| 2024 has only just started and yet there are already so many advocacy opportunities for children and adolescents affected by HIV and AIDS. In particular, we have our eyes firmly fixed on the 55th UNAIDS Programme Coordinating Board Meeting thematic discussion on children, taking place this December. We must all be ready to use this opportunity to speak out with and for children. By way of preparation, the Coalition is creating a new analysis of the funding gaps and opportunities to end AIDS in children by 2030. Find out more here. The picture above is of myself and the Coalition’s esteemed Ambassadors Miriam Hasasha and Dudu Dlamini at ICASA, held in Zimbabwe at the end of 2023. This was one of many opportunities we at the Coalition were fortunate to be a part of in our work to end AIDS for children and adolescents.
We hope this update is useful to you. Please do share it with your networks and encourage others to become an Advocate Member of the Coalition – by signing up here.
UPDATES FROM THE COALITION MEMBERS
- The Coalition is delighted to showcase our strategic framework; 2023-25, including our theory of change. It highlights who we are, what we stand for and what we plan to do over the next few years. We encourage you to use this in your work.
- PATA has announced its next Summit dates – 6 – 8 November 2024. Executive Director Luann Hatane has also co-authored this article in the AIDS Care journal, on supporting front line service providers.
- ViiV Healthcare and EGPAF are co-hosting a new virtual learning series on pediatric HIV with Virology Education.
- The Conrad N. Hilton Foundation has both announced its call for its $2.5 million humanitarian prize and recently supported the Eastern Africa Early Childhood Conference hosted by AfCEN.
- Coalition Members UNICEF, REPSSI, Lorraine Sherr and Lucie Cluver are all supporting the Brighter Futures Conference on mental health in May.
- GNP+ supported the recent African Workshop on Women & HIV.
- The Coalition has published a blog celebrating Coalition friend and former member, Gretchen Bachman, who has recently retired as Senior OVC Adviser at USAID.
- Aidsfonds and the Robert Carr Fund have broadcast a series of podcasts about how to put communities in the driving seat. Florence Anam of GNP+ is one of their speakers, as is Mark Vermeulen of Aidsfonds.
- Coalition members are active across the AIDS 2024 conference, including as co-sponsors of the Children’s Research Prize and the 10th Workshop on Perinatal Exposure to HIV. We are also hosting a satellite in partnership with ViiV Healthcare – more information to follow.
- The Coalition is a partner of the Pediatrics and HIV workshop which will take place between 19 – 20 July in Munich. You can register here.
- UNICEF’s new Global Outlook report, Prospects for Children in 2024: Cooperation in a Fragmented World warns that without greater cooperation and less competition, we will not secure good outcomes for children’s health, education and overall well-being.
- UNICEF has launched an appeal for $1.4 billion to support the 45 million children in Eastern and Southern Africa who are at imminent risk due to the climate crisis.
FINANCING FOR CHILDREN & HIV
- The thematic focus of the 54th UNAIDS Programme Coordinating Board Meeting is financing and sustainability. Let’s all use this as an opportunity to champion better financing for children.
- Funders Concerned About AIDS released its new report looking at philanthropic funding trends from 2021. It is a fascinating read and offers great insights into trends in the HIV sector, including for children and adolescents.
- A new article from Devex evaluates the challenges cited by communities of achieving USAID’s target of 25% of all funding going directly to local organisations.
UPDATES FROM OUR WIDER COMMUNITY
- The 2024 World Health Assembly in May will discuss progress on maternal, new-born and child health. Let’s not miss this opportunity to advocate for children and adolescents impacted by HIV.
- Applications are now open for a new IPHASA implementation science grant. The deadline is the 22 March.
- Children are the focus of the 55th UNAIDS PBC Meeting, from 10 – 12 December.
- ICAP is testing a wraparound model of integrated HIV, health, nutrition and early childhood education services for children in Sierra Leone.
- New research in South Africa suggests that decreases in rainfall linked with climate change can reduce adherence to ART due to poor nutrition.
- The Thrive Coalition recently held a learning event on climate change and early childhood. See the recording here.
- USAID and the MOMENTUM global partnership for health and resilience has launched a technical resource on community engagement in tackling GBV.
- A new article in Social Work & Social Sciences Review highlights the role of social workers and community volunteers in the fostering of children living with HIV in South Africa.
- A new article in the Lancet Global Health estimates that 1 in 5 girls and 1 in 6 boys are married before the age of 18 in India.
- A new toolkit for supporting children on the move published by Family for Every Child promotes best practice for those working with child migrants.
- A new article in PLoS Medicine looking at femicide over several decades in South Africa shows an overall reduction, that gender-based violence is preventable even in high-prevalence settings, and the value of dedicated surveys.
- In November 2023, the governments of South Africa and the UK, Ford Foundation and Wellspring co-hosted a Wilton Park conference on ending gender-based violence. See the full report here.
- The UK government published its first ever strategy to promote kindship care.
- Together for Girls has published an article showing how data-driven action in Kenya has reduced violence against girls.
- The Sexual Violence Research Initiative published its latest update – see here.
- The Sexual Violence Research Initiative Global Forum, is from 21-25 October in Cape Town.
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
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