>>>>>> Greater Involvement of People Living with HIV/AIDS
What is GIPA?
Overview from Paris AIDS Summit
The acronym “GIPA” was first orated during the preparatory meetings for the Paris AIDS Summit, held in December 1994. GIPA stands for the Greater Involvement of People Living with HIV/AIDS coming directly from the text of the Declaration . The text suggests an initiative to strengthen the capacity of people living with HIV/AIDS (PLHA), networks of PLHA and community based organisations to participate fully at all - national, regional and global - levels, in particular stimulating the creation of supportive political, legal and social environments.
Over five years have passed since the Paris AIDS Summit and yet the concept of GIPA still needs defining. Why is this? In part, because effective GIPA will mean something different in every country and cultural context. Also - sadly - in large part because there is still a broad reluctance to expand the pool of decision makers - thus leaving the GIPA initiative a brilliant concept on paper, but with much work to be done to make it a reality. With this in mind, UNAIDS has undertaken not only the implementation of GIPA within its own work including in the staffing and governance of UNAIDS, but also the commitment to realise GIPA at all possible levels of work in HIV/AIDS. And, perhaps most importantly, the determination to encourage meaningful GIPA initiatives amongst all of its collaborators be they governments, private sector, bilaterals or community partners.
The GIPA movement in Uganda
People living with HIV and AIDS (PHAs) and those directly affected have been at the forefront in the fight against the epidemic for decades. In fact the GIPA principle was being implemented in Uganda long before the term was invented by UNAIDS. PHAs have put a human face to the epidemic through their courage to speak out and inspire populations for both prevention and care initiatives for the infected and affected. Their invaluable input has been the pillar in fighting stigma and discrimination in societies
Their involvement led to the formation of civil society organizations and PHA networks that mainly focus on spreading information about positive living, providing support to the infected and affected and preventing further spread of HIV. Currently, there is a self-Coordinating Entity of PHA networks and organizations as part of the Uganda Partnership that facilitates the UAC in coordinating the national response.
UNAIDS Working Definition
UNAIDS has broadened GIPA to include those most directly affected by the epidemic. This is done with the understanding that no one can speak for a person living with HIV except a person living with HIV. Nor can anyone speak for the bereaved widow or orphan of someone lost to AIDS, except someone with that experience, which is not necessarily that of all PLHA.
It is critical that we do not lose sight of the importance of GIPA-which is not to promote exclusivity of living with HIV- but rather to increase the effectiveness of policy and programming by including those living with the virus in their lives - with or without being infected - at all decision making levels.
As with many difficult tasks of our time, UNAIDS finds itself confronted with the dilemma of the wish to have strict definitions and the necessity of being flexible enough to be effective in the response to HIV/AIDS. The virus, as we all know, is far from politically correct, thus UNAIDS asks if indeed we can afford the luxury ourselves. Clearly a topic of heated debate, the definition of GIPA remains worthy of discussion and, warranted a large devotion of time at the Nairobi Consultation to ensure that UNAIDS is in line with the desires of the community of PLHA and others most affected by this epidemic.
The overall consensus was to expand GIPA to include those most affected as well as PLHA. With this in mind, please be aware that throughout this report, GIPA will refer to the Greater Involvement of People Living with or Affected by HIV/AIDS.
Declaration of the Paris AIDS Summit (Section IV, Paragraph 1) available at http://www.unaids.org/whatsnew/conferences/summit/index.html
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