Alliance Against Aids
Alliance Against Aids (AAA) is a group of professionals of homosexual orientation who have decided to come out into the public arena to develop incidence actions and support for sectors affected by hiv/aids in Belize. The Director, an ex local television news anchor, has a ten year experience on the subject and public recognition. The group that makes up AAA is integrated by professionals working in Belize's key institutions (NGOs, Universities, Medical Institutions, etc.) and of recognized professional quality. The support actions for the affected population they have carried out up to date include the distribution of condones in public places, participation in radio and television media to create social consciousness on the subject of Aids, participation in international seminars and in national networks that approach the subject. In Belize, the rate of the population living with hiv/aids is the highest in the Central American region. This rate was 1.87% in 1997 and 2.01% in 2002, higher than the general rate for Latin America (0.52%) and is in constant growth. In fact, it occupies the fourth place in the sub continent. To face this lash, state policies have not been sufficient and have had little coverage.
Practically there is no existing attention programs pointed toward PLWHVI/Aids, nor preventive actions for high-risk populations. This year, the Government designated ,000,000 for the Ministry of Health for the National Aids Program, but in general, has had little impact and its actions have been limited to support an Aids Clinic, managed by a single person, without any medical preparation, from which patients are referred to other Centres for regular attention. In addition to the official task of looking after the Aids patient, there is a given action, noticeable for its negative consequences for the patients. In Belize, small country where everyone knows each other, there is no 'confidentiality' and the Aids stigma chases and isolates those who dare demand public health services. AAA estimates that Aids patients die mostly due to the absolute abandonment to which they are submitted and to the social stigma of the illness. AAA is an interesting counterpart for Hivos' policies because it provides services to a discriminated and isolated sector, taking over educational actions and political incidence.
Practically there is no existing attention programs pointed toward PLWHVI/Aids, nor preventive actions for high-risk populations. This year, the Government designated ,000,000 for the Ministry of Health for the National Aids Program, but in general, has had little impact and its actions have been limited to support an Aids Clinic, managed by a single person, without any medical preparation, from which patients are referred to other Centres for regular attention. In addition to the official task of looking after the Aids patient, there is a given action, noticeable for its negative consequences for the patients. In Belize, small country where everyone knows each other, there is no 'confidentiality' and the Aids stigma chases and isolates those who dare demand public health services. AAA estimates that Aids patients die mostly due to the absolute abandonment to which they are submitted and to the social stigma of the illness. AAA is an interesting counterpart for Hivos' policies because it provides services to a discriminated and isolated sector, taking over educational actions and political incidence.
Type of organisation |
Intermediary development organisation |
Sector |
Hiv/aids |
Country |
Belize |
Founded |
1997 |
Hivos partner since |
1998 |
Forcing Change for all People Living with HIV & Aids
| DAC-sectors: | Health care, other (not BSS) Reproductive and sexual health (BSS) Human rights |
|---|---|
| Location: | Belize |
| Beneficiary: | people living with HIV/AIDS |
| activity | Strengthen services to individuals |
| Direct outreach | 1050 - Beneficiaries: poor and/or marginalised women and men |
| Indirect outreach | 15000 - Intermediary level |
| activity | Advocacy/awareness |
| Direct outreach | 200 - Policy level/ institutional |
| Indirect outreach | 5000 - Policy level/ public opinion |
| activity | Institutional Strenghtening |
| Direct outreach | 20 - Intermediary level |
| Indirect outreach | 100 - Intermediary level |
| Contract total: | 135.000 |
| Contractperiod: | 01-01-2006 until 01-07-2009 |
| Description: | |
|---|---|
| Belize has an overall estimated Hiv prevalence rate of 2% among the general population. This places Belize as having the highest per capita prevalence rate in Central America and the fifth highest in the Caribbean. At the end of 2005, the Ministry of Health reported a total of 2,928 Hiv cases, 732 Aids cases and a total of 3,119 persons living with hiv/aids. Of these, 457 Hiv cases and 63 Aids cases were reported in 2004. The Ministry also reported a cumulative total of 558 deaths attributed to Aids. This new project has three main components: Services for persons, families, communities and vulnerable women and youth groups, men who have sex with men (MSM) and Commercial Sexual Workers infected and affected by hiv/aids; An advocacy component for the establishment of political and anti stigma and discrimination laws; Institutional strengthening of the AAA. The proposal has an extension from January 1st 2006 to December 30th 2008. |
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