As part of the culminating activity of the 2005-2010 AMTP4, the National M&E System will be assessed in May 2010. A 4-day M&E assessment workshop will be held on 12-15 May 2010 at Punta Fabian, Baras, Rizal.
The assessment will look at the 12 components of a functional M&E System using the UNAIDS-M&E Reference Group (MERG)-endorsed M&E System Strengthening (MESS) Tool.
Dr. Bob Verbruggen, M&E Adviser at the UNAIDS Regional Support Team in Bangkok and Dr. Lely Wahyuniar, M&E Adviser of UNAIDS Indonesia will join the Philippine M&E Team in facilitating the workshop assessment. A team of local consultants is also hired to help consolidated key documents and agreements and prepare the final report.
The workshop will be participated in by key M&E practitioners in the country, including those who were involved in the establishment of the Philippine M&E System on HIV since 2003.
The activity will be held back-to-back with the AMTP5 Planning Workshop.
The assessment aimed to identify key gaps in the national M&E system and to develop an M&E action plan for 2011 and beyond based on the assessment findings.
Sunday, April 25, 2010
National M&E Assessment slated on 12-15 May 2010
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Strengthening the National Monitoring and Evaluation System on AIDS in the Philippines
The 2003-2007 Experience in the Philippines
Strengthening the National Monitoring and Evaluation System on AIDS in the Philippines from Zimmbodilion Mosende on Vimeo.
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Experts convene to project HIV Modes of Transmission in the Philippines
Saturday, October 10, 2009
GOP-UNDP AIDS Program 2009-2010
Promoting Leadership and Mitigating the Negative Impacts
of HIV and AIDS on Human Development
The Programme aims to support leadership and capacity development to strengthen local responses and mitigate the negative impacts on human development of HIV and AIDS. It adopts a modular approach in programming to remain flexible and responsive to a ‘hidden and growing’ epidemic and the needs of the Philippines’ 4th AIDS Medium Term Plan (AMTP-4).
Component One (C1): Leadership for Effective and Sustained Responses to HIV and AIDS seeks to harmonize efforts with the Philippine National AIDS Council (PNAC) and the UN Joint Team on AIDS (UNJTA) to strengthen sustainable local AIDS responses through the development of leadership capacities of Local Government Units (LGUs) and the Regional AIDS Assistance Teams (RAATs).
Component Two (C2): Strengthening Institutional Capacities and Partnerships on HIV and Migration supports the UN Joint Programme on HIV and Migration through regional mobility initiatives to enhance the capacity of overseas government attachés to advocate and provide rights-based services to Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) with special focus on women. It will also reinforce and further integrate gender sensitive awareness and HIV prevention for OFWs particularly women into government mandated and private sector-led pre-departure seminars and appropriate training programmes.
Component Three (C3): Mitigating the Economic and Psychosocial Impacts of HIV and AIDS plans to review and strengthen current PLHIV referral mechanisms to provide support services, including psychosocial services, and enable PLHIV OFWs to continue to be economically productive upon re-entry in the country. This component will integrate and mainstream direct PLHIV case management into the livelihood and psychosocial support services of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).
Component Four (C4): Strategic Information and Community Leadership among Men Who Have Sex with Men (MSM) and Transgender (TG) populations will review and analyze current community-based responses to HIV among MSMs and construct a ‘comprehensive package of services’ to encourage effective community responses. This project will also build and support the capacity of civil society organizations (CSOs) to effectively utilize strategic information and actively participate in local government processes that respond to HIV and AIDS.
Component Five (C5): Knowledge, Communication and Advocacy to Promote Deeper Understanding of HIV and AIDS seeks to enhance policy and programme planning on HIV and AIDS by strengthening advocacy and strategic information to promote multi-sector response. It will identify and assist in the production of strategic information to address the knowledge gaps in the Philippines AIDS responses and function as a platform to facilitate and support the involvement of multi sector partners to increase the scale and scope of AIDS advocacy and anti-stigma initiatives. Initially, it will undertake research activities on HIV and AIDS-related infections and injecting drug use (IDU).
