E-NEWS AIDS ACTION EUROPE #1 - MARCH 2017
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E-NEWS AIDS ACTION EUROPE #1 - MARCH 2017
Dear Friends and Colleagues,

Welcome to our first newsletter in 2017. In this newsletter we are happy to share our final report on AAE's first Member and Partner meeting that took place on November 5th, 2016.

Also, you find the speech of Sini Pasanen at the EU-Presidency technical meeting in Malta where she asked “Are we really committed to ending AIDS?“.

Moreover, we recieved concerning news from Lithuania, where the local Checkpoint of the association “Demetra” got under attack from governmental organisations.

We would like to draw your attention to the trailer of the movie “A Day in the Life. The World of Humans Who Use Drugs.” This is a movie made by people who use drugs themselves. Feel free to spread the word about it.

Furthermore, an international training seminar on effective opiate substitution treatment programmes and harm reduction activities in European prison settings took place on March 7-9 2017 in Warsaw, Poland. Read more in HA-REACT News.

With kind regards,
AAE Office
E-NEWS AIDS ACTION EUROPE 
Are we really committed to ending AIDS?
 
“There seems to be an agreement and consensus on targets in order to fast track the end of AIDS. But do we do really everything to get there?” With a strong and dedicated speech Sini Pasanen, co-Chair of the EU HIV/AIDS Civil Society Forum for AIDS Action Europe, addressed the audience of the EU-Presidency technical meeting in Malta. Read more

AAE Member and Partner meeting 2016

AIDS Action Europe organized for the first time the AAE Member and Partner Meeting on Saturday 5 November, 2016 in Berlin. The full meeting report and all presentations of the AAE Member and Partner Meeting in Berlin, November 5, 2016 are avialable online. Download.

MEMBERS NEWS

Community-based HIV testing under attack in Lithuania

Association “Demetra” informed about the inconceivable situation in Lithuania regarding an attack on community-based rapid HIV testing by governmental organizations. Read the full press release

AIDS Action Europe expresses our solidarity with the Lithunian Association of HIV affected women and their families “Demetra”. Community based testing is one of the corner pillars in achieving the first of the UNAIDS 90-90-90 targets. Creating barriers for CBVCT and making the work of community based organisations impossible will lead to lower access to testing and increase of undetected HIV infections.

 
HA-REACT NEWS
Seminar on effective OPS
International training seminar on effective opiate substitution treatment programmes (OST) and harm reduction activities in European prison settings, March 7-9 2017, Warsaw, Poland

The National AIDS Centre, in cooperation with the Central Board of the Prison Service in Poland, seeks to improve the provision of health care to inmates, with particular attention to: implementation of opioid substitution treatment (OST); harm reduction measures; and continuity of treatment for prisoners who use drugs, live with HIV or are co-infected with HBV, HCV, TB, and STIs. Read more

 
The Financing and Sustainability of Harm Reduction Services in the EU 6 April 2017, Vilnius, Lithuania

As part of the European Joint Action on HIV and Co-infection Prevention and Harm Reduction (HA-REACT), there will be a half-day meeting on the financing of harm reduction services. This includes HIV and HCV testing and treatment when carried out at such a service including drug/alcohol or addiction centres. This initial planning and experience sharing meeting will serve as an important milestone in coordinating efforts to improve the funding and sustainability of harm reduction services. We intend for this to be a kick-off event for a series of meetings and publications that the Joint Action will lead or contribute to. We encourage all participants to actively contribute.
LATEST CLEARINGHOUSE UPDATES

A DAY IN THE LIFE: The World of Humans Who Use Drugs - TRAILER

The film takes us through one day in the life of eight people, from seven cities, in seven different countries of the world, from morning until night. They all have something in common - all of them use drugs. But these people are not defined by their drug use. All of them have their unique personalities, stories, and social networks. And the environment in which they live, the attitudes they face, the laws that regulate drug use, and the health services available to them have an enormous impact on their lives.
This film is not only about drug users - it was also produced by drug users. It strives to challenge our common myths and preconceptions about drugs and the people who use them.  It gives a voice to those representing one of the most marginalised communities of our world, to tell stories untold about hate, love, suffering, and happiness. Watch trailer

Addressing the specific needs of women who inject drugs.
 
Practical Guide offers suggestions for mainstreaming gender into existing services for people who inject drugs. At the same time, it acknowledges that, in some settings, women require services provided separately from or in addition to services targeting men. The main purposes of this Practical Guide are to:
Assist harm reduction service providers to expand access to women who inject drugs through appropriate gender-sensitive and gender-specific services.
Motivate and support harm reduction service providers to address gender issues within existing services and/or to develop gender-specific services.
Provide advice on setting targets for scale-up to improve access to comprehensive HIV and care services, and thereby expand coverage among women who inject drugs. Download

The AIDS Action Europe Clearinghouse is an online platform where NGOs, policy makers, networks and other stakeholders in Europe and Central Asia can share key documents and good practice materials. 
Check out more materials at 

hivaidsclearinghouse.eu