Organization Contact Information |
| Organization Name: |
AIDS and Rights Alliance for Southern Africa |
| Organization Street 1: |
5th Floor Mercantile House |
| Organization Street 2: |
63 Hout Street |
| Organization City: |
Cape Town |
| Organization Province: |
Western Cape |
| Organization Post Code: |
8001 |
| Organization Country: |
South Africa |
| Organization Phone: |
+27214225463 |
| Organization Email: |
maggie@arasa.org.na |
| Organization Web Site: |
http://www.arasa.info |
| |
Focal Point Contact Information |
| Focal Point Salutation: |
Ms |
| Focal Point First Name: |
Paula |
| Focal Point Last Name: |
Akugizibwe |
| Focal Point Title: |
Regional Treatment Literacy and Advocacy Coordinator |
| Focal Point Email: |
p.akugi@gmail.com |
| |
Stop TB Partner Information |
| Organization Type: |
NGO - International Health |
| Organization Description: |
Established in 2002, the AIDS and Rights Alliance for Southern Africa (ARASA) is a regional partnership of non-governmental organisations working together to promote a human rights approach to HIV/AIDS and TB in Southern Africa through capacity building and advocacy. It is constituted in the form of a trust and all partner organisations are members of the trust. Three steering committees, comprising trust members, act as advisory boards for the three ARASA programme areas: training and awareness raising, advocacy and lobbying and regional treatment literacy and advocacy.
Central to all of the programme areas is the recognition that some 25 years into the epidemic the protection of human rights remains critical to a successful response to HIV and AIDS. HIV-related stigma and discrimination remain major obstacles to meeting the target of universal access to HIV prevention, care and treatment. It is internationally recognised that protection of human rights, both of those vulnerable to HIV infection and those already infected, is not only a right, but also produces positive public health results against HIV. The denial of human rights such as the rights to non-discrimination and gender equality, information, education, health, privacy and social assistance increases both vulnerability to infection as well as the impact of the epidemic. Particular attention must be given to protecting the rights of vulnerable groups such as women, young people and children as well as the rights of marginalised groups such as men having sex with men (MSM), intravenous drug users (IDU's), commercial sex workers, prisoners and others who engage in activities deemed to be immoral or illegal if they are to avoid infection and withstand the impact of HIV.
ARASA's central operational strategy through all three of these programme areas is thus to utilise the ARASA partnership to build and strengthen the capacity of civil society, with a particular focus on PLWA organisations, to effectively advocate for a human rights approach |
| |
| How did you hear about the Stop TB Partnership: |
Stop TB communications |
| |
| Why do you wish join the Stop TB Partnership: |
Network with other partners |
| |
| What TB activity\ies are you mainly involved in: |
Advocacy, communication and social mobilizationHealth Promotion Media Patient-led activities and social mobilization Political and national advocacy TB education and awareness raising
FundingAdvocacy Capacity Building for partner initiatives Research
ResearchHealth systems, services and policy research MDR-TB
Technical AssistanceAdvocacy Human Resources training (Drs, nurses, researchers, NGOs) Research |
| |
| Which Working Group(s) will you participate in: |
ACSM MDR-TB TB/HIV |
| |
| No of staff who are directly involved with TB: |
1 - 5 |
| |
| Which country are you based in: |
South Africa |
| |
| Which country/ies do you do operate in: |
Botswana Democratic Republic of the Congo Lesotho Madagascar Malawi Mauritius Mozambique Namibia South Africa Swaziland United Republic of Tanzania Zambia Zimbabwe |
| |
| Which WHO region is the main focus of your work: |
African |
| |
| Are you a member of a Stop TB national partnership: |
No |
| |
|
Declaration of interests
No conflicts of interest were delacred.
|
| |