Regional Consensus Meeting on Developing a Comprehensive Package of Services to Reduce HIV among Men who have sex with Men (MSM) and Transgender (TG)
A Team from the Philippines* participated in the Regional Consensus Meeting on Developing a Comprehensive Package of Services to Reduce HIV among Men who have sex with Men (MSM) and Transgender (TG) Populations in Asia and the Pacific from 29 June – 1 July 2009, Bangkok, Thailand
Background
In 2008, the Independent Commission on AIDS in Asia released a report entitled “Redefining AIDS in Asia – Crafting an effective response” which made several policy recommendations intended to reduce the impact of the HIV epidemic among key affected populations, including men who have sex with men (MSM). The report calls for the urgent scale up of prevention interventions that are known or agreed to prevent infection with HIV and include access to treatment, care, and support for those already living with HIV. In addition, it noted that countries need to understand what is driving their epidemics and how to reach populations most at risk of HIV infection in order for their HIV responses to be effective.
The Operational Work Plan (2007-2008) for the Third ASEAN Work Programme on HIV and AIDS (AWP III) together with the ASEAN Commitments on HIV and AIDS was adopted by the Heads of State and Government of ASEAN during the 12th ASEAN Summit Special Session on HIV and AIDS on 13 January 2007 in Cebu, Philippines.
On 7-9 May 2008, ASEAN, UNDP and APN+ co-organized the ASEAN Regional Consultation Plan of Action for Greater Involvement and Empowerment of People Living with HIV in Vientiane, Lao PDR. In this Regional Consultation, a suggestion was made to convene a regional consultation to address HIV among men who have sex with men and TG in the region.
In line with these commitments, the ASEAN Secretariat recognises the urgent need to work with member states, the UN system, donors, civil society and government partners throughout the Asia Pacific region to scale up access to comprehensive services for men who have sex with men and transgender populations in the Region, and in general recommend advocacy for changing or amending restrictive legal and social environments. Furthermore, mobilizing resources is a priority, data collection and analysis need to be harmonized, and the capacity of health-care workers strengthened.
Highly concentrated and severe HIV epidemics among men who have sex with men (MSM) in urban areas across the region are already well documented. For example, the estimated HIV prevalence rate in Bangkok is 30.7%; Phnom Penh – 8.7%; Mumbai – 9.6%; and Beijing – 5.8%. Yet, investments in HIV programming for MSM remains limited, ranging from 0% to 4% of the total spending for HIV programming in countries region-wide. Most other major Asian cities still have a window of opportunity to avoid serious epidemics among MSM – but that opportunity will close soon unless investment and programming are put in place rapidly.
In the majority of the countries in the Asia Pacific region, there is a lack of HIV interventions for MSM which comprehensively focus on prevention, treatment, care and support. A 2006 survey of the coverage of HIV interventions in 15 Asia-Pacific countries estimated that targeted prevention programs reached less than 8% of MSM, far short of the 80% coverage that epidemiological models indicate is needed to turn the HIV epidemic around.
Due to the increased availability of epidemiological data on HIV among MSM in recent years, there is a better understanding of the magnitude of these epidemics, of the rapidity with which they can develop, and of the relative importance of male to male transmission within the HIV epidemics in the region. In some countries this has led to increased political will to address HIV among this behavioural population. Despite this, there is still inadequate information on what its defined as a ‘comprehensive package of interventions for MSM and TG’, which includes priority evidence-based interventions activities and its cost. This data is critical for governments and donors in the development, implementation and scale up of HIV programs for men who have sex with men.
In recent years, several initiatives have begun to support countries address HIV issues among MSM and TG in the region. In 2004, the U.S. government (USAID and US CDC), along with Family Health International (FHI), UNESCO, and others organized two consultation meetings of government and MSM community representatives and technical experts that ended with six country action plans built around the concept of a comprehensive package of services (labelled a “minimum package of services” at that time). These meetings were the beginning of a MSM initiative in the greater Mekong sub region.
In 2008, the USAID/Health Policy Initiative, Greater Mekong and China (HPI/GMR-C), in partnership with Burnet Institute, undertook a survey to map donor expenditures for HIV prevention programs for MSM in the Mekong sub region. The survey found that only USAID was making significant funding contributions throughout the GMS subregion, although there is a range of other donors supporting various activities; and that in principle other aid agencies, international NGOs, the UN system and donors are very supportive of interventions targeting MSM. Some countries in the region have started to implement MSM and HIV programming funded through GFATM grants.
In 2009, USAID, in partnership with UNDP, WPRO and APCOM is supporting two complementary projects in the region to advocate and assist national governments to prioritize the response to HIV among MSM and TG populations. These projects aim to assess the effectiveness of a comprehensive package of services being implemented throughout the GMS region, and provide an advocacy and resource estimation tool for initiating or scaling up this package of services.
