JANUARY ITPC East Africa joins partners to raise concerns about the World Bank’s re-classification of Kenya. The re-classification from a low to middle income country is set to reverse progress on HIV/AIDS. Read Rose Kaberia’s blog post FEBRUARY ITPC Central Africa alerts policy leaders to sustained drug stock-outs in health facilities in Congo-Brazzaville. A climate of fear pervades, with informants only prepared to share information anonymously. Read the statement MARCH ITPC South Asia (ITPC SA) urges European Union to stop threatening access to affordable medicines, as it resumes negotiations with India. Read about ITPCSA’s action Regional Director of ITPC SA highlights three issues to improve access to medicines, at an expert consultation organized by the UN in Bangkok. Read Loon Gangte’s blog post ITPC and consortium partners contribute to consultations organized by the UN High Level Panel on Access to Medicines in London and Johannesburg.
APRIL Othoman Mellouk, ITPC’s Intellectual Property and Access to Medicines Lead, speaks at the Civil Society Hearing as part of the UN Assembly High Level Meeting on Ending AIDS. See facebook post New Activist Toolkit from ITPC supports advocacy for routine viral load monitoring. Read the statement and download the toolkit MAY The Global Fund recommends grant to enable ITPC to extend community-based monitoring of HIV treatment to eleven countries in West Africa. Find out more JUNE ITPC expresses deep disappointment with the outcome of the Political Declaration “On the Fast-Track to End the AIDS epidemic” by the UN Assembly at the High-Level Meeting on Ending AIDS. Read the statement Partners in Southern and East Africa highlight grave concerns about how they have been side-lined in the implementation of programs intended to benefit their communities. Read the statement
JULY At the AIDS conference in Durban, ITPC leads, co-hosts and participates in many sessions to raise the flag for optimal HIV treatment. Every day, ITPC leads Satellite Sessions, Skills-Building Workshops, protest actions and the two Networking Zone. Read a summary of our activities AUGUST ITPC and ARASA run two intensive ‘Video for Change’ training courses for leaders and activists of key population networks in Malawi and Botswana. Read a blog post about the training SEPTEMBER ITPC welcomes, with reservations, the report from the UN Secretary-General’s High Level Panel on Access to Medicines. It is regrettable that voluntary mechanisms were recommended as a first option given their known limitations. Read the statement OCTOBER Following action by consortium partner ABIA, dolutegravir becomes part of the national HIV program in Brazil. Dolutegravir has better efficacy and fewer side effects than comparable drugs. Read Othoman Mellouk’s blog post about the news NOVEMBER The revised, updated and expanded Advocacy for Community Treatment (ACT) Toolkit was launched at regional workshops in Panama and South Africa. Read the statement and download the toolkit Alongside over 30 organizations, ITPC issues a call for action and global solidarity to address the irresponsible and destructive declines in HIV and TB funding in middle-income countries. Read the statement ITPC LATCA with partners from across Latin America and the Caribbean raise grave concerns for people living with HIV in Venezuela. The statement highlights interruptions in supply of key antiretroviral drugs. Read the statement DECEMBER Make Medicines Affordable partners, and allies from around the world, write an open letter to the WHO Director General. We urge her to give the UN Secretary-General’s High Level Panel on Access to Medicines. Report, and recommendations, the attention they deserve. Read the open-letter
PEOPLE AND PROGRAMS
This is something we are proud of. Without this treatment people who fail second-line regimens wouldn’t have another option.”
Loon Gangte, of ITPC South Asia, played an important part in a campaign to get dolutegravir registered in India
Thanks to these guys we always have access to information about auctions in our region and tools to use if we need to do advocacy. They help us to be specific in our negotiations with the AIDS clinic and the local authorities.”
Denis from Kemerovo, Russia talking about ITPCru
For the first time, I heard of things I have never heard before about testing and HIV in general. ITPC EA and other experts should provide frequent radio talks, because I realized that between information and listeners there is a big gap, like darkness and light.”
Duncan Gitonga, an FM Radio presenter after interviewing Rose Kaberia, the Regional Director of ITPC East Africa
Calling Out Big Pharma & Their Patent Monopolies
Our #MakeMedicinesAffordable campaign is showing the lengths that Big Pharma will go to protect unmerited monopolies, keeping life saving drugs out of reach of those who need them most.
New Toolkit & Resources to Support Communities to Demand PrEP
People who need PrEP have a right to access it as a human right to health. Our new toolkit ensures communities have the knowledge they need to demand it.
Key Population Financing for Health and HIV Programs
Securing better representation in national decision making bodies led to more funds for HIV treatment and health programs for key populations.
Community Monitoring of HIV Treatment in West Africa
We plan to overcome problems, such as medicine stock-outs, in 11 countries in West Africa, by supporting civil society to act as a watchdog.
REACH & RESULTS
With our regions, networks and partners, we ran projects to improve access to optimal HIV treatment in these countries in 2017:
Groundwork laid for expanded community monitoring
Training delivered on intellectual property and access to medicines
Treatment activists mobilized to demand routine viral load testing
Community-based research conducted
Improved HIV treatment services following community monitoring
Training delivered on intellectual property and access to medicines
Advocacy to improve accountability, and increase funding for key populations
Patent oppositions filed
Patent opposition successful
Country list
SIGNIFICANT SAVINGS FOR HEALTH BUDGETS
With our consortium partners, our work to make medicines affordable in four focus countries contributed to projected, combined savings of US$696.44 million per year.
In Argentina, US$50 million annual savings on two HIV drugs, means 27,000 more people could receive HIV treatment for 10 years.
With our regions, networks and partners, we ran projects to improve access to optimal HIV treatment in these countries in 2017:
Follow the arrows to see how community alerts move from communities to global and back again, and how we use the information at every level for advocacy.
GLOBAL INFLUENCE AND VISIBILITY
In 2016, ITPC participated in meetings and conferences to present community-based research, influence international policy and amplify the voices of the people we represent.
Follow the arrows to see how community alerts move from communities to global and back again, and how we use the information at every level for advocacy.
VALUE FOR MONEY
Just 6 cents in every dollar goes to administration, finance, development and communications.
THANK YOU
OUR WORK WOULDN’T BE POSSIBLE WITHOUT YOU. THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR SUPPORT IN 2015.