Expand Reduction of HIV-Related

Stigma and

Discrimination

Ron MacInnis, Deputy Director HIV, Health Policy Project

Healthcare Settings Should …

A friend comforts a young man who learns he is HIV-positive in "Deye Mon" ("Behind the Mountain"), a movie about AIDS stigma in Haiti. © 2003 Amelia Shaw, Courtesy of Photoshare.

Be a safe (and competent) space for people living with or at risk of HIV infection to seek prevention, treatment, care, and support

Build the evidence on why we need scaled-up Stigma reduction!

Evaluate anti-stigma interventionsContribute to the knowledge base of identifying

effective interventionsDetermine whether new trends in services and

availability of treatment reduce stigmaDevelop country operational plans focused on stigma

reduction

Measure the impact of S&D on specific health outcomes S&D/Update of test ing * S&D/Update of PMTCT * S&D/Adherence to Rx

S&D/Timely entry into care * S&D/Disclosure to partner * S&D/key populat ions

Source: Nyblade & MacQuarrie (2006)

What can Health Systems aspire to?

Provide incentives for “stigma-free” health facilitiesMonitor “stigma free” health facilitiesUrge “do no harm” anti S&D approach in certifying

health professionalsInvest in S&D curriculum and training for nursing

and medical schoolsDevelop redress systems for clients and integrate

into servicesHealth practitioners as advocates – Speak Up in

your country – you will inform the next generation of public health policies and practices !

Global Commission on HIV and the Law – calls for reform of country-level laws, policies, guidelines, systems. How will countries respond/invest/act?

“Good laws, fully resourced and rigorously enforced, can widen access to prevention and health care services, improve the quality of treatment, enhance social support for people affected by the epidemic, protect human rights that are vital to survival and save the public money.”

Expand investments in social participation, in public health policy, in legal reform and policy evaluation.

Support multi-disciplinary research and evaluation on S&D.

Invest in Country-level policy reform

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Join theStigma Action Network

‘Working for a World Free of HIV-related Stigma’

www.stigmaactionnetwork.org