Finally, in February 2009, WHO (WPRO), UNDP, UNAIDS and the Hong Kong Health Department co-hosted a regional consultation aiming to strengthen the health sector response to HIV among MSM throughout the region. This broad-based conference was attended by over 100 participants from the health sector, international NGOs, regional and national civil society networks, academia, bilateral donors and the UN system. As part of the outcomes of the meeting, the participants “recognised the need for a widely endorsed, single, comprehensive regional reference package to better inform national responses”; and “the implementation of a ‘highly active’ range of interventions was recommended for settings with high HIV prevalence and incidence among MSM and TG”.
Furthermore, other bi later donors and foundations have recently expanded their commitments to address HIV among MSM and TG in Asia Pacific. The Foundation for AIDS Research (amfAR) has been supporting community- based responses to MSM and HIV in Asia Pacific since late 2007 through a small grants program and capacity-building assistance. AmfAR recently submitted a call for proposals for another round of funding, aimed to further promoting innovative HIV services (prevention, treatment care), research and partnership building in local responses.
An expanded area of work under Australia's new international development strategy for HIV is a focus on HIV prevention among MSM. AusAID has recently commissioned a scoping exercise to consider how it will support comprehensive approaches to address HIV infection among MSM in the Asia Pacific region. This scoping exercise will form the basis for further planning by AusAID on how it will implement the focus on MSM in its new strategy, building on the investments it has made in conjunction with AFAO in Indonesia, in the Pacific and in Papua New Guinea.
To increase the effectiveness of all of these initiatives, the proposed Comprehensive Package of Services for MSM and TG Consensus Meeting with government and civil society representatives, and the Advocacy/Costing Tool Workshop, aims to build on collective efforts and experiences of national AIDS responses, INGO and community experiences and will be convened to achieve the following objectives:
· National government decision-makers, multi- and bilateral donors, international NGOs and community advocates review, identify priorities and endorse the components of a comprehensive package of services.
· Produce an advocacy product that will allow users to identify gaps in baseline information, test assumptions and produce local costing estimates for a scale-up of the comprehensive response to HIV among MSM.
· Understand the data sources and means of collection, costing calculations and estimation methods so a comprehensive package of services can be adopted in other countries and sub-regions.
Comprehensive Package of Services for MSM Consensus Meeting, 29 June - 1 July 2009
Meeting Partners include UNDP, ASEAN Secretariat, WHO-WPRO, UNAIDS, UNESCO, USAID-RDMA, APCOM
Directly responding to the recommendations from the Health Sector and MSM regional consultation, which was recently held in Hong Kong SAR, China (February 2009), this meeting aims to come to a consensus about the basic components of a comprehensive package of services to prevent HIV and provide treatment, care and support for MSM in the region. The meeting aims to be a platform for discussion to reach consensus between government and civil society partners on the components of a “Comprehensive Package of Services” to reduce HIV incidence among MSM and TG. By reviewing existing interventions implemented in the region over the past several years, this process will include an overview of key evidence-based interventions and strategies for preventing HIV and providing treatment, care and support to MSM . The meeting aims to achieve a consensus from national stakeholders on the components, as well as intervention priorities to prevent HIV transmission among MSM behavioural populations, including TG populations.
A key challenge when reviewing past experiences in responding to HIV among MSM is that most of the current interventions among MSM in Asia Pacific have not benefited from rigorous outcome evaluations using behavioral and/or biological outcomes to analyze their effectiveness in Asia. However, acknowledging that a recommendation of the Consensus Meeting may well be that outcome evaluations of MSM HIV interventions should be conducted, many countries in the region do have a set of interventions that can justifiably serve as the basis for discussion and on which to reach consensus. Below is a graph depicting the conceptualization of a possible Comprehensive Package of Services for MSM, including suggested components, which can serve as the basis for discussion at the meeting.
Participants:
Dr. Ferchito Avelino, PNAC Director
Noemi D. Bayoneta-Leis, HAIN, Implementing Partner, MSM Project
Mr. Anastacio Marasigan, TLF Share Collective, Responsible Partner
M2M 2009: National Conference on MSM/TG and HIV
With support from United Nations Development Program,
Philippine National AIDS Council and APCOM
22-24 July 2009, Greenhills Elan, San Juan
In the past few years the Philippines has seen a significant increase in the case of HIV transmission among males who have sex with male and transgenders (MSM/TG). Where before the ratio of homo to hetero sexual transmission is 1:3, in 2008 more than 50% of the new case are between males.
