coloring books to children, as well as gave information to adolescents and adults about how to stay healthy and protect themselves from HIV. In Warsaw, 6

members held a campaign called “Hello, my name is AIDS” in which Infectious Disease specialists gave workshops on HIV/AIDS transmission in both children and adults. And in Poznac, members set up a photo exhibition of famous places in Poznac with a giant red ribbon, to remind people that World AIDS Day was coming up, and next to each picture, they hung facts and statistics about HIV Swimsa Switzerland members also held an awareness campaign focused on Getting to Zero. They held a fun competition involving guessing the number condoms in a jar, with each participant having to donate a small amount of money to participate and the winner getting to take home the jar of condoms. And finally, the movie “Fire in the Blood” was screened in all Local Committees across Switzerland with a table discussion about the movie being held afterwards. BVMD Germany on the other hand designed postcards about HIV tolerance and distributed condoms as well as red ribbons on “Information Desks” set up in university campuses and public areas across Germany. On these desks, people were given facts and statistics about HIV/ AIDS in Germany and also were given the opportunity to donate money to the German AIDS Foundation. Members of SloMSA Slovakia gave out surveys on HIV/ AIDS knowledge in Slovakia as well as handed out condoms and informational pamphlets about HIV. They also organized a candlelight vigil in which members marched around the city to commemorate all those who have lost their lives to HIV. In SloMSIC Slovenia, members hung a huge red ribbon atop of Ljubljana Castle and gave out red ribbons on streets and buses throughout the city. They also held HIV discussions spaces in coffee houses all over Ljubljana and administered free HIV tests. In SISM Italy members organized HIV/AIDS Conferences in four of their Local Committees, and Stop AIDS Parties in 13 Local Committees. 10 Local Committees organized stands to distribute condoms and informational leaflets and most stands collected donations for HIV Associations in Italy. CroMSIC Croatia members organized a Positive Concert in Zagreb in cooperation with HUHIV, the Croatian organization for people living with HIV/AIDS and viral hepatitis. Multiple musicians participated and members of CroMSIC were present to give out information during the concert on the need for HIV testing and safe sex practices. They also created interactive workshops about STIs based on Y-PEER Methodologies as well as hosted Stop AIDS Parties all over the country. 7

Meanwhile in TurkMSIC Turkey, 41 Local Committees gave out condoms and hosted seminars, HIV movie nights, and HIV Awareness Parties. PorMSIC Portugal members participated in the Scientific Congress on Reproductive Health in Porto, with one of the sessions being focused exclusively on HIV/AIDS. AMSB Bulgaria similarly held informative campaigns in Medical Universities across the country and held Anti-AIDS themed parties. LiMSA Lithuania members on the other hand held free HIV testing in two universities and held lectures on HIV policy and the role medical workers can play in the fight against HIV/AIDS. They also held peer education sessions at youth centers and created “Brain Battle” quizzes to test participants’ knowledge about HIV/AIDS. Also red ribbons were hung in Town Halls in Kaunas and Klaipeda.

MMSA Macedonia members held a flashmob in the capital city of Skopje. They also held awareness stands within their University Campus and presented scientific research about stigma against HIV infected patients within their University Congress. FASMR Romania SCORA Members created a street campaign with other NGOs which deal with HIV/AIDS in Romania and created both a human and balloon red ribbon. They also held parties to raise awareness against STIs. And finally, members of IFMSA – The Netherlands held an activity entitled “Intimacy with HIV People” in which a SCORA member dressed as a giant teddy bear and walked around the city center with a sign saying “Would you hug me if I were HIV positive?” Also red bike seat covers with the words “Would you sit on me if I was HIV positive?” were placed over bike seats all across 7 Local Committees.

PAN AMERICAN REGION

Within the PAMSA Region, four NMOs handed in World AIDS Day Reports: IFMSA-Mexico, IFMSA-Bolivia, IFMSA-Brazil and IFMSA-Dominican Republic (ODEM). In IFMSA-Mexico, members held flashmobs, distributed condoms, gave out free HIV tests, held a candlelight memorial, organized conferences and workshops in high schools, and contacted their government to sign an agreement with the AIDS Health Care Foundation. IFMSA-Bolivia members focused their activities on working directly with PLWHA and their families. One of their major activities was an AIDS March that went through the city of Cochabamba with participants hanging up posters throughout the city about HIV/AIDS as they marched. They also organized games and activities for PLWHA and distributed informational pamphlets throughout the city. IFMSA-Brazil SCORA members, created an HIV Awareness campaign involving dividing members into various teams: one which would measure the blood pressure of people passing by, another speaking to people about their opinions about HIV/AIDS and asking their general knowledge about the disease, and a final group distributing condoms, red ribbons, and balloons throughout the streets. The UFRN committee on the other hand decided to hold an intervention campaign on the Ponta Beach, handing out kits with condoms and pamphlets on proper condom use to the general public present. Meanwhile in IFMSA- Dominican Republic (ODEM), members of the ODEM UNPHU SCORA held a medical seminar in collaboration with their dean to give information about HIV/AIDS. In ODEM UNIBE, the Local Committee set up a stand and distributed HIV awareness information. And finally in ODEMUCE members collaborated with SCOPH, SCORP and COME Local Committees to organize a donation campaign to collect clothes, shoes, personal items and school supplies for the Furenihsi foundation, and gave out informational pamphlets about HIV as well as created a human ribbon. 10