Also in the last five years, prevention, treatment and care interventions have increased because of funding support mainly from the Global Fund. These efforts were focusing with most-at-risk populations, which included MSM/TG. Because of this, many cities in the Philippines experienced a surge of peer education and condom distribution activities targeting MSM/TG communities and individuals.
While all these are happening there have never been any opportunities for MSM/TG groups to discuss these developments, analyze problems and come up with a common goal that will empower the MSM/TG community and take leadership in the responses to the threat of HIV.
From the 2nd quarter of this year up to the end of 2010, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is supporting a MSM program that will provide for two things: a study on MSM and HIV that will inform the national and local responses and a leadership development program that will empower the MSM/TG community. Both aims require the involvement and inputs from the MSM/TG community, the national government and other organizations that work and support HIV prevention among MSM/TG. The UNDP MSM project makes it more imperative for a collective discussion on the matter.
Thus, a first-ever national meeting on MSM/TG and Sexual Health and Rights was organized, specifically for MSM/TG groups and relevant government and non-government organizations to have a conversation and to agree on a common agenda for HIV prevention and rights promotion. Through this effort, MSM/TG groups and community were able to voice and be heard in the forum built around their aspirations.
The National Conference was supported mainly by UNDP and Philippine National AIDS Council (PNAC) and solicited funds from Asia Pacific Coalition on Male Sexual Health in India (APCOM).
The idea was to gather as many MSM groups as possible from different regions in the Philippines, who are currently engaged in HIV prevention, treatment care and support programs, in sexual rights advocacy or in community service provision.
KEY POINTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS (Pink SONA and 1st MSM/TG National Conference)
On Human Rights
· There is no law criminalizing homosexuality, but some laws are used to harass MSMs:
o Anti-Vagrancy law
o Public Scandal law
o Anti-Kidnapping law (usually filed against a lesbian to break off a relationship)
· Raids are used to harass, threaten, and extort money from arrested MSMs
· Some schools, like San Beda, conduct masculinity test on effeminate potential students. CHED maintains a hands-off policy, on grounds that private educational institutions can implement their own policies.
· There is no labor law that would prevent same sex couples working in the same office from being terminated. (ex: a lesbian couple working in a human rights group was terminated; a case was filed but the DOLE dismissed it because there was no specific law)
· Spate of killings and theft involving gay men
· Cases of sexual abuses experienced by MSMs
· HR activities are more focused on legislative; efforts to popularize HR issues are minimal
Economy
· Economic crisis weakens the involvement of the LGBT community in key issues
Media portrayal
· There is a positive change in the portrayal of gays in the media, but most of these are limited in indie films.
· There is no clear cut definition of what positive portrayal is
TGs
· Including the TGs in the MSM sector is problematic because TGs self-identify as women
· There is a gap in health service provision for this particular sector (ex: a TG top with gonorrhea would think twice about going to a doctor because of the
TRENDS AND GAPS by Key Areas
1. LGBT events aided in our self awakening
2. self-advocacy – sarili mo muna ina-advocate mo; maconvince mo muna sarili mo.
3. More public spaces become more LGBT friendly
4. indifference among LGBT people still exist
5. Division among LGBT ideas (horizontal discrimination exists within the LGBT community; ex: poor gay versus rich gay)
6. repressive policies on LGBT
HEALTHCARE
Trends/gaps
1. increasing awareness, but still low in practice specially safer sex practices
2. improvement in services and treatment, pero hindi pa universal – may mga lugar na hindui pa naabot ng services
3. Intensification of peer work, but limited in reach
4. dependence on GF and other external sources – doon lahat natin kinukuha ang resources..what if matapos na ang fund na binibigay
5. lack of representation in LAC/other multisectoral bodies – ang vision namin is for every LGUs to have their own LACs or similar body
6. absence of champions of MSM and TG in healthcare issues within the government
SOCIAL PORTRAYAL
Trends and gaps
· LGBT used as subjects/themes in films (non-mainstream) – although pinapakita sa indie films and magazines, sometimes, hindi pa rin nakikita ng mga tao.
· mainstream portrayal is sensational and cliché – yun ang alam ng mga tao, yung parlorista, macho dancers. it doesn’t show the wide spectrum
· no established positive TV programs are on the air now.
· Catholic church or religious institutions still have big influence in the media – biggest influence
· most of the positive portrayals and pushing of the envelope are done by LGBT themselves –
HUMAN RIGHTS
Trends
· LGBT rights advocacy has been ;argely legislative
· CO happened mostly in the early parts
· high media profile incidents which could have maximized HR framework
Gaps
· popularize HR education – hindi lahat informed kung ano ang status ng mga bills
· info sharing/updates system
· resources
· popular mass support for LGBT specific legislations to push bill
Other recommendations/clarifications
· Possibility of releasing region-aggregated data
· Assess if the services reach MSMs residing in areas far from urban centers where most service providers are located
· Contingency measures after GF (ex: compulsory licensing)
· Gender sensitivity training, particularly for health personnel
· Monitor/assessment of BCC for MSM and TG (for baseline)
· Enhancement of current BCC approaches to be client-centered (positive prevention, TCS, interaction; capacity developments in all aspects, key messages)
· Scale up (social network initiatives, referral system)
· Profiling of MSM/TG
· More researches
· Program for disclosure in the family
· Develop a coordinating mechanism
· Institutionalize training of trainers
The conference was widely covered by print and broadcast media. Full proceedings will be posted.
Media Release: MSMs and transgender tackle HIV-AIDS issue
23 July, Manila – HIV infections are on the rise in the Philippines, with 85 new infections registered in May 2009 alone. This is the highest reported in a month, and brings the total for 2009 (January to May) to 322. Most of these cases (88%) were men, with the 20-24 year age group reporting the most cases (29%). Fifty-seven percent of the reported cases came from the National Capital Region (NCR). All cases reported sexual contact as the mode of HIV transmission, with homosexual contact (36%) as predominant.
The other populations at risk from HIV-AIDS include female sex workers and their male clients and injecting drug users. The vulnerable populations of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs), out-of-school youth, and street children are also at high risk, and require comprehensive and targeted programmes as well. In 2007, an estimated 7,490 people were living with HIV, up from the estimated 6,000 in 2002.
All the main ingredients for an epidemic are present in the country. First, HIV transmission through unprotected sex accounts for 89% of reported cases. Second, condom use among the most at-risk populations remains below the universal access target of 90%.
Given this situation, the Government of the Philippines and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) launched a three-year programme entitled “Promoting Leadership and Mitigating the Negative Impacts of HIV and AIDS on Human Development.” Its first project is the 1st National Conference on HIV-AIDS by Men Who Have Sex with Men (MSM) and Transgender Filipinos, being held July 23-24 at Greenhills Elan Hotel.
This project will define the profile of MSM and transgender Filipinos as well as their changing behaviors. It will also map and assess existing programs, and recommend advocacy strategies and cost. It will further pilot-test these strategies to scale up the national MSM response, including involvement in shaping of policy.
Renaud Meyer, the Country Director of UNDP, said: “This programme demonstrates UNDP’s commitment to contribute to the global response to combat AIDS, which is embodied in Goal 6 of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) – to reverse and halt the spread of HIV-AIDS and other diseases. Our overall goal is to support improved human development outcomes and contribute to the attainment of the goals of the Philippines’ national AIDS response through comprehensive leadership programmes. This project – which aims to develop the capacity of MSMs and transgender Filipinos as well as their organizations – is a significant step in this direction.”
The national conference fulfills two of the five components of the UNDP programme. These are to provide strategic information and community leadership among MSM and transgender Filipinos, as well as provide knowledge, community, and advocacy to promote a deeper understanding of HIV and AIDS. The three other components of the programme are:
*Leadership for effective and sustained responses to HIV and AIDS;
*Strengthening institutional capacities and partnerships on HIV and migration; and
*Mitigating the economic and psycho-social impacts of HIV and AIDS.
For this programme, the UNDP is working closely with relevant Government agencies such as the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), TLF Sexuality, Health and Rights Educators Collective, Inc. (TLF SHARE), Health Action Information Network (HAIN), and the Philippine National AIDS Council (PNAC).
UNDP is the UN's global development network, advocating for change and connecting countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help people build a better life. We are on the ground in 166 countries, working with them on their own solutions to global and national development challenges. As they develop local capacity, they draw on the people of UNDP and our wide range of partners.
For more information, please contact:
Danton Remoto, Communications Officer
danton.remoto@undp.org. 0918-979-3665, 0917-800-5002, 901-0239
The United Nations Development Programme
30th Floor Yuchengco Tower, RCBC Plaza, 6819 Ayala Avenue cor. Sen. Gil J. Puyat Avenue, Makati City 1226 Philippines
Tel. (632) 9010100 ; Fax (632) 9010200
www.undp.org.ph