PICTURES FROM AROUND THE WORLD

OFFICIAL SCORA WORLD AIDS DAY STATEMENT Today is December 1st, 2013 and today as many of you know is World AIDS Day! This year’s World AIDS Day finds many reasons for us to celebrate. New HIV infections have decreased 33% since 2001 with a 52% decrease amongst children and a decrease in 50% or more new cases amongst adults and adolescents in 26 countries around the world. Furthermore, we are getting closer and closer to ensuring that 15 million people living with HIV/AIDS attain their necessary treatments by 2015. And most importantly, AIDS related deaths have dropped 30% since their peak in 2005. And while this is all great news, there is still much work to be done! In many regions in the world, there is still barely any data about the amount of HIV positive individuals or transmission. In some cases, the data is so skewed that it doesn’t even make sense! Many people aren’t getting tested because they often think, “Oh that could never happen to me!” or “That only happens to people who sleep around or the gays.” We’ve moved far from the days in which HIV was known as Gay Related Immunodeficiency Disease (or GRID); however, HIV related discrimination is still very prominent. People can still lose their jobs for being HIV positive and in some cases aren’t allowed to enter a country at all due to the HIV status. People living with HIV/AIDS are still being referred to as the “HIV positive patient” in our hospitals, regardless of their chief complaint. They are still harassed to find out how they got the virus and too often it is said that they “deserve it” for their behavior. Regardless of who, what, how, why, and when, a person living with HIV/AIDS is still a person who deserves the rights and respect that should be given to every person on this earth. For at the end of the day, all that separates him or her from the rest of society is a virus that happens to be transmitted via blood or sexual contact. I often find myself asking, why is this virus so different from the rest of those viruses and bacteria that are transmitted in similar ways? Is it because there is no cure yet? Is it because of the people it affected most first? Either way, the facts are there, that in this day in age, it is a tolerable disease, which if treated properly, can lead to a long and healthy life. And the only cure we really have is prevention. And that is where we come in. On this day SCORAngels, I want you to wear your red ribbon proudly and I want you to walk through the streets, spreading this message: that HIV is here, it’s everywhere, and everyone should do their part to help out, not through stigmatizing and discriminating, but through showing care and compassion. Ignorance only causes harm but knowledge is power, and knowledge leads to a more tolerant and accepting society. Throughout my 4 years in SCORA, I have and the opportunity to participate in 4 World AIDS Day events in my NMO in Lebanon. And each year it is remarkable how drastic the shift in public opinion is. Each year, we see less and less derogatory statements and each year the number of people who actively listen and thank us for what we are doing increases. The evidence is there people, we are making a difference, and even if you manage to change only one person’s opinion, that’s one more person on our side. So SCORAngels, keep doing everything that you’re doing. Keep pushing hard to make changes in your communities. Keep fundraising for people living with HIV/AIDS. Keep handing out condoms on busy streets and in your colleges. Keep giving out free hugs and giving talks about safe sex practices. Keep posting pictures of you forming giant red ribbons and flashmobs. Keep telling people to test themselves as well as their sexual partners. Keep making a change and let’s make sure we “Get to Zero” sooner rather than later. And like I said, make sure to wear your red ribbons proudly and start the conversation, because if we don’t, no one else will.

ABBREVIATIONS AIDS GA HAART HIV IFMSA LORA NGO NMO NNRTI NORA NRTI PI PLWHA SCORA SCORA D SCORA LO SCORA RA STI STD VCC WAD WAC YFC YFS

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome General Assembly Highly Active Anti-Retroviral Therapy Human Immunodeficiency Virus International Federation of Medical Studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Associations Local Officer on Reproductive Health including AIDS Non-governmental Organization National Member Organization Nonnucleoside Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors National Officer on Reproductive Health including AIDS Nucleoside Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors Protease Inhibitors People Living with HIV/AIDS Standing Committee on Reproductive Health incl. AIDS Director on Reproductive Health including AIDS Liaison Officer to SCORA SCORA Regional Assistant Sexually Transmitted Infection Sexually Transmitted Disease Voluntary Counseling & Testing Center World AIDS Day World AIDS Campaign Youth Friendly Center Youth Friendly Services

The SCORA World AIDS Day 2014 Report Content by: Joe Cherabie, SCORA Director 2013 - 2014 Layout Editor: Ming Yong (ming.yong@amsa.org.au), SCORA International Publications Team 2013 - 2014 Last updated: 12th March 2014 For further information, contact Joe Cherabie (scorad@ifmsa.org), SCORA Director 2013-2014.

Albania (OMA) 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) Dominican Republic (ODEM) 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) Guatemala (ASOCEM) Haiti (AHEM) Hong Kong (AMSAHK) Hungary (HuMSIRC) Iceland (IMSIC) India (MSAI) Indonesia (CIMSA-ISMKI) Iran (IFMSA-Iran) Iraq (IFMSA-Iraq) Israel (FIMS) Italy (SISM) Jamaica (JAMSA) Japan (IFMSA-Japan) Jordan (IFMSA-Jo) Kenya (MSAKE) Korea (KMSA)

Kurdistan - Iraq (IFMSA-Iraq/Kurdistan) Kuwait (KuMSA) Kyrgyzstan (MSPA Kyrgyzstan) Latvia (LaMSA Latvia) Lebanon (LeMSIC) Libya (LMSA) Lithuania (LiMSA) Luxembourg (ALEM) Malaysia (SMMAMS) Mali (APS) Malta (MMSA) Mexico (IFMSA-Mexico) Montenegro (MoMSIC Montenegro) Morocco (IFMSA-Morocco) Mozambique (IFMSA-Mozambique) Namibia (MESANA) 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) Sierra Leone (SLEMSA) Slovakia (SloMSA) Slovenia (SloMSIC) South Africa (SAMSA) Spain (IFMSA-Spain) Sri Lanka (SLMSA) St-Kitts and Nevis (IFMSA-SKN) 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) Zambia (ZAMSA)